In response to resolution 2/1, UN-Habitat advanced the drafting of the international guidelines on people-centred smart cities, involving consultations with global, regional and multi-stakeholder groups. In April 2024, the inaugural expert working group meeting for the development of the guidelines was held, with the 31 global experts nominated by Member States. The EGM1 outlined the structure of the guidelines and identified critical elements to be captured. In September, the EGM2 was hosted online (due to lack of funding) and resulted into a solid draft of the guidelines to be shared with external consultation.  The group continues to provide expert insights to UN-Habitat through monthly meetings. (OP3, 4)

UN-Habitat also held a series of consultations with representatives of academia, civil society organizations, and local and regional governments, international organizations, private sector from June to October, with additional consultations within UN-Habitat, with regional experts through regional consultations (November), as well as thematic consultation on the topic of digital and climate change. (OP3, 4)

Simultaneously, a state-of-the-art assessment (World Smart Cities Outlook 2024) was conducted in collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University to provide empirical evidence on emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in urban digital transformation. Additional information available  HSP/EB.2024/INF/15 (Pre-session documents ).

In response to resolution 2/2, UN-Habitat, in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development, has advanced the development the Transformative Action Design Toolkit, responding to the 10 key actions outlined in resolution 2/2. (OP8)

UN-Habitat signed a memorandum of understanding with the Secretariat of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. (OP5, 6, 7)

In partnership with the Government of South Africa and the Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, UN-Habitat is facilitating the development of a subregional implementation framework. This process of development of the regional framework was endorsed by the Council of Ministers of SADC. (OP5, 6, 7)

With the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Slum Dwellers International,UN-Habitat is developing an initiative, “For Resilient Children”, aimed at child-responsive slum transformation. (OP5, 6, 7)

UN-Habitat has worked with the Informality Task Force of the Cities Alliance, to launch a series of working meetings on operationalizing the Global Action Plan on Accelerating the Transformation of Informal Settlements and Slums. (OP5, 6, 7)
 

In response to resolution 2/3, UN-Habitat announced in a note verbale dated 15 July 2024 that the inaugural World Cleanup Day observance took place in Tromsø, Norway. The event was supported by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund and organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, GRID-Arendal, the FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment and Let’s Do It World. (OP2)

Themed “Arctic Cities and Marine Litter,” World Cleanup Day 2024, took place on 20 September, included round-table discussions, clean-up activities and updates from 180 locations across the globe. In addition, UN-Habitat held a related event in New York on 24 September during the Summit of the Future.

A note verbale will be sent in the fourth quarter of 2024 inviting Member States to express interest in hosting the 2025 and 2026 observances. (OP8)

In response to resolution 2/4, UN-Habitat has developed the “Hotspot Stoplight”, through which open-source data are used to project urban expansion and the risks of biodiversity loss and climate change to 2050. Data collection and ground-truthing for the Stoplight were carried out in seven municipalities in the metropolitan region of San José. (OP2)

An expert group meeting brought together experts from around the world, to discuss challenges and share practices contributing to more biodiverse and resilient cities. (OP2)

In parallel, UN-Habitat presented the Hotspot Stoplight at the 2024 Understanding Risk Global Forum held in Japan in June. 
Internally, UN-Habitat is exploring the modular application of the Hotspot Stoplight project through other existing tools.
The Hotspot Stoplight project will be presented at the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and at the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum. For additional details, see document HSP/EB.2024/INF/16. Phase II of the development of the tool is underway, but is subject to the mobilization of resources. 
 

UN-Habitat has published Urban Content of NDCs: Local Climate Action Explored through In-depth Country Analyses: 2024 Report, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the University of Southern Denmark. UN-Habitat supports the United Nations-wide engagement in support of Member States strengthening nationally determined contributions. (OP8)

UN-Habitat has further strengthened linkages between climate change and urbanization in its work. A regional programme document for Asia and the Pacific has been prepared, and implementation has begun; a similar programme document is under development for the Africa region. 

The operationalization of the Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation (SURGe) initiative was endorsed at the first session of the 2024 Executive Board. The decision highlights the setting up of a Secretariat, linking SURGe with other initiatives and the provision of technical advisory services to Member States. Resource mobilization is ongoing and has been successful in support for specific activities, but not yet for setting up the secretariat. (OP3)

UN-Habitat is developing SDG Localization Country Frameworks worldwide (national policies for SDG localization) and keeps advising Member States within the G7 and G20 process.

UN-Habitat launched the Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs with the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of the Republic of Italy.

As part of the SDG Cities Global Initiative, UN-Habitat lauched: 1) the SDG Cities Global Community (international network of cities); 2) the Sports and Sustainable Urban Development programme with the International Olympic Committe; 3) the Regions4SDGs programme with the Regions4 network. (OP2)

UN-Habitat keeps innovating tools and capacity buiding, including 1) the training module “Planning for Change with the SDGs” ; 2)the SDG Cities learning courses; 3) the City Scan Tool. (OP2, b. c.)

An additional 8 cities have applied the Global  Urban Monitoring Framework, while a further 12 have received capacity-building support. (OP3, a. b. c)

The Local2030 Coalition, chosen as one of the United Nations High-Impact Initiatives, presented its first progress report. The Local2030 Coalition and the Joint SDG Fund call resulted into 30 joint proposals  by UN Country Teams and USD 24 million in allocated funds. (OP 2, f)
The Local2030 Knowledge and Scientific Network was launched, with operations in Jordan and Tunisia.

The Executive Board, at its first session of 2024, approved the draft agenda and dates of the first session of the open-ended intergovernmental expert working group on adequate housing for all, to be held from 9 to 11 December 2024 in Nairobi. Details are available in document HSP/EB.2024/17.

