“A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL IN AN URBANIZING WORLD”“A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE
FOR ALL IN AN URBANIZING WORLD”

THE
STRATEGIC
PLAN
2020-2023

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
www.unhabitat.org

“A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL IN AN URBANIZING WORLD”

THE
STRATEGIC
PLAN
2020-2023

ii / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / iii

CONTENTS

Foreword.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... v
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................................................1
01.

Changing for increased impact.........................................................................................................................................................2
A. UN-Habitat as a global centre of excellence and innovation........................................................................................................................6
B. Global trends: challenges and opportunities of a rapidly urbanizing world............................................................................................. 7
C. Becoming a “solutions agent” to deliver change .............................................................................................................................................9
D. Leveraging partnerships.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
E.

Delivering as one UN-Habitat: repositioning and organizational change.............................................................................................. 12

Strategic choices.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 13A.

A bold vision and a focused mission...................................................................................................................................................................14

B.

An ambitious objective............................................................................................................................................................................................ 16

C.

Domains of change: strategy and scope ..........................................................................................................................................................17

D. The social inclusion dimension and cross-cutting thematic areas........................................................................................................... 51
E.

Drivers of change..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56

F.

Organizational performance enablers.............................................................................................................................................................. 59

New ways of working...................................................................................................................................................................................64
A.

Typology of human settlements.......................................................................................................................................................................... 65

B.

UN-Habitat presence at the city, country and regional levels................................................................................................................... 66

C. Integrated programming, programme planning and budgeting............................................................................................................... 69
D. Organizational architecture.................................................................................................................................................................................. 70
E.

Risk management......................................................................................................................................................................................................71

F.

Performance measurement...................................................................................................................................................................................72

G. Monitoring and reporting........................................................................................................................................................................................72
H. Evaluation.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................73
I. Financing the Strategic Plan.......................................................................................................................................................................................74
Annex: The UN-Habitat Theory of Change...............................................................................................................................................75
Endnotes........................................................................................................................................................................................................76

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UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / v

FOREWORD

Dear Colleagues,
Dear Friends,
It gives me great pleasure to present UN-Habitat’s
Strategic Plan for the period 2020-2023.
The basis of the Plan is UN-Habitat’s new vision of “abetter quality of life for all in an urbanizing world”. Thisvision is encapsulated in the Plan’s 4 domains of change
namely:•Reduced spatial inequality and poverty incommunities across the urban - rural continuum;•

Enhanced shared prosperity of cities and regions;•

Strengthened climate action and improved urban
environment; and•Effective urban crisis prevention and response.

Whilst the formulation of the Plan was a major task, I
expect its implementation to be both challenging andrewarding. For the agency, we now have a robust andclear strategic focus to guide our work in positivelytransforming lives in cities and communities around theworld. We are also well-positioned to take a leadingrole in this mission for we have a significant presencein Asia and Africa where 90 per cent of urban growthis forecasted to happen in the next 30 years. In fact,by 2050 seventy per cent of the world population ispredicted to live in urban settlements.

Well-planned and well-governed cities are therefore thefuture as they will help address issues related to poverty,social exclusion and spatial inequality, shared prosperity,
climate and the environment, and various forms of crisis.
This was reinforced in Quito in 2016 at Habitat III, when
Member States adopted the New Urban Agenda, aframework that contributes to the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Sustainable urban development can have a positive
catalytic impact on development and deliver improved
living conditions for those furthest behind. Well-planned
urbanization resulting in efficient cities and towns canhelp drive the sustainable development agenda acrosssocial and cultural change, environmental protectionand economic growth. In addition, sustainable urban
transformation presents an opportunity to work withall types of actors and communities, particularly thosetraditionally excluded from such processes. But we must
act now.
The implementation of the Strategic Plan must continue
to reflect our new vision and renewed focus on impact.
Consequently, we are firmly moving beyond only
focusing on processes and outputs to being more
outcome and impact-oriented. In this regard, theimplementation of the Plan will be driven through global
flagship programmes, which will have the benefitsof (i) reducing fragmentation in our work, including abetter connection between normative and operational
elements; (ii) increasing predictability of funding andenhancing flexibility in the implementation of priorities
agreed in the Strategic Plan;vi / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023(iii) establishing long term partnerships as well as donors
and countries commitment; (iv) strengthening visibility
and global positioning; and (v) enhancing horizontal andvertical integration of sustainable urbanization concerns.
The successful implementation of flagship programmes
will require the identification of “champions” including
countries and cities that will strongly promote andprovide global visibility to our strategic programmes.
Internally, we will need to develop (i) a thoroughprogramme implementation manual, with state-of-theart procedures, workflows and capacity building; and(ii) a monitoring and evaluation system, including an
online interactive platform accessible to all partners.
In addition, we will establish multi-partner trust-funds,
which will constitute the financing vehicles of the flagshipprogrammes.
The Strategic Plan 2020-2023, which strongly
contributes to the implementation and monitoring of
the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda, is the result of alarge internal and external consultative and participatory
process, which started in April 2018 and culminated in
May 2019 in the adoption of the Plan by the first sessionof the UN-Habitat Assembly.
Internally, we organised more than 100 meetings andtown halls with both Headquarters and our field-based
staff. With our UN sister agencies, 11 entities (UN Women,
IFAD, UNICEF, WHO, IOM, FAO, UNISDR, Peace Building
Support Office, UNDP, UNHCR, ESCWA) were involved in
the process. Moreover, eleven networks of partners were
engaged.

The feedback received throughout this process was
extremely positive and new areas of partnerships haveemerged.
I recognise that the Strategic Plan 2020-203 is
ambitious. It is so because it repositions UN-Habitat as amajor global entity, a centre of excellence and innovationthat (i) refocuses its niche as the thought leader andgo-to agency setting the global discourse and agenda
on sustainable urban development, (ii) drives political
discussions, (iii) generates specialised and cutting-edgeknowledge, (iv) shapes technical norms, principles andstandards, and (v) acts as a multiplier in the exchange
of knowledge, experience and best practices in getting
cities and human settlements right.
Our ambition is a reflection of the urgency to address
the challenges of urbanization and capitalise onopportunities to achieve impact wherever we arepresent, including through strategic partnerships
and active participation in the development of theUnited Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation
Framework.
The Strategic Plan 2020-203 represents a new spirit! A
new UN-Habitat! Together we can contribute to making
sure no one and no place is left behind.

Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive
Director of the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme, (UN-Habitat)

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 1

INTRODUCTION

1.
In its resolution 26/3, adopted at its twentysixth session, in May 2017, the Governing Council of
the United Nations Human Settlements Programme(UN-Habitat) requested the Executive Director toconsult and work closely with the Committee ofPermanent Representatives during the preparation ofa results-oriented six-year strategic plan for the period
2020–20251 and present it to the Governing Council
at its twenty-seventh session. Accordingly, the present
document sets out the Strategic Plan for 2020-2023,
which was endorsed by the Committee of Permanent
Representatives at its seventy-first regular meeting, on 6
December 2018 and subsequently approved by the UNHabitat Assembly at its first session organized from 27 to
31 May 2019 in Nairobi.
2.
The Strategic Plan for 2020–2023 repositions UNHabitat as a major global entity, a centre of excellence
and innovation. In that respect, the organization is
refocusing its niche position as the “thought leader” andthe go-to programme for issues pertaining to its work,
setting the global discourse and agenda on sustainableurban development, driving political discussion,
generating specialized and cutting-edge knowledge,
shaping technical norms, principles and standards, andacting as a multiplier in the exchange of knowledge,
experience and best practice in getting cities and otherhuman settlements right.
3.
Chapter 1, entitled “Changing for increased
impact”, sets out the recalibrated vision, mission andsharpened focus of UN-Habitat, while highlighting thechallenges posed and opportunities offered by a rapidly
urbanizing world.
4.
Chapter 2, entitled “Strategic choices”, details
the strategic focus of UN-Habitat for the period
2020–2025, crafted around four mutually reinforcing
goals or “domains of change”, namely (i) reduced
spatial inequality and poverty in communities across theurban–rural continuum; (ii) enhanced shared prosperityof cities and regions; (iii) strengthened climate action andimproved urban environment; and (iv) effective urban
crisis prevention and response.

5.
Chapter 3, entitled “New ways of working”, sets
out the main points of the implementation arrangements
for the Strategic Plan, full details of which are provided incompanion documents to the present Strategic Plan.
6.
The process of developing the Strategic Plan
has taken into account General Assembly resolution
70/1, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, the outcome document of theUnited Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015
development agenda, and the Sustainable Development
Goals; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third
International Conference on Financing for Development;
the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–
2030; the Paris Agreement under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change; the New
York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants; and the
New Urban Agenda. It has also factored in lessons
learned from the implementation of the Strategic Plan for
2014–2019 and considered the internal change processcurrently being carried out by UN-Habitat, as well as theoverall reform process of the United Nations, particularly
the reform of the United Nations development system.
Furthermore, the preparation of the Strategic Plan
has been marked by an unprecedented inclusive andparticipatory process, which involved Member States,
UN-Habitat staff in Nairobi and in the field, agencies of
the United Nations system, and networks of partners andstakeholders.

The Strategic Plan for 2020–2023
repositions UN-Habitat as a major global
entity, a centre of excellence and innovation.
In that respect, the organization is refocusing
its niche position as the “thought leader” andthe go-to programme for issues pertaining to its
work, setting the global discourse and agenda
on sustainable urban development

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01
Changing forincreased
impactUN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 3

7.
Sustainable urbanization is central to therealization of the global development goals as set out ina suite of global agreements signed in 2015 and 2016,
including, most importantly, General Assembly resolution
70/1, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, the outcome document of
the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post2015 development agenda, held in New York from 25 to
27 September 2015, and the Sustainable Development
Goals; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third
International Conference on Financing for Development;
the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
2015–2030, adopted at the Third United Nations
World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction; theParis Agreement under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change; General Assembly
Resolution 71/1, the New York Declaration for Refugees
and Migrants; and General Assembly resolution 70/256,
the New Urban Agenda, the outcome document of theUnited Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable
Urban Development (Habitat III).
8.
The United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN-Habitat) Strategic Plan for theperiod 2020–2023 focuses on the commitment andcontribution of UN-Habitat to the implementationof those global development agendas, in particular
the pledge in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development to leave no one behind. Throughits normative and operational work, as well as its
coordination and focal point roles in the United Nations
system, UN-Habitat aims to advance sustainableurbanization as a driver of development and peace, toimprove living conditions for all.
9.
The Strategic Plan aligns UN-Habitat with theUnited Nations reform agenda, which includes (i) reformof the peace and security architecture, including astrong emphasis on the humanitarian, development andpeace nexus; (ii) reform of the development system, inparticular the remodelled resident coordinator systemand the shifting of focus to more integrated action at the

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil © UN-Habitat

The Strategic Plan creates a strong
narrative of change, clearly setting out
the relationship between sustainableurbanization and the broader overall notionof sustainable development. It is focusedon creating a positive impact and outcomes
for those currently being left behind, including
women and youth, in cities and other humansettlements.
country level; and (iii) management reform, emphasizing
the need for organizational coherence, transparency,
efficiency, agility and accountability, while articulating theunique value proposition of UN-Habitat within the United
Nations system.

