New York, 21 September 2026 — As leaders gather for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week, attention is shifting from setting ambition to delivering it. For UN-Habitat, this means strengthening action in cities, where decisions on housing, land, buildings, transport, infrastructure and public services shape sustainable development and climate resilience.
At least 65 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets are linked to the work and mandates of local and regional governments. Cooperation across all levels of government is therefore essential to translating global commitments into action, including ensuring access to adequate housing and helping communities withstand extreme heat, floods and storms.
Recent global processes have reinforced the need to accelerate implementation. In May 2026, the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum in Baku concluded with the Baku Call to Action, calling for accelerated action on adequate housing and stronger efforts to translate global commitments into results for people and communities. In July, the global review of Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the General Assembly High-level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda provided an opportunity to assess progress and identify where implementation needs to accelerate.
The SDG 11 Global Synthesis Report 2026 found that progress towards sustainable cities and communities remains too slow and uneven, highlighting adequate housing, the transformation of informal settlements and slums, and stronger urban resilience among the priorities for accelerating progress. The midterm review of the New Urban Agenda also reinforced the importance of multilevel governance and stronger cooperation among national, regional and local governments as the world moves into the second decade of implementing the Agenda towards 2036.
National climate plans increasingly recognise the role of cities, too. UN-Habitat’s analysis of 142 plans found that 80 per cent include strong urban measures, up from 49 per cent in the previous cycle. However, gaps remain in coordination and finance, highlighting the need for stronger cooperation across levels of government and greater access to urban climate finance.
Connecting global commitments with local action
Against this backdrop, the Urban20 (U20) Mayors Summit in New York brings together mayors and city leaders from major G20 cities to bring local priorities and experience into global economic, climate and development discussions. Taking place as Climate Week gets under way, the U20 provides a channel for cities to collectively inform discussions among national governments through the G20 process.
This year, for the first time in the history of the U20, housing is explicitly included on the agenda, with housing affordability considered alongside climate change and migration. This reflects growing recognition of housing as a major urban and development challenge requiring action across all levels of government.
Building political support for adequate housing
The scale of the housing challenge underlines the importance of this focus. Up to 3.4 billion people experience some form of housing inadequacy, including more than 1.1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums, according to the World Cities Report 2026.
The lack of adequate and affordable housing limits progress across health, poverty reduction, social inclusion and climate resilience. During the week, representatives of national governments will discuss the next steps in developing international policy recommendations on adequate housing, including how those recommendations can respond to different national and regional circumstances.
These recommendations are being developed through the Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All, established by the United Nations Habitat Assembly. The Working Group provides a dedicated intergovernmental platform for Member States to develop policy recommendations on adequate housing. More than 80 Member States have nominated experts to participate in the Working Group.
The discussions in New York will seek to broaden participation in the process and build political support for advancing adequate housing for all. The third session of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All will take place on 26 and 27 November 2026 at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya. Building on the 2026 midterm review of the New Urban Agenda, the process provides an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and develop practical policy recommendations that can support national and local governments in expanding access to adequate housing and building more inclusive and resilient communities.
Cover photo: A wide view of the General Assembly Hall as Secretary-General António Guterres (at podium and on screens) addresses the SDG Moment 2026. © UN Photo/Manuel Elías