Nairobi, 25 August 2026 – More than 300 participants from 80 countries joined UN-Habitat’s third Global Stakeholder Dialogue on 11 August 2026 to discuss how stakeholders and UN-Habitat can translate shared priorities into practical action.
The online dialogue brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives of civil society, local and regional governments, grassroots organizations, academia, professional associations, the private sector, youth, women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and other constituencies.
Participants reflected on the outcomes of the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), the Baku Call to Action, the 2026 High-level Political Forum review of Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda.
A central message emerged from the discussions: stakeholder engagement must move beyond periodic consultation and become a predictable and meaningful part of planning, budgeting, implementation and accountability. Participants also demonstrated their readiness to contribute networks, knowledge, data, technical expertise and partnerships to support delivery.
The discussions underscored the importance of locally led and community-led action. Participants called for local governments, communities and other stakeholders to help shape urban planning, budgets, delivery and monitoring, not only to be consulted as beneficiaries.
They also emphasized that adequate housing must be addressed as part of an interconnected urban system encompassing secure land and tenure, infrastructure, water and sanitation, mobility, health, energy, livelihoods and climate resilience. Access to finance, stronger implementation capacity and better connections between data, research, policy and lived experience were identified as essential to delivering inclusive and resilient communities.
UN-Habitat will use the contributions to inform its Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines and Roadmap, supporting a more structured approach to engagement and identifying opportunities for collaboration over the coming year.
The emerging pathways include connecting stakeholder expertise and evidence to the Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All and the Housing Platform; mobilizing professional, academic and community networks to strengthen implementation capacity; and mapping practical contributions from grassroots organizations, local governments and other constituencies.
Stakeholder perspectives will also inform preparations for forthcoming processes, including WUF14, COP31 and the 2026 United Nations Water Conference. UN-Habitat will continue engaging stakeholders as these pathways are developed and translated into opportunities for joint action.
Building partnerships. Delivering impact. Learn more about stakeholder engagement at UN-Habitat.
Cover photo: UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach addresses more than 300 participants at the third Global Stakeholder Dialogue, focused on strengthening collaboration with stakeholders. © UN-Habitat/Julius Mwelu