4 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

Inequality
is rising in
the cities
of both thedeveloping anddeveloped world.
In developing
countries, slums
and informal
settlements,
which currently
accommodate
close to 1 billion
people, arethe physicalmanifestation ofurban poverty
and inequality

10. The Strategic Plan creates a strong narrative ofchange, clearly setting out the relationship between
sustainable urbanization and the broader overall notionof sustainable development. It is focused on creating
a positive impact and outcomes for those currently
being left behind, including women and youth, incities and other human settlements. It is only througha clear, transformative strategy, partnerships and a
fresh and innovative vision of development that it ispossible to respond effectively to persistent and new
development problems, including extreme poverty,socioeconomic inequality, slums, social exclusion
and marginalization, gender-based discrimination,

Reduced spatial
inequality andpoverty incommunities acrossthe urban-ruralcontinuum

Enhanced sharedprosperity of cities
and regions

humanitarian crises, conflict, air pollution, climate change
and high unemployment, all of which are increasingly
concentrated in urban areas. A holistic approach towards
an urbanizing world, connecting cities and other humansettlements, taking into consideration all segments ofsociety, can help to advance sustainable solutions for the
benefit of all.
11.
The Strategic Plan lays out a recalibrated visionand mission, with a sharpened focus. UN-Habitat
proposes to serve Member States, subnational and local
government, and other key urban actors in the pursuitof four mutually reinforcing and integrated goals or“domains of change”, as follows:

Strengthened
climate action andimproved urban
environment

Effective urban
crisis prevention
and response

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 5

12. The inclusive realization of the above outcomes
depends on the incorporation of the social inclusion
dimensions discussed in section II.D below and crosscutting thematic areas (human rights; gender; children,
youth and older persons; disability) and is supported by anumber of specific drivers of change and organizational
performance enablers. Transformative change can only
take place through a paradigm shift. UN-Habitat is fully
cognizant of that fact and, in keeping with its role as a
focal point in sustainable urban development and humansettlements, proposes a clear framework that will enable
it to achieve that change through the following action:(a) Repositioning UN-Habitat as a centre of excellence
and innovation;(b) Taking into account regional and global urbanization
trends;(c) Focusing on customizable solutions, taking into
consideration the diverse situations pertaining indifferent communities and countries;

All the work carriedout by UN-Habitat
is underpinned by ahuman-rights-based
approach, which ensuresthat those furthest behind
are targeted firstHumanrights(d) Leveraging partnerships with local and regional
government, sister United Nations entities, theprivate sector and other development actors andstakeholders;(e) Significantly enhancing integrated delivery throughmore effective collaboration between its liaison
offices, regional offices, country offices andheadquarters.
13. UN-Habitat recognizes and targets the specificrights of women, children, youth, older people andpersons with disability through each domain of change.
To achieve that, all the work carried out by UN-Habitat isunderpinned by a human-rights-based approach, which
ensures that those furthest behind are targeted first.
14. In addition, the implementation of the Strategic
Plan will require organizational change and a new model
for financial sustainability to ensure that the resourcesat the disposal of UN-Habitat are commensurate with its
mandates and role.

Children,youth& older
persons

GenderDisability

6 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

A. UN-HABITAT AS A GLOBAL CENTRE
OF EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATIONAs a centreof excellenceandinnovation,
UN-Habitat
also advocatessustainable
solutions throughdemonstration,pilot andinnovative
operational
projects that canbe adapted andtaken to scaleby countries andother partners

15. The Strategic Plan repositions UN-Habitat asa major global entity, a centre of excellence andinnovation. In that respect, the organization is refocusing
its niche position as the “thought leader” and “go-to”
programme for issues pertaining to its work, setting
the global discourse and agenda on sustainable urban
development, driving political discussion, generating
specialized and cutting-edge knowledge, shaping
technical norms, principles and standards, and acting asa multiplier in the exchange of knowledge, experienceand best practice in getting cities and other humansettlements right. Working in collaboration with research
institutions, UN-Habitat is exceptionally positioned andequipped to play that role.
16. A focus on normative work repositions theorganization in the framework of the reform of the United
Nations development system by emphasizing its uniqueHanoi, Vietnam © Shutterstock

value and demonstrating its readiness to contribute in ameaningful manner to the identification of national andregional problems, challenges and opportunities.
17.
As a centre of excellence and innovation, UNHabitat also advocates sustainable solutions throughdemonstration, pilot and innovative operational projects
that can be adapted and taken to scale by countries andother partners, while ensuring that normative outcomes
inform transformative operational solutions and, in turn,field operations influence normative work. By catalysing
networks of partners, including local authorities
and policymakers, in leading the implementation of
cuttingedge solutions at scale, UN-Habitat will be able
to bring about transformational change for the benefit ofmillions of people globally, ensuring that no one and noplace is left behind.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 7

B. GLOBAL TRENDS: CHALLENGES ANDOPPORTUNITIES OF A RAPIDLY URBANIZING WORLD

18. Urbanization is one of the global megatrendsof our time, unstoppable and irreversible. In 30 years
from now, two-thirds of the world’s population is likely
to live in urban areas. Ninety per cent of urban growth
will occur in less developed regions, such as East Asia,
South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, at a rapid pace andin situations in which capacity and resources are mostconstrained and development challenges most intense.
Urbanization in those parts of the world is largely
unplanned, fuelling the continuous growth of informal
or slum settlements. Unchecked and unplanned urban
sprawl and inequality are universal concerns, bothwithin cities and across territories. Over the past 20
years over 75 per cent of the world’s cities have grown
more unequal. Although the world has made significant
progress in reducing poverty since 2000, inequality isrising in the cities of both the developing and developed
world. Today, the gap between the rich and the poor
in most countries is at its highest level in 30 years; theglobal top one per cent of earners have captured twice
as much of that growth as the 50 per cent poorest.2 In
developing countries, slums and informal settlements,

Bangkok, Thailand ©Shutterstock

which currently accommodate close to 1 billion people,
are the physical manifestation of urban poverty andinequality. In 2015, some 2.3 billion people worldwide
still lacked access to basic sanitation services3 and 2.1
billion people lacked access to clean drinking water.4
Fewer than 35 per cent of the cities in developing
countries have their wastewater treated.5 Moreover,today, 1.6 billion people globally live in inadequate
housing,6 often with no security of tenure.
19. It is clear that climate change is one of thegreatest challenges facing cities, as is set out in detailin the Paris Agreement. Cities account for between 60
and 80 per cent of energy consumption and generate
as much as 70 per cent of human-induced greenhousegas emissions, primarily through the consumptionof fossil fuels for energy supply and transportation.
Climate change projections predict significant impact
on human development progress within the coming
few decades. Urgent and radical action to transform
urban systems to contribute to limiting global warming
to 1.5 degrees Celsius is required well before 2030.

Cities accountfor between
60 and 80 per
cent of energy
consumption
and generate
as much as

70%ofhuman-induced
greenhouse gas
emissions8 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

Urban areas also absorb significant climate risks andmust be prepared to withstand the climatic extremes ofglobal warming, which are currently predicted at 3 to
4 degrees Celsius.
20. The current economic model of investment,
consumption and growth also drives the exploitative
extraction of the planet’s natural assets. Urban
development is increasingly occupying land that waspreviously used for forestry or food production, while atthe same time the demands of the growing population
for products such as food, timber items and biomass
for heating is increasing. Urbanization has not yet
completed a full transition away from fossil-fuelledenergy, resulting in extensive air pollution, which
damages the health of vulnerable groups, in particularchildren and the elderly. The shift to a greener and moreresource-efficient economy is still in its nascent stages.
21. Migration adds further complexity to the issues
facing cities and other human settlements. There are 763
million internal migrants and 244 million internationalmigrants globally.7 That means that every seventh
person in the world is a migrant. Most of these migrants
are found in urban areas. Refugees and internallydisplaced persons in particular require special attention
in the overall context of sustainable urbanization. Today
there are 25.4 million refugees and 40 million internallydisplaced persons who have fled conflict and crisis, themajority of whom are not in humanitarian camps, but
seek refuge in cities.8
22. Gender-based discrimination persists in many
parts of the world and challenges associated withchildren, youth, older people and people with disability
are growing. As the world witnesses an increased
feminization of poverty, women make up a large
proportion of the informal employment sector in cities
and are disproportionately affected by limited skills
and limited access to safe places of work, education,
resources and technology.
23. Poverty, humanitarian crises and conflict arebecoming increasingly urban phenomena. Rural areas

do not benefit from overall growth, feeding a continuous
rural–urban migration.
24. In sum, the challenges posed by the current
model of urbanization have global ramifications that,
if not addressed adequately, could jeopardize theachievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
25. Despite the challenges, urbanization is a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity for change at all levels andfor all types of human settlements, from small ruralcommunities, villages and market towns to mediumsized cities and huge metropolises. Research now
shows that urbanization can have a positive catalytic
impact on development and is able to deliver improved
living conditions to the groups furthest behind. Cities
and towns can help to drive the sustainable agenda
across social and cultural change, environmental
protection and economic growth as the principles of
the circular economy are embraced. Contributing some
80 per cent of global GDP, cities function as catalysts,
driving innovation, consumption and investment
worldwide, making them a positive and potent force foraddressing issues related to poverty, social exclusionand spatial inequality, shared prosperity, climate andthe environment, and various forms of crisis. Most
importantly, sustainable urban transformation presents
an opportunity to work with all types of actors andcommunities, particularly those traditionally excluded
from such processes.
26. The implementation of the Strategic Plan will
provide pathways to accelerate that transformation
towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
If we get our cities right, as is the overarching aim of the
New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal11, to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable, it will be easier to attain otherdevelopment goals and targets and achieve meaningfulprogress in realizing gender equality and the inclusionof youth. However, that will require creativity, human andfinancial capital, and joint efforts at the local, national,
regional and global levels in countries at every stage ofdevelopment.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 9

C. BECOMING A “SOLUTIONSAGENT” TO DELIVER CHANGE

27. With a focus on achieving its four interconnected
and mutually reinforcing goals or domains of change –spatial inequality and poverty; shared prosperity; climate
action and urban environment; and crisis prevention andresponse – UN-Habitat is well positioned to help cities
and countries to confront even the toughest urbanization
challenges, and to take advantage of the opportunities
that urbanization offers to maximize positive
contributions to overall sustainable development. The
UN-Habitat contribution to the global urban development
agenda is derived from its knowledge and expertise,and its ability to provide innovative and evidence-based
urban solutions that are both normative and operational.
Its convening power, its capacity to influence longterm change and its ability to leverage partnerships
all contribute to its added value and implementation
capabilities.

