For over forty years, UN-Habitat has served as the global leader in promoting socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements and adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat values the role of partnerships in providing expertise and resources needed in advancing a better urban future

UN-Habitat works with a range of organizations within and outside central governments in the pursuit of sustainable urbanization and human settlements development. Working towards a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world is a collective effort.

To continue working and learning together, UN-Habitat has established thematic networks composed of a cross section of stakeholders to allow partners to contribute to the design and implementation of its normative and operational programmes at every level. The involvement of partners in the field of sustainable urbanization and human settlements development is essential for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA), the post 2015 development agenda its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UN-Habitat strives to establish a set of strategic partnerships including political actors, civil society and professional organizations, and the private sector as goodwill ambassadors and advocates of sustainable urbanization and human settlements development.

We also foster the United Nations system-wide inter-agency collaboration as a critical component of the partnership strategy in the belief that UN agencies within their mandates have responsibilities to respond to issues affecting urban and rural dwellers, because of rapid urbanization.

In pursuing our goals, we work with over 3,500 partners including Governments, United Nations entities, private sector, Foundations and Civil Society Organizations. The past decade has seen a tremendous surge in stakeholders engaging with UN-Habitat in various development areas, including through the agency’s effective efforts to ensure high levels of stakeholder participation at Habitat III and growing participation in the World Urban Forums. Reinforcing this trend, future partnerships will be aligned with UN-Habitat’s four goals, drivers of change, its social inclusion dimensions and be well-managed and effective, according to UN-Habitat's Strategic Plan.

• Declaration of the First Global Stakeholder Forum of the First UN Habitat Assembly ‘Toward a New Stakeholder Contract for the New Urban Agenda’
• Report of Business Leaders Dialogue at the First Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly
• UN System-Wide Strategy on Sustainable Urban Development
• The Global Stakeholder Forum Report

UN-Habitat has always relied on partnerships to drive our activities and, in support of the urban and human settlements dimensions of the 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda, we are committed to working with a wide range of partners in innovative ways, including

1. Thematic networks,
2. Advisory boards,
3. Implementing partners,
4. Advocacy platforms
5. Donors

Through global partnership networks such as the Global Land Tool Network, UN-Habitat provides platforms for effective coordination on sustainable urbanization issues, enabling transformational change for the benefit of millions of people.

Partners provide UN-Habitat with human, financial and technical resources; information, monitoring and evaluation and analysis; and support to programmes and operations. Policy and advocacy partners, such as United Nations entities and Governments, help UN-Habitat in the definition of policies and strategies at the global, regional and local level and support advocacy to achieve a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world.

In turn, UN-Habitat offers its partners with expertise in a wide range of areas in advancing the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda.