Port Louis: A workshop was held last week to launch the Participatory Slum Upgrading Project in Mauritius.

HA NOI, 21 November 2014— The Ministry of Construction and a UN agency have taken the first steps to establishing a City Prosperity Index for Viet Nam.This was announced at a workshop held yesterday in Ha Noi, which was told that more than 50 per cent of the world's population lives in cities.

Nairobi, 20 November 2014: The importance of empowering local authorities to enable them to implement concrete changes to urban development has been highlighted at a recent meeting of more than 1,000 representatives of national, state and local government in the Gujarat city of Gandhinagar.

Manila, 19 November 2014-- Collaborative efforts between local government units, international and national organizations, and UN agencies held sway on November 8 to commemorate the first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan (known as Yolanda in the Philippines). UN-Habitat participated in the commemorative events in the cities of Ormoc, Roxas, and Tacloban and the municipalities of Estancia and Guiuan.

Montreal, 19 November 2014 - A new network was created this week bringing together metropolitan authorities of South America, Central America and North America.

Delhi, 14 November 2014: UN-Habitat’s Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos has said that the agency is committed to help Prime Minister Modi to implement ambitious plans that he has recently announced for the sustainable development of India’s cities.

He made the remarks during a recent official visit to Delhi where he met with relevant government officials and project implementers and welcomed the country’s commitment to addressing the challenges of urbanisation head on while seizing the opportunities it presents.

 Nairobi, 14 November 2014 -A delegation from the Singapore Center for Liveable Cities (CLC) successfully undertook a one week study tour of Nairobi.

Fukuoka, Japan, 12 November 2014: Over 35 experts met from 11 to 12 November 2014 in Fukuoka, Japan to finalise the drafting of international  guidelines on urban and territorial planning . In accordance with the Resolution 24/3 of UN-Habitat Governing Council, the experts will submit the 20 page draft Guidelines for consideration and further transmission to the 25th Governing Council of UN-Habitat in April 2015.

Brussels, 11 November 2014-- UN-Habitat Deputy Executive Director Dr. Kacyira Kirabo last Friday attended a meeting of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States meeting in Brussels where she appraised the ambassadors and representatives present on her agency’s work in slum upgrading.

Johannesburg, 6 November 2014- The Deputy Executive Director Dr. Aisa Kirabo took part in South Africa’s Indaba  and Exhibition aimed at building partnerships for accelerated human settlements delivery. The meeting specifically considered South Africa’s progress in enhancing human settlements over the last decade through its Breaking New Ground policy (2004) and it’s Social Contract for Rapid Housing Delivery (2005).