The UN-Habitat contribution to the global
urban development agenda is derived fromits knowledge and expertise, and its ability
to provide innovative and evidence-based
urban solutions that are both normative andoperational

28. Anchored in its core values of excellence,
efficiency, accountability, collaboration and impact,
UN-Habitat is embracing a solutions-oriented culture,
based on decades of experience and understanding ofwhat works effectively in cities and human settlements.
That means moving from a project-focused approach toa broader culture of supporting cities and countries indelivering systematized and locally adapted solutions
that are integrated across the four goals, and which
apply and leverage the knowledge gained from its own
experience, as well as from the experience of others.
Those solutions will contribute to the respect andfulfilment of the rights of women, youth and marginalizedgroups.
29. In that context, UN-Habitat implements the United
Nations system-wide human-rights-based approach,9which means that all programmes should further
the realization of human rights, all cooperation andprogramming should be carried out in line with humanrights standards and principles, and development
cooperation should contribute to the capacity of duty
bearers to meet their obligations and the capacity ofrights-holders to claim their rights.

10 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

D. LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS

UN-Habitat,
in its role asa focal point,
will call upon
all development
actors andstakeholders,
including local
and regional
government,
civil society, theprivate sector
and academia
at every level, towork in concert
to assist it in
implementing its
Strategic Plan

30. It is important to emphasize that no institution
alone can ensure that countries make significant
progress towards achieving the global urban
development agendas. Similarly, no single organization
can ensure that cities are effectively establishing a pathof prosperity and sustainable development. UN-Habitat,
in its role as a focal point, will call upon all development
actors and stakeholders, including local and regional
government, civil society, the private sector andacademia at every level, to work in concert to assist it in
implementing its Strategic Plan.
31.
The past decade has seen a tremendous surge instakeholders engaging with UN-Habitat in various areasof development, including through UN-Habitat effective
efforts to ensure high levels of stakeholder participation in
Habitat III and growing levels of participation in the World
Urban Forums. Reinforcing that trend, future partnerships
will be aligned with the four goals of UN-Habitat – its driversof change – and its social inclusion dimensions, and will bewell managed and effective. In certain partnerships, UNHabitat will take the lead; in others, it will bring its expertiseto efforts led by others, providing support and adding
value. Emphasis has already been placed on relationships
with other United Nations entities at the country, regionaland global level, including the United Nations regional
economic commissions. These are key partners in reachingout to Member States, cities, local governments, civilsociety, the private sector and other urban stakeholders
working towards the effective implementation of andfollow-up to the New Urban Agenda and the urban andhuman settlement dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development in each region.
32. UN-Habitat will continue to expand its
collaboration with international and regional
development banks to ensure coherence of policy
support and the alignment of large-scale urban
investments with the principles of sustainableurbanization. An important effort is required to rethinkengagement with the private sector to leverage

investment in sustainable urbanization and to promote
more appropriate models of development.
33. UN-Habitat will continue to strengthen its
engagement with communities by placing thosecurrently left furthest behind at the centre of its
work, and harnessing local expertise through close
collaboration with informal workers, slum dwellers,
people with disabilities and women living in poverty inboth rural and urban centres. UN-Habitat will increase its
engagement with grassroots women’s groups and youthled organizations to ensure that its work is benefiting all
segments of society.
34. The Strategic Plan for 2020–2023 harnesses
the role of UN-Habitat as a focal point in sustainableurban development and human settlements10 toaccelerate progress in the implementation of the New
Urban Agenda so as to achieve the urban dimensionsof the Sustainable Development Goals. In that respect,
UN-Habitat will build innovative approaches towards
achieving the following:(a) Developing and implementing a United Nations
system-wide strategy and collaborative frameworkfor sustainable urbanization;(b) Coordinating the follow-up and review of the
New Urban Agenda, ensuring contributions fromall actors, including local, regional and national
governments, academic institutions, United Nations
agencies, civil society, the private sector and otherkey constituencies;(c) Developing and disseminating evidence-based
guidance and capacity support to Member States toachieve the urban dimensions of global agendas,
drawing on the UN-Habitat Action Framework for
Implementation of the New Urban Agenda;(d) Supporting the mainstreaming of sustainable urban
development in global development frameworks andlocalizing the Sustainable Development Goals bymobilizing all relevant actors.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 11

Accra, Ghana © UN-Habitat12 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

E. DELIVERING AS ONE UN-HABITAT:REPOSITIONING AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

35. UN-Habitat is more than just a collection of liaison,country and regional offices. It is a collaborative global
institution with a single unifying mandate. The newStrategic Plan and the organizational changes whichaccompanying it aim to ensure that all the organizational
units of UN-Habitat work in a fully integrated manner.
The focus is on maximizing interaction between
normative and operational work, at both the regionaland global level, leveraging change across the fourinterconnected domains of change, aiming for direct
impact for those most in need. Regional strategies andcountry programmes, while responding to the felt needs
and demands of Member States, will be fully aligned withthe overall objectives and goals of the Strategic Plan.
36. UN-Habitat will focus on the areas of expertise
where it has the greatest comparative advantage, asa thought leader and a centre of excellence. At thesame time, it will act as a catalyst to provide multiscalar, integrated, multisectoral and multi-stakeholder
urban development and human settlement solutions,leveraging the actions of others, and connecting goals
and targets across the Sustainable Development Goals.
37. UN-Habitat will adjust its organizationalarrangements to reflect the regional diversity inurbanization trends and challenges, and to alignitself with the rationalization of the United Nations
development system and its recent broad reform.
The nature of the support provided by UN-Habitat
will be guided by the diversity of urbanization-related
challenges and country-specific demands and capacity.
38. For UN-Habitat to expand its focus from project
implementation to a broader objective of scaling up its
work and leveraging longer-term impact, it needs tobecome more outward looking, with a stronger emphasison partnerships and a strategic influence on the actionsof others through knowledgebased advocacy.

39. Furthermore, delivering as “one UN-Habitat”
requires reform of internal procedures and systems,
improving the internal budget process and enhancing
human resource management, as set out below inthe section on organizational performance enablers.
Organizational changes will also need to ensure that
programmes and services are delivered in a manner thatis efficient and effective, evidence-based, and whichallows for continuous learning globally.
40. The Strategic Plan recognizes that an important
institutional challenge for UN-Habitat is ensuringthat its resources are predictable, sustainable andcommensurate with its roles and responsibilities. That
requires a new framework for financial sustainability that
increases revenues, cuts inefficient expenditure, builds
financial capacity and aligns resources with the four
goals. A new business model will support the StrategicPlan.

The new Strategic Plan and theorganizational changes which accompany
it aim to ensure that all the organizational
units of UN-Habitat work in a fully integrated
manner. The focus is on maximizing interaction
between normative and operational work, atboth the regional and global level, leveraging
change across the four interconnected domainsof change, aiming for direct impact for thosemost in need.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020

02
Strategic
choices14 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

A. A BOLD VISION AND A
FOCUSED MISSION

41. The UN-Habitat’s vision of “A better quality of life
for all in an urbanizing world” is bold and ambitious; it
is a vision that challenges UN-Habitat and its partners
to enhance national and international efforts geared
towards addressing the challenges of urbanization.
It reflects both an aspirational ideal and a real need.
UN-Habitat sees urbanization as a process that cantransform territories, connecting human settlements
across the urban–rural continuum, including small
market towns, medium-sized cities and primaryurban centres, and ensuring access to adequate andaffordable housing, basic services and infrastructure
for all. UN-Habitat will work to promote urbanization
as a positive transformative force for people andcommunities, reducing inequality, discrimination andpoverty.

Vision: A better quality of life forall in an urbanizing world

Mission: UN-Habitat promotes
transformative change in cities andhuman settlements through knowledge,
policy advice, technical assistance andcollaborative action to leave no one
and no place behind

42. The UN-Habitat mission statement is “UN-Habitat
promotes transformative change in cities and humansettlements through knowledge, policy advice, technicalassistance and collaborative action to leave no one andno place behind”.
43. Over the past few years, UN-Habitat has beenrefining its approach to strategically integrating
normative and operational work, building on its Strategic
Plan for the period 2014–2019 and the increasingly
strong evidence that sustainable urbanization is anaccelerator for achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals. It has adopted a more strategic and integrated
approach to addressing the challenges andopportunities of twenty-first century cities and otherhuman settlements. Its mission statement reflects thatparadigm shift. It also embodies the four main roles ofthe organization, which can be summarized as: think; do;share; partner.
44. Think: The normative work, including different
forms of knowledge-building, groundbreaking
research and capacity-building, enables UN-Habitat
to set standards, propose norms and principles, sharegood practice, monitor global progress and support
subnational, national, regional and intergovernmental
bodies in their formulation of policies related tosustainable cities and other human settlements.

UN-Habitat has been refining its approachto strategically integrating normative andoperational work. It has adopted a morestrategic and integrated approach toaddressing the challenges and opportunitiesof twenty-first century cities and other humansettlements

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 15

Port au Prince Haiti © UN-Habitat© UN-Habitat

THINK

DO

PARTNERSHARENairobi, Kenya © UN-Habitat

45. Do: The operational work takes various forms oftechnical assistance, drawing on the unique expertise of
UN-Habitat in the area of sustainable urbanization andcrisis response. UN-Habitat uses its highly specialized
technical cooperation component to execute humansettlement projects in order to provide value-added
and tailored support to Member States in implementing
policies, strategies, best practice, norms and standards.
46. Share: In its focal point and catalytic role, UNHabitat will, through advocacy, communication andoutreach, mobilize public, political and financial supportand increased collaborative action at all levels to
inspire qualitative change in national development
plans, policy frameworks, development practice andinvestment choices for sustainable urban development
at the local, national and global level.

Fiji © UN-Habitat

47. Partner: To achieve enduring results inaddressing the challenges of urbanization, UNHabitat will need to work collaboratively with amultitude of partners, leveraging multiple resources.
The implementation of the Strategic Plan for
2020–2023 will be supported by the United Nations
and Stakeholders Collaborative Implementation
Frameworks, a document which has been developed
by UN-Habitat in response to the need to work within
the broader United Nations system through a more
coherent system-wide approach to development andon which it is currently consulting Member States.

16 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

B. AN AMBITIOUS OBJECTIVE

48. Inspired by the UN-Habitat vision and mission, theoverarching objective for the Strategic Plan is to advancesustainable urbanization as a driver of development andpeace, to improve living conditions for all.
49. That objective is consistent with the Sustainable
Development Goals’ principle to “leave no one
behind”; with Goal 11 on making cities and other humansettlements inclusive, resilient and sustainable; andwith the principles and commitments of the New Urban
Agenda.
50. That ambitious objective also reflects the UNHabitat aim to develop and implement integrated
programmes with a view to achieving greater impact.
The organization will therefore be “people-focused”
and will spearhead interventions that are holistic rather
than sectoral, transformative rather than fragmentary
and which link urbanization and human settlements withthe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and thehumanitarian–peace–development nexus, as proposed
under the Secretary-General’s United Nations reforms.11
51. From implementing its Strategic Plan for 2014–2019, UN-Habitat learned that it was important to anchor
its strategic plans in a robust theory of change, and thatthe results framework should be strong in order to guideprogramming effectively towards planned results andforeseen impact.