A needs assessment is being conducted that will inform the development of the proposed platform on adequate housing for all, projected to be launched in 2025. The platform is to provide a broad range of policy best practices and examples that support the progressive realization of adequate housing and facilitate collaboration and informed decision-making on adequate housing for all. (OP8)

UN-Habitat is facilitating a political briefing, organized by France, in the margins of the World Urban Forum. This event is aimed at strengthening and broadening the coalition of countries championing the implementation of the resolution.

 

In response to resolution 2/8, tools and knowledge bases have been added on the Our City Plans digital platform, including on sustainable urban mobility. The conceptual document linking spatial planning, finance and sustainable urban mobility has been advanced, with a detailed outline already in place. (OP1)

Consultations have been undertaken with Member States to advance the implementation of the resolution, with a specific focus on developing countries. (OP1, 2)

The decentralization of the urban labs is supporting integrated urban planning and infrastructure development initiatives through portfolio development, knowledge-sharing and programme consolidation - linking spatial planning, infrastructure and finance. (OP6)

Discussion on the financing of urban development and infrastructure, including guidance and information from financing institutions, is advancing, with the engagement of UN-Habitat in the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (Addis Ababa, July 2024) and joining of the Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance under the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 

Resource mobilization discussions with UNOPS for global and regional collaboration on planning and infrastructure; development of integrated proposal on spatial planning and infrastructure in relation to Global Gateway (EU) and other regional development initiatives; preparation of submission for the UNRSTF (UN Road Safety Trust Fund). 

In response to resolution 2/9, UN-Habitat continues to work towards the development of a comprehensive operational resilience framework for early warning, foresight, risk reduction, crisis response and post-crisis recovery and reconstruction. (OP1)

An initial concept note was produced and disseminated within UN-Habitat. Once internally enriched and agreed, the concept note was shared with external partners for further consultation and enhancement. UN-Habitat is producing a zero-draft framework with inputs collected during the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (November 2024). Progress to date is limited as no extra resources have been mobilized for the production of the framework and the implementation of the resolution, including the emergency response fund.   

Through its resolution 2/10, the UN-Habitat Assembly seeks to improve the funding of underfunded resolutions by establishing the Urban Action Funding Window as a new funding mechanism, complemented by regular reporting on the implementation of resolutions. In 2023, the funding window was established within the financial system of UN-Habitat, and its terms of reference were endorsed by the Executive Board in its decision 2023/6. (OP3, 4)

In 2024, the contribution agreement template was revised to include the elective transfer of project balances to the Urban Action Funding Window, with explicit reference to resolution 2/10, decision 2023/6 of the Executive Board, and to the terms of reference for the Funding Window. Engagement with donors on such transfers will be supported through advocacy and communication. (OP5)

This present web page corresponds to the tracking system on the implementation of UN-Habitat's resolutions, as requested within the text of the resolution. This web page will be updated semi-annually. (OP1, 2)

Pursuant to resolution 1/1, the implementation period of the 2020–2023 strategic plan was extended to 2025. An independent midterm review of the strategic plan of UN-Habitat for the period 2020–2025 by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (HSP/EB.2024/4) has been completed.

In response to resolution 1 /2, UN-Habitat co-developed an urban safety monitoring tool with mayors, academia, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Human Security Unit, inter alia. UN-Habitat also developed an e-learning course entitled “Urban safety and human security in cities”, for municipal practitioners, civil servants, urban planners, non-governmental and community-based organizations and other stakeholders. (OP4)

Through the Global Network on Safer Cities, efforts will be made to implement the urban safety monitoring tool and promote the e-learning course to support the development of inclusive urban safety and security policies at the city level. (OP4)

In response to resolution 1/3, an in-house needs survey was conducted over the period May–June 2024, and resulted in several initiatives, including the development of an internal capacity-building help desk. (OP2)

In addition, two research papers are being developed, in collaboration with the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (Kingdom of the Netherlands), focusing on capacity-building needs assessments for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The development of pro-poor learning tools, including through microlearning platforms, is being explored. (OP2)

Annual training programmes in collaborations with regional centres of excellence – such as the International Urban Training Center (Republic of Korea), the Centre for Liveable Cities (Singapore), universities and private-sector partners – remain focused on the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals at the local level, especially for low-income countries. (OP3)

In response to resolution 1/4, UN-Habitat is developing the Women-led Cities initiative, in collaboration with the United Nations Capital Development Fund. This initiative is aimed at empowering women to take up leadership roles in cities, ensuring access to safe and gender-violence free spaces, and enhancing female economic empowerment and female leadership at various levels of governance. (OP1)

In line with UN-Habitat commitments under the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, progress has been made towards systematically institutionalizing the United Nations Gender Equality Marker.

Responding to resolution 1/5, UN-Habitat organized an expert group meeting and contributed to events by the World Farmers Markets Coalition, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), focusing on food systems and urban-rural linkages. (OP1, 3)

In collaboration with the University of Nairobi, UN-Habitat trained government officials on integrating urban-rural linkages into urban planning and contributed to global training sessions led by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements. (OP2, 3)

A memorandum of understanding was signed with Shanghai University, along with renewed agreements with FAO, the University of Nairobi and Nature For Cities and the Observatory on Digital Communication. (OP1, 4)

UN-Habitat developed additional knowledge products, including a strategy paper on advancing urban-rural linkages through digital solutions for food systems, a guide for cooperation in intermediary cities for enhanced territorial development, a compendium of case studies and a report on global urban-rural trends and insights. (OP1, 2, 3, 5)