UN-Habitat is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. Mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1978 to address the issues of urban growth, it is a knowledgeable institution on urban development processes and understands the aspirations of cities and their residents. India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly.

Body:

Objectives:

• UN-Habitat envisions well-planned, well-governed, and efficient cities and other human settlements, with adequate housing, infrastructure, and universal access to employment and basic services such as water, energy, and sanitation.
• It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
• The mandate of UN-Habitat derives from the Habitat Agenda, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996.
• The twin goals of the Habitat Agenda are adequate shelter for all and the development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world.
• UN-Habitat reports to the United Nations General Assembly.

Role played by India with respect to UN Habitat:

• India was unanimously elected as the President of the UN-Habitat in 2017, an organ of the United Nations’ Organisation (UNO) that promotes socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements across the world, after 10 years.
• Currently, India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly.
• The nation’s global clout continues to grow significantly.
• The various missions like AMRUT, SMART City mission, PMAY are addressing deficits in different kinds of infrastructure including affordable housing in a convergence mode. This is in line with the New Urban Agenda of UN-HABITAT
• Climate change
• Indian cities are prone to disasters and Responses to disasters in urban areas can promote greater resilience to future crises and support long-term development goals.
• The need for resilient cities is recognised in the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement for Climate Change, the Sendai Framework and in the New Urban Agenda (Habitat-III).

Conclusion:

As an inter-governmental policy-making and decision making body, the Governing Council of UN-Habitat seeks to promote integral and comprehensive approach to human settlements, assist the countries and regions in addressing human settlement problems and strengthen cooperation among all countries on human settlement issue.