Objective: To advance sustainableurbanization as a driver ofdevelopment and peace, to improveliving conditions for all.

52. In that regard, the process of formulating the
new Strategic Plan was strongly guided by a theory ofchange approach, which allowed for the following:(a) Moving the strategic focus from a means-based
approach to an ends-based approach, and froma process-oriented approach to a results-based
approach;(b) Connecting to the global agendas, in particular the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and theSustainable Development Goals, the Addis Ababa
Action Agenda, the Sendai Framework, the Paris
Agreement, the New York Declaration and the New
Urban Agenda;(c) Re-elaborating the narrative of sustainable urban
development and rethinking the way in which thesustainable urban development agenda should be
implemented;(d) Introducing a set of drivers of change andorganizational performance enablers;(e) Enhancing the role of advocacy and communication
to influence policy;(f) Strengthening the role of partnerships towards
scaled-up impact, particularly with local and regional
governments and other key constituencies;(g) Introducing a coherent approach to innovation to
support the work of UN-Habitat and its partners;(h) Implementing the custodial role of UN-Habitat indefining and monitoring the urban indicators of the
Sustainable Development Goals, and as a focal point
for sustainable urbanization and human settlements,
supporting the follow-up and review of the New
Urban Agenda.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 17

C. DOMAINS OF CHANGE:STRATEGY AND SCOPE

53. To achieve its objective to advance sustainableurbanization, UN-Habitat must make progress in its fourinterlinked domains of change. These domains overlap
and are mutually reinforcing; how we achieve outcomesin one domain has implications for others. The domainsof change are as follows:(a) Reduced spatial inequality and poverty incommunities across the urban–rural continuum;(b) Enhanced shared prosperity of cities and regions;(c) Strengthened climate action and improved urban
environment;(d) Effective urban crisis prevention and response.

56. The theory of change required for UN-Habitat toachieve the objectives set out in its Strategic Plan isshown in figure 1.12
57. The four goals and their respective outcomes
will be regularly tracked using robust indicators (withbaselines and targets for each year during the period
covered by the Strategic Plan) and milestones in the
results framework and performance measurement plan.

Transformative commitments of
the New Urban Agenda

54. These domains are underpinned by the social
inclusion dimensions of human rights; gender; children,
youth and older persons; and persons with disability.
They seek to redress long-standing discrimination
against, and continued marginalization of, these andother excluded groups. At the same time, they harness
the role of these groups, particularly women and youth,
as key actors of social transformation.
55. They also reflect the three transformative
commitments of the New Urban Agenda, which are as
follows:(a) Sustainable urban development for social inclusionand ending poverty;(b) Sustainable and inclusive urban prosperity andopportunities for all;(c) Environmentally sustainable and resilient urban
development.

Sustainable urban development forsocial inclusion and ending poverty;
Sustainable and inclusive urban
prosperity and opportunities for all
Environmentally sustainable andresilient urban development

2. Urban
Planning and
Design3. Governance
4. Financing
Mechanisms

3. Advocacy,communicationand outreach

4. Partnerships

5. Capacity
building

6. Systems andprocesses

1. Policy &Legislation

Drivers ofchangeVISION

2. Innovation

1. Monitoring &knowledge

Organizational
performanceenablers

A better quality of life forall in an urbanizing world

Strengthened
climate action andimproved urban
environment

12 outcomes / result areas

Enhanced sharedprosperity ofcities and regions

Effective urban
crisis prevention
and response

Crosscutting thematic areas: (1) Resilience; (2) Safety

Social inclusion issues: (1) Human rights; (2) Gender; (3) Children, youth and Older Persons; (4) Disability

Reduced spatial
inequality andpoverty incommunities
across the urban rural continuum

Sustainable urbanization is advanced as a driver of development
and peace, to improve living conditions for all in line with the SDGs

UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge,
policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind

MISSION

Objective

Domains of Change
Outcomes

Figure 1 : UN-Habitat theory of change for the Strategic Plan for the period 2020–2023
18 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 19

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil © UN-Habitat

20 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

Medellin, Colombia © UN-Habitat

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 21

Domain of change 1
Reduced spatial inequality and poverty incommunities across the urban–rural continuum

58. Sustainable development cannot be achieved
without addressing the basic human rights of the millions
of marginalized urban dwellers living in poverty andsubject to marginalization. That can be done in a variety
of ways, including by expanding access to adequate
housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, domesticenergy, transport, health care, education and public
space, with safety and security as key factors to ensure
the achievement of truly equal and inclusive cities
and human settlements. Inequality also persists withinpoor communities, as women, youth and persons withdisability often suffer intersectional discrimination, whichleads to further marginalization.
59. Poverty and marginalization intersect andare often concentrated in specific locations. Spatial
inequality (defined as the concentration of disadvantage
in a specific location) manifests in the different
experiences and opportunities that people may have,and the rights that they can exercise, between regions,
across the rural–urban continuum or within the samecity. Spatial inequalities in cities perpetuate other formsof social, economic, political or cultural inequality. Thatmay then be further diversified, based on a person’ssocioeconomic background, race, migration status, age,gender and abilities. Unequal access to land, adequate
and affordable housing, employment opportunities,

basic and social services, mobility and public transport,
and public space are key aspects of spatial inequality,
often characterized by physical segregation. That
has an impact on poverty levels and opportunities
for upward mobility. According to the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development, living
in a deprived neighbourhood can have an impact on
the education, health and work prospects of bothchildren and adults, further deepening inequalities,
even across generations.13 That cuts across most of the
Sustainable Development Goals and their associatedtargets, as highlighted in the report of the SecretaryGeneral on Progress on the implementation of the
New Urban Agenda (2018).14 The New Urban Agenda,
as an accelerator to support the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals, also includes many of
those elements, in particular the need to fight poverty
and to promote urban prosperity and ecological andresilient cities.
60. Furthermore, in order to reduce spatial inequalities
and eradicate poverty, planned urban growth must be
accompanied by effective urban renewal through in situ
upgrading and urban regeneration. Such efforts would
also offer the benefit of preserving cultural heritage andhelping to build a sense of identity and belonging incities.

22 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

UN-Habitat’s niche position:
In this domain of change, UN-Habitat
will consolidate its vast experience inthe area of basic services, housing andslum upgrading, land, urban mobility
and public space. The International
Guidelines on Decentralization andAccess to Basic Services for all andthe International Guidelines on Urban
and Territorial Planning are essential
frameworks for guiding outputs within
this domain.
Building on those frameworks,
other normative guidance and theextensive experience of UN-Habitat in
implementing field projects in the areasof public space, sustainable mobility,

water and sanitation, basic social andphysical infrastructure and energy,
efforts in those areas will be scaled
up. The expanded focus on effective
settlement growth and regeneration
is in response to explicit demands
for UN-Habitat support by Member
States, local authorities and otherpartners, and will use the experienceof UN-Habitat with planned city infills,
urban renewal and in situ upgrading,including in heritage areas.
The outcomes in this domain ofchange represent the core business of
UN-Habitat. However, in exercising its
focal point role, it will also collaborate

61. The first domain of change thus translates into
three key outcome areas to which UN-Habitat, working
with partners, can contribute. These are as follows:(a) Increased and equal access to basic services,sustainable mobility and public space;(b) Increased and secure access to land, and adequate
and affordable housing;(c) Effective settlement growth and regeneration.

with a number of other United Nations
coordination bodies, including
UN-Water, UNEnergy, Sustainable
the Energy for All initiative and theSustainable Mobility for All initiative;
other United Nations entities, including
the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), United Nations
Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN-Women),
the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) and the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO); and many
non-governmental partners andstakeholders and private-sector
partners.

62. The notion of “increased and equal access”
is based on the premise, set out in the Sustainable
Development Goals, of “increased equality of outcome”.
All UN-Habitat programmes will therefore prioritizegroups that do not currently have equal access to basic
services, sustainable mobility and public space, andprovide interventions that allow substantive equality ofoutcome, counteracting different forms of exclusion.

All UN-Habitat programmes will prioritize groups that do not currently have equal access tobasic services, sustainable mobility and public space, and provide interventions that allow
substantive equality of outcome, counteracting different forms of exclusion

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 23

OUTCOME 1: Increased and equal access to basic services,sustainable mobility and public space

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11; specifically targets – basic
services: 1.4 (1.4.1), 3.b (3.b.2), 4.a (4.a.1), 6.b (6.b.1), 11.1, 11.5 (11.5.2) and 11.6 (11.6.1);
sustainable mobility: 9.1 (9.1.2), 11.2 (11.2.1); public space: 11.7; social, economic and politicalinclusion: 10.2; and equal opportunity: 10.3.

Contributes to paragraphs 29, 30, 34, 37 and 74 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: UNICEF, UN-Women, United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

63. All cities and human settlements, regardlessof size, require adequate basic and social services
accessible to all: access to water, sanitation, waste
management, energy, technology, health care andeducation. To be productive and inclusive, cities also
require safe and sustainable mobility. The availability,
distribution, access and quality of public space is also
recognized as an important element to reduce inequality,

To be productive and inclusive, cities also
require safe and sustainable mobility. The
availability, distribution, access and qualityof public space is also recognized as animportant element to reduce inequality,
generate local economic activities and promotesocial cohesion and a sense of identity

generate local economic activities and promote social
cohesion and a sense of identity. Given their importancein achieving sustainable urban development, all theseelements should be reflected in national urban policies
and sectoral plans, and ultimately translated into
concrete physical interventions. UN-Habitat will therefore
work with a wide range of stakeholders towards thisoutcome, including all levels of government, civil society,communities, and the formal and informal private sector,
through both normative and operational work. That work
will include policies that are sensitive to gender, age anddisability; plans and legislation for public space provisionand mobility solutions; legislation for improved safetyin public spaces through stakeholder engagement; andinclusive participatory slum upgrading that improves
access to basic services, mobility and public spaces.

24 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

64. UN-Habitat is well equipped to support Member
States in their commitment to reducing waste generation
by reducing, reusing and recycling waste, and will
combine its long-standing work in urban basic services
with an increasing emphasis on the need to reduce
waste and recycle various components in an efficientand sustainable manner. UN-Habitat will continue to
produce knowledge products and best practices thatcover the use and recycling of solid waste, and toprovide guidance to countries on sustainable water,
wastewater, sanitation and waste management,
urban mobility and energy systems. UN-Habitat is
also engaged in supporting low-carbon plans anddevelopment strategies, and will scale up the advisory

Medellin, Colombia © UN-Habitat

and technical services that it offers to countries and theirlocal governments in that respect.
65. Outcome 1 is critical for UN-Habitat and requires
greater emphasis. UN-Habitat will lead the work on
improved policies, plans, designs, sharing of practices,and laws and regulations in order to provide increased
and improved access to basic services, sustainablemobility and more inclusive public spaces. More effective
data collection and monitoring of the availability andquality of basic services and public space, including datacollection and reporting systems on violence against
women in public spaces, also require specific attention.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 25

OUTCOME 2: Increased and secure access to land, andadequate and affordable housing

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 5 and 11; specifically targets 1.4 (1.4.2), 2.3,
5.a (5.a.1 and 5.a.2) and 11.1 (11.1.1).

Contributes to paragraph 35 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: World Bank and the Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights.

66. Land and property are an important domestic
revenue source for local government, which can be
captured to invest in expansion and improvementof basic services and infrastructure. Yet land
management is rarely integrated with spatial plans or
policies. Security of tenure is an important elementof good land management, as it allows households
and communities not only to improve their own
living conditions, but also to use land as an asset tolift themselves out of poverty. Insecurity of tenure
affects female-headed households, and those who
are otherwise marginalized, in particular. Customary
and indigenous land rights are especially importantconsiderations and will be addressed under thisoutcome area.
67. This outcome area will also build on the
Global Housing Strategy adopted by the Governing
Council at its Twenty-Fourth Session, promoting
the commitment of Member States to the full andprogressive realization of the right to adequate
housing as provided for in international instruments,

the Habitat Agenda: Goals and Principles,
Commitments and the Global Plan of Action, and the
New Urban Agenda. That will be expanded to focus
on the achievement of Sustainable Development
Goal 11.1, which is a target to achieve cities withoutslums by 2030. UN-Habitat will continue to provide
diverse solutions and a programmatic approachas part of that process in order to prevent forced
evictions.
68. Adequate and affordable housing also
requires integrated responses and concerted actions
that connect planning, financial mechanisms andregulatory frameworks, focusing on both ownermarkets and rental markets. Housing and slum
upgrading play a fundamental role in economic
development and poverty reduction, which
contribute to equitable, gender- and age-responsive
socio-spatial development, placing housing at
the centre of the sustainable urban development
agenda as an effective equalizer for sharedprosperity and growth.

26 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

69. This is a critical outcome for which UN-Habitat
will take the lead within the United Nations system,working closely with partners focused on housing andthose investing in land management towards advocacy,knowledge production, and policy and capacity
development, in addition to field projects.

Urban cores, peri-urban areas andsuburban settlements can accommodate
growth through a mix of strategies, suchas densification, mixed-use development,
affordable housing, improved connectivity,
increased access to public space and a diversityof employment opportunities, and those should
be underscored by inclusive governancearrangements that promote socially cohesive
urban communities

Kunming, China © ShutterstockUN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 27

OUTCOME 3: Effective settlements growth and regeneration

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 4, 6, 11 and 16; specifically targets 4.a, 6.b (6.b.1),
11.1 (11.1.1), 11.3, 11.6, 11.7, 11.a and 16.7 (16.7.2).

Contributes to paragraph 38 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: UNESCO, the United Nations Capital Development Fund
(UNCDF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Bank.

70. It is important that urbanization models and urban
planning and design allow for socially and physicallyintegrated urban growth. Migration and population
increase contribute in approximately equal measure tourban growth. The dynamics of settlement growth should
therefore ensure that migration works for cities andthat cities work for migrants, irrespective of their status.
Urban cores, peri-urban areas and suburban settlements
can accommodate growth through a mix of strategies,
such as densification, mixed-use development,
affordable housing, improved connectivity, increased
access to public space and a diversity of employment
opportunities, and those should be underscored byinclusive governance arrangements that promotesocially cohesive urban communities.
71.
Protection and revitalization of cultural heritage
must be central to those efforts, and can also contributeto strengthening identities and providing a sense of
belonging, integrating both host communities andnewcomers, including migrants, refugees and internallydisplaced persons. The New Urban Agenda identifies
culture as a priority component of urban plans andstrategies, and makes an explicit call for the integrationof culture in the adoption of planning instruments,
including master plans, zoning guidelines, building
codes, coastal management policies and strategic
development policies.
72. This is a growth area for UN-Habitat, building on its
extensive experience with planned city infills and urban
renewal projects. UN-Habitat will strengthen its support
for the development of policies, plans, gender- and ageresponsive local and community planning and design
processes, guidelines and capacity development for
local authorities, and will also enhance its engagementwith the private sector.

28 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

Kigali, Rwanda © ShutterstockUN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 29

Domain of change 2
Enhanced shared prosperity ofcities and regions

73. In the current global economy, urbanization
contributes a disproportionately high share of GDP.
Well-planned and properly managed urbanization
can generate wealth, maximizing the benefits ofeconomies of scale and agglomeration, allowing forintegrated territorial development and connecting ruraland urban development. Genuinely inclusive, wellconnected and prosperous cities promote collective
well-being and fulfilment for all. Achieving balanced
territorial development and overcoming inequalities
requires combining economic growth strategies withsocially inclusive and environmentally sustainable
development. Prosperous cities are, more often than not,located in prosperous regions. Efficient and adequate
regional planning is essential for cities to rethink theircomparative advantage and better reposition themselves
within their surrounding areas to increase the likelihoodof generating decent jobs and livelihoods across theregion.
74. This domain of change translates into the following
three key outcome areas in which UN-Habitat, working
with partners, can contribute:(a) Improved spatial connectivity and productivity ofcities and regions;(b) Increased and equitably distributed locallygenerated revenues;(c) Expanded deployment of frontier technologies andinnovations for urban development.

30 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

UN-Habitat’s niche position
In this domain of change, in particular
Outcome 1, UN-Habitat will need to growin terms of both knowledge and expertise.
The expanded focus on connectivity
and regional planning is determined byseveral studies that demonstrate thestrong connection between urban andregional planning as a way to promoteshared prosperity. Working with strategic
partners, such as the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development,
the World Bank and others, UN-Habitat
will support efforts by government
authorities at different levels to develop
policies, frameworks and actions toboost the productivity of cities andregions through an integrated territorial
development approach. Working with
the Food and Agriculture Organization

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil © UN-Habitatof the United Nations, the International
Fund for Agricultural Development,
the International Labour Organization,
International Organization for Migration(IOM), the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO)
and other organizations, UN-Habitat
will promote inclusive and sustainableeconomic growth, employment anddecent work for all, particularly womenand youth, through specific policies andactions.
Outcome 2 requires UN-Habitat tocooperate with regional developmentbanks, local and regional governments andtheir associations, UNDP, the World Bank,
the European Union, financial institutions,foundations and academia. From anorganizational perspective, the niche

position of UN-Habitat focuses on providing
technical support to local, regional andnational authorities to formulate andimplement policies and strategies toincrease local revenue and ensure anequitable allocation thereof. UN-Habitat willcontinue to consolidate its considerable
experience in this area.
Outcome 3 represents an expanded focus.
In exercising a focal point role, UN-Habitat
will collaborate with various entities, suchas the United Nations Innovation Network,
United Nations agencies, technology
companies, “smart city” associations,innovation hubs and academia. UNHabitat will thus adapt and expand
innovative technical solutions for improved
quality of life in cities.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 31

OUTCOME 1: Improved spatial connectivity andproductivity of cities and regions

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 14; specifically targets 2.3,
2.4, 2.a, 8.2, 8.3, 8.5, 11.2 (11.2.1), 11.3 (11.3.1) and 11.a.

Contributes to paragraphs 49, 51 and 52 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: UNDP, UNIDO, ILO, IOM.

75. The spatial organization of cities and regions,accessibility and design of urban space, and theintegration of different scales of cities and humansettlements, from small and medium-sized towns andcities to large metropolises, can significantly enhance
the contribution made by urbanization to productivity
and inclusive economic development. For that tooccur, however, connectivity across urban networks,
between cities and their surroundings, peri-urban andrural areas, must be strengthened. That requires acountry-wide – and sometimes cross-border – approachto development, with reinvigorated urban and rural
territorial planning. National urban policies, effectively
implemented and with the appropriate legal frameworks
and technical and financial support in place, can ensurethat prosperity is shared across cities and regions.

Adequate territorial planning can strengthen thecapacity of small and medium-sized cities to provide
win-win situations for regions, as it can reduce pressure
on primary cities and help rural populations to accessinformation, goods, services and other resources thatare needed for improved opportunities and increased
productivity. At the urban scale, spatial development
frameworks, city-wide strategies and local plans are
key tools to ensure improved spatial connectivity
and productivity, as the first step to integrating andproposing strategies to promote better-connected
and more inclusive cities. Well-planned cities canmaximize the urban form while leveraging economies ofagglomerations that – supported by good connectivity
and adequate serviced land – can boost productive
activities and generate jobs.

32 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

76. In the area of the blue economy, cities bordering
oceans, lakes and rivers have historically played a criticalrole, not only in bringing prosperity to communities living
alongside the water, but also in influencing local, national
and international development. UN-Habitat is able tolead the normative debate on how towns and cities can
optimally leverage the blue economy for prosperity anddevelopment towards achieving the urban dimensions of
the Sustainable Development Goals.
77. New governance arrangements across existing
administrative boundaries and sectors are needed
to reinforce institutional coordination at all levels.
Metropolitan governance structures and collaboration
mechanisms are critical for addressing urban sprawl
and other negative externalities that cause spatial andsocioeconomic segregation, as well as environmental
and natural resource degradation.

78. UN-Habitat technical support in this area will
focus on increasing the comparative advantage of
cities to maximize their productive potential, addressing
negative externalities such as pollution and congestion,enhancing mass transit options and providing efficient,reliable services, making cities more competitive andinnovative and, in turn, maximizing productivity gains.

Adequate territorial planning can strengthen
the capacity of small and medium-sized cities
to provide win-win situations for regions, as
it can reduce pressure on primary cities andhelp rural populations to access information,
goods, services and other resources thatare needed for improved opportunities andincreased productivity

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania © UN-Habitat

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 33

OUTCOME 2: Increased and equitably distributed locallygenerated revenues

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 8, 11 and 17, and specifically target 17.1.

Contributes to paragraphs 67 and 75 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: UNCDF and IOM.

79. Local authorities across the world have afundamental mandate to deliver basic services andpublic goods. However, they face huge challenges indoing so. Cities in developing countries, in particular,
cannot reconcile available financial resources andincreasing levels of municipal expenditure. That financial
gap is further aggravated by the rapid growth of their
populations, which creates an ever-increasing demandfor public services and for funding for the construction
and maintenance of new public infrastructure.
80. While there is clearly a need for greater andmore efficient sharing of financial resources between
central and local government, potential local sourcesof revenue generation currently available to local
authorities should also be fully exploited. Those include,for example, user fees, tax increment financing, land
value finance and debt instruments, such as bonds andloans. In addition, community-based financing funds

and local economic development strategies may leadto long-term socioeconomic transformation. Domestic
resource mobilization is critical to the achievement of
the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban
Agenda. Improving municipal finance is key to that, alongwith facilitating access to local development funds andfiscal decentralization instruments.
81. Working with development partners, publicfinance and management organizations, universities
and the private sector, UN-Habitat is well positioned toassist local authorities in enacting the institutional andlegal reforms that are necessary to generate additional
financial resources, including through public–private
partnerships, and land-based revenue and financing
tools, maintaining a strong emphasis on transparency
and accountability. That includes the quantification,
capture and distribution of land value increments, asset
management and land taxation mechanisms.

34 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

OUTCOME 3: Expanded deployment of frontier technologies andinnovations for urban development

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 17, and specifically targets
5.b, 7.1 (7.1.2), 7.a, 7.b (7.b.1), 8.2, 9.5, 9.b, 13.3 (13.3.2), 17.6, 17.8 and 17.16.

Contributes to paragraph 66 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: International Telecommunication Union and the United
Nations Innovation Network.

82. Frontier technologies are profoundly influencing
the emergence of smart cities, the ways in which
we build and manage our cities and other humansettlements, and how urban managers take more
informed decisions. Those currently include, among
others, the Internet of things, sensor networks,
machine-to-machine communication, robotics, artificial
intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing,geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing,autonomous unmanned vehicles, drones, blockchain,
cryptographic computing, and big data processing
and visualization. The New Urban Agenda calls
for technology and communication networks to bestrengthened and for smart-city approaches that use
digitalization, clean energy and technologies to boost
economic growth and improve service delivery, while
promoting broad-based inclusion, including of persons
with disabilities.
83. Innovation is critical for the realization of various
dimensions of development and prosperity, in theprocess unleashing undeveloped potential and making
full use of local resources and assets. Innovative funding
opportunities and partnerships need to be explored andthe capacity of local governments to effectively procure,test and implement frontier technologies needs to besignificantly strengthened.
84. To contribute effectively to urban sustainability,
frontier technologies and innovations need to be
applied appropriately to ensure that the prosperity
they bring is shared among citizens, cities and regions.
That work needs to be undertaken by a wide array ofactors, and UN-Habitat can play a significant role in theprocess through the integration of new technologies
and innovative practices in both its normative andoperational activities. In that regard, its role will embraceanticipating trends and conditions regarding the longterm impact on urbanization; developing innovative ways
to collect and use data, including spatial analysis forurban management; and elaborating smart city plans andstrategies, including sectoral responses in such strategicareas as urban mobility and environmental sustainability.
It would require the creation of open, user-friendly andparticipatory data platforms to ensure that the benefitsof data collection and integration are shared by all, withstrong guidance within that context on data protection,
data ownership, privacy rights and human rights.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 35

85. In this outcome, an increased emphasis on
capacity-building in local government and across thebuilt environment professions is crucial in order to turnsmart city plans and the use of frontier technologies inurban planning, design and regeneration into peoplecentred opportunities, rather than technology-led
endeavours. Smart city strategies may benefit fromfocusing on using technology to harness data for thesmart regulation and monitoring of urban land andhousing markets.

Smart city
strategies
may benefit
from focusing
on using
technology toharness data
for the smart
regulation andmonitoring ofurban land andhousing markets

86. Ultimately, the deployment of frontier technologies
and sustainable urban development needs to pay
particular attention to underserved populations in orderto address inequalities and bridge social and spatial
divides.

Fiji © UN-Habitat36 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023
Rajasthan, India © ShutterstockUN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 37

Domain of change 3
Strengthened climate action andimproved urban environment

87. The New Urban Agenda sets out a sharedvision for cities and other human settlements towards
strengthened climate action responses and an improved
urban environment. Member States recognize theunprecedented threats to cities and human settlementsfrom unsustainable consumption and production
patterns, loss of biodiversity, pressure on ecosystems,
pollution, natural and human-made disasters, andclimate change and its related risks, undermining theefforts to end poverty in all its forms and dimensions
and to achieve sustainable development.15 They commit
themselves to facilitating the sustainable management of
natural resources in cities and other human settlements
in a manner that protects and improves the urban
ecosystem and environmental services, reduces
greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, andpromotes disaster risk reduction and management.16

Member States recognize the unprecedented
threats to cities and human settlements fromunsustainable consumption and production
patterns, loss of biodiversity, pressure on
ecosystems, pollution, natural and humanmade disasters, and climate change and its
related risks, undermining the efforts to end
poverty in all its forms and dimensions and toachieve sustainable development

88. This domain of change focuses on the intersectionof cities and other human settlements with climate andthe environment. The Paris Agreement defines roles forcountries and stakeholders in respect of all elements ofclimate action. In response to the increasing challenges
posed by climate change, Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change havedeveloped nationally determined contributions as acommitment to advance the Paris Agreement. In 2017,a review by UN-Habitat of 164 nationally determined
contributions found that 113 had moderate or strongurban content, predominantly focused on adaptation,
or a combination of adaptation and mitigation actions,while only a very small number focused exclusively on
mitigation.17
89. This domain of change addresses the resilience,
adaptation and mitigation actions for the developmentof sustainable cities through curbing the impact ofclimate change, creating new economic opportunities
and improving liveability in cities and other humansettlements.

38 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

UN-Habitat’s niche position
In this domain of change, UN-Habitat
will act as a catalyst for connections
and action in the global climate arena,
linking global actors and policies to local
and national contexts. It will build thatlinkage through a strategically designed
process which combines policy advice,technical support, advocacy, thematic
expertise, knowledge production andsharing of international best practice.
UN-Habitat climate action programmes
will thus create a platform to facilitatebidirectional linkage – from global tolocal and local to global – as local andregional governments engage in theprocesses.
In order to support Member Statesin undertaking climate action andimproving the urban environment,
UN-Habitat will work together with
United Nations agencies, such as
UN Environment, to mainstream
environmental considerations into
local, national and global urban
policymaking and to highlight the
local–global element of environmental
issues. It will also work with the United

90. This domain of change comprises three outcomesthat together aim to strengthen climate action andimprove urban environments to create systemicchange by designing integrated solutions that balance
the patterns of human life and the built and naturalenvironments in cities. Those outcomes are as follows:(a) Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved
air quality;(b) Improved resource efficiency and protection of
ecological assets;(c) Effective adaptation of communities andinfrastructure to climate change.

Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change to enhanceawareness of climate change mattersand to disseminate knowledge andinternational best practice to support
the implementation of climate change
strategies. Furthermore, it will work with
the World Health Organization (WHO) toassist Governments in developing andimplementing clean air action plans.
In the area of adaptation, building
climate resilience of the urban poor will
be an area of particular attention.

In order to support Member States inundertaking climate action and improving
the urban environment, UN-Habitat will
work together with United Nations agencies,
such as UN Environment, to mainstream
environmental considerations into local,
national and global urban policymaking
and to highlight the local–global element ofenvironmental issues

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 39

OUTCOME 1: Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved air quality

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 3, 11 and 13; specifically targets 3.9 (3.9.1), 11.6
and 13.2 (13.2.1).

Contributes to paragraphs 67 and 75 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborator: UNEP.

91. Cities account for between 60 and 80 per centof energy consumption and generate as much as 70
per cent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions,primarily through the consumption of fossil fuels forenergy supply and transportation. Urban sprawl andsegregation of functions greatly increases climate
impact, making it vital to ensure that we are able to planurban growth in a more sustainable and climate-neutral
way. The sustainable management of resources includes
strengthening the environmentally sound management
and minimization of all waste, including air and shortlived climate pollutants, and greenhouse gases in a waythat strives to transition to a circular economy.18
92. Scientists have concluded that to hold global
warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial
levels, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 40 to 50 per cent by 2030 (from 2010 levels).
There is consequently an urgent need to acceleratetransformative action, particularly in cities.19 This is thusa priority area for UN-Habitat across all four domains ofchange during the period covered by the Strategic Plan.

93. To promote mitigation practices, UN-Habitat
proposes to use integrated and territorial planningapproaches in its normative and operational work topromote compact and transit-oriented development,
which will offer benefits in terms of reduced use ofprivate vehicles and, consequently, reduced emissions.
UN-Habitat will also continue to advocate for the
adoption of renewable energy generation in urban areas,using solar rooftops on public and residential buildings,
wind farms whenever and wherever possible, andconverting municipal waste into energy sources. That will
reduce dependency on fossil fuel for energy generation.
Cities are taking ambitious steps, with 73 large cities in
the C40 Cities network20 having committed to becoming
net carbon neutral by 2050 or earlier. UN-Habitat willcontinue to mobilize cities to set targets, report data
and track progress through the climate action planning
framework, and to help to lead the Global Covenant ofMayors for Climate and Energy,21 a platform that offers ameans for mayors to publicly commit to, systematicallyplan for and report on climate action.

40 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

94. Scientists estimate that in 2016, 91 per cent of
the world’s population lived in places where air quality
exceeded WHO guideline limits of outdoor air pollution,
the majority in urban areas with attendant health risks.22
To help cities to improve air quality, UN-Habitat can
assist Governments to develop clean air action plans,
recognizing the substantial synergy of such plans

with action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, andaddressing both outdoor and indoor air pollution. Suchplans will be evidence-based and designed throughmeaningful, informed participatory processes andmultisectoral approaches. The work will be carried out
in collaboration with United Nations agencies, including
UNEP and WHO, and other key strategic partners.

The promotion of resource efficiency measures in the built environment will further contribute to
reduced wastage of energy, water, materials and land in the building sector by adopting green
building practices, energy performance indicators and rating systems

Malmö, Sweden © ShutterstockUN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 41

OUTCOME 2: Improved resource efficiency and protectionof ecological assets

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15; specifically targets
6.3, 6.a, 8.4, 11.6, 11.c (11.c.1), 12.2, 12.3, 12.4 (12.4.1, 12.4.2), 12.5, 12.c, 14.a, 15.1 (15.1.2),
15.4, 15.5, 15.9, 15.a, (15.a.1) and 15.b (15.b.1).

Contributes to paragraphs 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 and 73 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: UNEP and FAO.

95. In the New Urban Agenda, Member States notethe need to facilitate the sustainable management of
natural resources23 and transition to a circular economy
while facilitating ecosystem conservation, regeneration,
restoration and resilience.24 The promotion of resource
efficiency measures in the built environment willfurther contribute to reduced wastage of energy, water,materials and land in the building sector by adopting
green building practices, energy performance indicatorsand rating systems. Member States also envisage cities
and other human settlements that protect, conserve,
restore and promote their ecosystems, water, natural
habitats and biodiversity.25
96. To achieve that outcome, UN-Habitat will offer
support to countries to develop building codes thatare both energy efficient and resource efficient; makeappropriate reference to and integrate energy andresource efficiency principles into country-specificcodes; develop policy guidelines for mainstreaming
energy and resource efficiency in buildings; andfacilitate knowledge-sharing. It will further develop andpromote knowledge on smart and sustainable urban
development, including through training modules, tools
and products which are available through the One UN
Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC: Learn),
and will continue to build its work in that area, including
supporting Governments with technical expertise insmart city and circular economy approaches.
97. To support Member States to better protect
urban biodiversity and ecological assets, UN-Habitat
will provide climate action and urban environment
responses within a holistic framework. The allocationof open spaces, protection of fertile agricultural land,urban gardens, botanic gardens and parks becomes a
critical action to preserve, regenerate and restore urban
biodiversity. Adequate planning and legislation to reduce
urban sprawl and its negative effects on the environmentis part of UN-Habitat in-depth knowledge and response
for this outcome.

42 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

OUTCOME 3: Effective adaptation of communities andinfrastructure to climate change

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 9, 11 and 13; specifically targets 11.b, 13.2, 13.3
and 13.a.

Contributes to paragraphs 77, 78 and 79 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

98. A special report on global warming published by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
in October 201826 warned that the earth’s surface had
warmed by 1.0 degree Celsius above pre-industrial
levels, sufficient to lift oceans and cause extreme storms,
floods and droughts. At current levels of greenhouse gas
emissions, the IPCC report projected that temperatures
were likely to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius between 2030
and 2052 if they continued to increase at their current
rate, resulting in sea-level rises, threatening coastal
urbanization, and posing climate-related risks to health,
livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security
and economic growth.
99. Since a large proportion of cities are locatedon the shoreline of water bodies, urban residents areespecially vulnerable to climate change. Approximately
360 million urban residents live in coastal areas thatare less than 10 metres above sea level and will bedirectly affected by the forecast rise in sea levels andnatural disasters, such as floods. Fifteen of the world’s
20 megacities are at risk from rising sea levels andcoastal surges. Cities are also home to concentrationsof populations that are highly vulnerable to the impact
of climate change and health-associated factors,

particularly in informal settlements,27 in which materials
used for housing construction are often not sufficiently
robust to withstand the surging seas, wind storms andflooding that may be caused by climate change.
100. To help cities and other human settlements toadapt to climate change, UN-Habitat, working withpartners, will build on several areas in which it has
a comparative advantage. First, it will continue its
efforts to base planning and design on vulnerability
analyses to reduce the exposure of populations toclimate-related hazards such as flooding and landslides,
as well as to address a broader set of natural andhuman-caused hazards. Second, it will follow pro-poor
approaches to building climate resilience in marginalized
neighbourhoods, slums and informal settlements, while
helping cities to integrate such communities into citywide urban systems. Third, drawing on its local-national
mandate and convening power, UN-Habitat will promote
multilevel governance approaches so that national
governments empower local governments to takeclimate action through improved frameworks with strong
local-national collaboration.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 43

Dubai, United Arab Emirates © Shutterstock44 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

Breznice, Slovenia © ShutterstockUN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 45

Domain of change 4
Effective urban crisis prevention
and response

101. Global crises are increasingly complex and multidimensional; interconnected across geographical andregional boundaries, cyclical, recurrent and increasingly
urban and protracted in nature. The United Nations
system recognizes that social and spatial inequalities,
unplanned growth, unequal access to land, affordable
housing and basic services, and pressure on natural
resources all contribute to an accumulation of disaster
risk, instability and potential conflict. Many of thosecauses are linked to flawed development and, in mostcases, the impact of crisis is particularly severe for theurban poor, the displaced and others who are alreadychronically vulnerable.
102. Effective urban crisis prevention, urban risk
management and preparedness involve approaches
to urban development that are sensitive to both risk
and conflict. When developing responses and longerterm recovery and reconstruction strategies, the natureand causes of the specific urban crisis are the natural
starting point. The United Nations is called upon torecognize the role that sustainable development canplay in mitigating drivers of conflict, disaster risks andhumanitarian crises, and to engage in the collective
responsibility of sustaining peace.28 Sustainable andequitable urbanization is considered key to addressing

some of the underlying risks of natural hazards and theroot causes of instability and conflict. If crises do occur,
it is vital to base humanitarian responses on a sharedunderstanding of the urban crisis environment; empower
local stakeholders, especially local governments; andfocus on fast-tracking recovery and a return to moresustainable, inclusive and resilient urban development
trajectories.
103. Effective crisis prevention, response and recovery
requires a strong focus on social cohesion and inclusiveplanning. Growing inequalities and increased exposure
to natural hazards exacerbate the vulnerabilities of
specific groups, fuelling instability and undermining theircoping strategies to the point at which humanitarianassistance is needed. During a crisis, both acute andchronic vulnerabilities need to be taken into account.
At the same time, migrants, refugees, internallydisplaced persons and returnees seek safety, access toservices and livelihoods in urban areas, rather than incamps. Cities are thus faced with both challenges andopportunities. Acute displacement and large population
movements can result in acute shocks to city systems
and consequent breakdowns, including in social
cohesion. In fragile settings with weak planning systems
and capacities, that leads all too easily to rapid and46 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

UN-Habitat’s niche position
Based on its decades-long experiencein crisis-affected countries and its
specific expertise in urban and otherhuman settlements, UN-Habitat iscalled upon to (a) better support theimplementation of the New Urban
Agenda in countries affected byconflict and natural and humancaused disasters; (b) ensure that its
work contributes, in a coordinatedmanner, to the United Nations systemcommitment to sustaining peace anda comprehensive whole-of-system
response to complex emergencies;(c) better support Member States intheir efforts to implement the Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
2015–2030; and (d) better support

Member States facing challenges
caused by the mass influx of migrants.
UN-Habitat is in a position to offer
integrated solutions in support ofbroader humanitarian, development
and political efforts led by other United
Nations entities, in particular those ledby the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR). The work of UN-Habitaton land, for example, supports thebroader conflict prevention work led
by UNDP, the Department of Political
Affairs of the United Nations(DPA) (until
31 December 2018), the Peacebuilding
Support Office (until 31 December2018), the Department of Political andunplanned urbanization, further aggravating inequalities
and accumulating risks. Taking into account theincreased complexity and urban nature of crises, a focus
on resilience, of both systems and people, is critical forstability and sustainable development. That is also true
for crisis response, which offers unique opportunities
to accelerate the resilience of cities and communities.
Furthermore, it requires a rights-based approach thatgives particular attention to women, children, youth,
older persons and persons with disabilities in both hostand displaced communities.

Peacebuilding Affairs (from 1 January2019) and others. It is also important for
UN-Habitat to contribute its expertiseto United Nations networks such as
the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
and the United Nations Networkon Migration, and to provide urban
advisory services to Humanitarian and
Resident Coordinators.
Strategic partnerships should set out theways in which UN-Habitat can leverage
its expertise (in areas such as planning,land, housing and basic services)
towards addressing the root causesof crises in urban areas so that it is
optimally positioned to contribute to joint
efforts to recover and sustain peace.

104. This domain of change translates into threeinterrelated outcomes, relevant to both crisis prevention
and crisis response:(a) Enhanced social integration and inclusive
communities;(b) Improved living standards and inclusion of migrants,
refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees
through effective crisis response and recovery;(c) Enhanced resilience of the built environment andinfrastructure.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 47

OUTCOME 1: Enhanced social integration and inclusive communities

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 9, 10, 11 and 16; specifically targets 10.7, 11.3,
16.1 and 16.a.

Contributes to paragraphs 33, 40, 77 and 78 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR), Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding
Affairs, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Officeof the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

105. Inclusive engagement of all segments of society,as well as vulnerable groups, including migrants,
refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons, inthe planning and management of cities and communities,
can ensure more equitable access to public space,basic and social services, infrastructure and livelihood
opportunities. In turn, that can help to contribute to
overall stability and social cohesion, reducing the riskof violence and conflict triggers in urban areas. It also
reflects the international agendas on women, peace andsecurity29 and youth, peace and security.30
106. UN-Habitat work to prevent land from being used
as a potential root cause for conflict will also contributeto stability and peace, help prevent forced displacement,
and facilitate social and economic inclusion.

107. In crisis situations, adapted urban planning andmanagement approaches can help to guide incremental
decision-making on appropriate humanitarian anddevelopment responses. That allows for more areabased, multi-sectoral and integrated responses, whichleverage the social capital of all urban stakeholders,
including that of community groups and the private
sector. It is critical to empower local governments andcommunities and strengthen their capacity to promotesocial cohesion and resilient recovery, and rebuild
the social fabric. UN-Habitat will therefore promote
consultative mechanisms, that include migrants,
refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees,
and will ensure that such mechanisms include a focus onchildren, women, youth, older persons and persons withdisabilities.

48 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

OUTCOME 2: Improved living standards and inclusion of migrants,
refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees
through effective crisis response and recovery

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 5, 8, 10 and 11, and specifically targets 1.4(1.4.2), 5.a (5.a.2), 8.8, 10.7 and 11.1.

Contributes to paragraphs 29, 30 and 35 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: UNHCR, IOM, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, UNDP and UNICEF.

108. As forced displacement into urban areas becomesincreasingly protracted, integrated urban development
strategies should address the needs of both hostcommunities and the displaced, paying particularattention to women, children, youth, older persons andpersons with disabilities, seeking to overcome both
chronic and acute vulnerabilities. Managing urban
displacement therefore needs to be seen as part ofsustainably managing urban growth, mitigating the strain
on public services and housing supply and avoiding
further growth of informal settlements. It calls forappropriate housing and urban development responses
that can effectively integrate displaced communities
within urban environments, through tailored, area-based,
integrated humanitarian and development actions,coordinated by local government.

109. UN-Habitat, contributing to broader United
Nations efforts, is well placed to support those efforts byproviding disaggregated, multisectoral, spatial analysis
that considers the absorption capacity of cities and the“push” and “pull” factors of displacement to support rapid
decision-making that connects to long-term impact, andby deploying technical support in the areas of urban
planning, land, housing and basic services. UN-Habitat
has a key role to play in supporting local governments andbuilding their capacity to manage urban displacement,
drawing on its strong experience and expertise in thehumanitarian, development and peace nexus.
110. In cases in which camp-like environments areinevitable, UN-Habitat, working with agencies such as
UNHCR and UNDP, contributes its expertise in planning
camps as future urban extensions with adequate
urban planning standards and tenure arrangements
which are suitable for eventual transformation intoneighbourhoods.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 49

111. Lack of security of tenure complicateshumanitarian responses and exposes vulnerable
populations, such as female-headed households, toa wide range of protection issues, including further
displacement. Addressing housing, land and property
rights early on in a crisis situation is often critical to allow
for early voluntary return or local integration. Housing,land and property rights are a critical component of
durable solutions for forced displacement, enabling

Turkana, Kenya © UN-Habitat

affected populations to return home, remain where they
are and access basic rights, or move to a location of
their choice.31 A key role for UN-Habitat is to continue
to catalyse a United Nations system-wide approach
towards a more coherent and sustained engagement
at scale on land and across the conflict cycle, applying
the land tenure continuum32 and fit-for-purpose land
administration.

50 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

OUTCOME 3: Enhanced resilience of the built environment
and infrastructure

Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 9, 11, 13 and 16; specifically targets 9.1, 9.4, 9.a,
11.5, 13.2, 13.b and 16.6.

Contributes to paragraphs 77 and 78 of the New Urban Agenda.

Key United Nations collaborators: UNDP, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction andWorld Bank.

112. Well-planned and well-managed urbanization
has the potential to create built environments that are
more resilient and socially stable. The reduction ofmultidimensional risks needs to be hardwired into thedevelopment process itself. Urban resilience refers to
the ability of cities and other human settlements to resist
and recover from shocks and stresses, while undergoinga transformation into more sustainable urban systems. A
resilient city assesses, plans and acts to prepare for andrespond to all hazards, whether sudden or slow-onset,
expected or unexpected.
113. As part of the United Nations reform, there isalso a better understanding of how crisis response,
particularly in urban areas, increasingly requires an
early application of developmental approaches to fast
track recovery, which reduces the need for humanitarianassistance, while laying the ground for a more resilient
urban development trajectory through sustainable
reconstruction approaches. Crisis response provides
important opportunities to remedy underlying risks andvulnerabilities. UN-Habitat also aims to achieve thatby developing and improving urban-specific recovery
frameworks, tools and approaches, supporting local
implementation and mobilizing networks of urban

stakeholders, complementing work led by the World
Bank, European Union and UNDP at the national level.
114. Resilience assessments and profiling by UN-Habitat
are key to help identify the strengths and weaknesses ofsystems, as a basis to design proactive measures to makecities, neighbourhoods and communities more resilient
to future shocks, and to support the principle of “buildingback better” in post-crisis reconstruction situations.
Such measures include, for example, reviewing building
norms and their enforcement, introducing or reinforcing
planning restrictions in locations of risk, upgrading basic
infrastructure, reviving increasingly targeted cultural
heritage and replanning destroyed areas. UN-Habitat
expertise in urban resilience and reconstruction efforts
can also help to align humanitarian and development
responses, working closely with agencies such as theWorld Bank, UNDP and the United Nations Office forDisaster Risk Reduction. UN-Habitat will also ensure thatthe resilience of marginalized groups and communities,
who often suffer the most in crises that affect the built
environment and services, are prioritized and fully
included in recovery and reconstruction strategies andplans.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 51

D. THE SOCIAL INCLUSION DIMENSIONAND CROSS-CUTTING THEMATIC AREAS

Nairobi, Kenya © UN-Habitat

115. The Strategic Plan approaches the organizational
priorities that must underpin all the areas of work that
UN-Habitat carries out on two tracks: the social inclusion
dimension, which encompasses human rights; gender;
children, youth and older persons; and disability; and twocross-cutting thematic areas: resilience and safety. These
tracks provide a transversal connection across all the
domains of change and their respective outcomes, aswell as the drivers of change.
116.

The social inclusion dimension:(a) Human rights;(b) Gender;(c) Children, Youth and older persons;(d) Persons with disabilities

Human rights
117. This dimension is critical for the fulfilment of thecommitment under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development that no one should be left behind, working
towards a world in which everyone can benefit from theadvantages of sustainable urbanization. The Strategic
Plan offers the opportunity to make the social inclusion
dimension the filter through which the work of
UN-Habitat passes to ensure that the most vulnerable
groups are not engaged incidentally, but are specificallytargeted, including through active compliance with theUnited-Nations-wide humanrights-based approach.

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118. Human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible,
interdependent and interrelated, and are thus inherent toall human beings, regardless of race, gender, nationality
or migration status, ethnicity, language, religion or any
other status.
119. Urbanization can only be sustainable if it is humanrights based, and living conditions can only be improved
for all if everyone’s human rights are comprehensively
protected and promoted. As evidence indicates, narrow,discretionary measures, addressing the symptomsof poverty rather than its systemic economic, socialand spatial causes, will not produce the ambitious
results called for by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
120. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
confirms the commitment to a world of universal respectfor human rights and human dignity,33 the New Urban
Agenda is grounded in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and international human rights treaties,34
and a number of UN-Habitat Governing Council
resolutions have affirmed the need to base the work of
the programme within the international human rights
system.35
121. Human rights inform and interconnect all theoutcomes of the Strategic Plan. UN-Habitat applies thehuman-rights-based approach to address inequalities
and discrimination, reaching those who are furthest
behind first by placing power relationships in humansettlements at the heart of its analysis and action. In
particular, the Strategic Plan contributes to the realizationof the right to an adequate standard of living, including
the right to adequate housing36 and the right to waterand sanitation;37 and by doing so it facilitates theachievement of interrelated rights, such as the right tohealth care and education. Related principles, such as
non-discrimination and equality, access to information,
participation, accountability and the right to a remedy38
are also of key importance.39
122. The prioritization of human rights addresses the
structural causes of inequality and discrimination in an

integrated manner. For example, reduced poverty andspatial inequality includes outcomes related to equal
access to basic and social services, and access to landand public space.
123. UN-Habitat will build partnerships with otherentities which play an active role in the United Nations
human rights system, including the Special Rapporteuron adequate housing as a component of the right toan adequate standard of living, and on the right tonon-discrimination in this context, and other actors
responsible for upholding human rights principles. Whenengaging with the private sector, UN-Habitat will be ledby the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights:
Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect andRemedy” Framework and the United Nations Global
Compact.

Gender
124. Gender-based discrimination, which refers todiscrimination against individuals because of theirgender, gender identity or sexual orientation, can further
intersect with, and compound, discrimination on othergrounds, such as ethnicity, migration status and age,among others, thus exacerbating marginalization andcurtailing their ability to fully participate in and benefit
from sustainable urban development.
125. The United Nations Human Rights Council has
repeatedly acknowledged the need to prevent andaddress discrimination based on gender identity
and sexual orientation.40 The New Urban Agenda
envisages gender equality and the empowerment of
all women and girls41 and emphasizes the need forgender-responsiveness in all aspects of sustainableurban development. UN-Habitat has a long track recordof promoting the mainstreaming and programmatic
prioritization of gender in all its work.42

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 53

126. The Strategic Plan of UN-Habitat for 2020–2023
builds on those rights commitments in the four domainsof change in line with United Nations standards.43 For
example, effective participation is key to addressing
different forms of gender discrimination, both indecision-making and in programme implementation. UNHabitat will therefore continue to strengthen its strong
partnerships in this area with Governments at all levels;
within the United Nations system, in particular with UNWomen and OHCHR; with non-governmental partners
and civil society; and with the Advisory Group on Gender
Issues, an independent advisory body to the Executive
Director of UN-Habitat.

129. The particular needs and vulnerabilities of older
persons, children and youth, have been highlighted
in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.44
Likewise, the New Urban Agenda calls for “age- andgender-responsive housing policies and approaches”.45
Furthermore, the Sustainable Development Goals
include two specific targets that highlight the needs ofchildren and older people in the transport and public
space domains.46
130. UN-Habitat will work with and further expand
partnerships with representatives of these agespecificgroups; local and national governments; other key
partners, including civil society and the private sector;
and with relevant United Nations system bodies, such as
UNICEF and the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board, in linewith the Secretary-General’s “Youth2030: The United
Nations Strategy on Youth”.47

Children, youth and older persons
127. Young women and men have been a key focus of
the work of UN-Habitat. It has successfully advocatedfor the role of youth as leaders in sustainable urban
development, recognizing the Sustainable Development
Goals’ guiding principle of leaving no one behind,and the New Urban Agenda vision of cities for all. A
successful methodology for achieving urban equity foryouth is that of “youth-led development,” codified in the2008 Kampala Principles. Its youth programmes haveallowed UN-Habitat to play a leadership role with regard
to youth issues within the United Nations system.
128. The Strategic Plan expands the scope of work
to consider the entire age spectrum, fully integrating
children and older persons, who can be vulnerable todiscrimination in the urban setting. Children, especiallygirls, older persons and people in situations of particularrisk of marginalization, such as female-headedhouseholds, are often excluded from access to housing,urban basic services, public spaces and infrastructure,and the overall benefits of urbanization.

Disability131. “Disability is an evolving concept […] that […] resultsfrom the interaction between persons with impairments
and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders
their full and effective participation in society on an equalbasis with others.”48 Research indicates that persons withdisabilities account for approximately 15 per cent of theworld’s population.49 Disability, as is the case with genderand age, may be a compounding factor in the context ofintersectional discrimination and exclusion, rendering aperson who is already vulnerable to exclusion even more
so. That exclusion can be seen in the fact that more than
80 per cent of persons with disabilities live in poverty.50
As such, sustainable urban development, including in
the context of poverty reduction, can only be achieved
if persons with disabilities are included meaningfully indecision-making and are able to access their rights.

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132. The New Urban Agenda recognizes themultiple forms of discrimination faced by persons withdisabilities51 and emphasizes their rights, including
to accessibility and universal design, as an essential
precondition for their inclusion in society. It also
recognizes the need for their effective inclusion insociety and respects their right to an adequate standardof living.52 The Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities also stresses the importance of theirrights, yet persons with disabilities continue to face
many barriers related to, for example, access to housing,transport, technology and employment, in both urban
and rural settings, often exacerbated by ineffective
urban planning and design.53
133. Sustainable Development Goal 11 emphasizes theimportance of disabled persons in two specific targets:
transport and access to public space. In the StrategicPlan, the social inclusion dimension places great
importance on persons with disabilities. To that end,
UN-Habitat will partner with representative groups andindividual rights holders, local and national government,
relevant United Nations bodies and civil society tomaximize impact and ensure that the rights of persons
with disabilities, including accessibility and universal
design, are promoted, respected and protected.
134. Cross-cutting thematic areas:(a) Resilience;(b) Safety;

Resilience
135. UN-Habitat understands urban resilience as
the measurable ability of any urban system, with its
inhabitants, to maintain continuity through shocks
and stresses, whether natural, such as earthquakes,
or human-made, such as rapid population flows as aresult of armed conflict, while adapting positively andtransforming towards sustainability. Vulnerable groups
and the poor are disproportionately affected by shocks
and stresses, as they often live in precarious locations
and situations, and do not have the resources orcapacity to recover from them.
136. As such, building the resilience of cities and otherhuman settlements and of their people, communities,
institutions, environments and infrastructure systems is
one of the key goals of the Strategic Plan, as informedby the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development andthe Sustainable Development Goals.54 The link between
resilience and development is also illustrated in the New
Urban Agenda in areas such as urban basic services,
housing and infrastructure.
137. UN-Habitat has a wealth of experience in urban
resilience and has been supporting cities to integrate
thinking and action on resilience into plans, processes
and projects and, where necessary, identifying additional
action that cities can undertake to prepare for, react toand recover from hazards.
138. In the Strategic Plan, resilience is considered an
important transversal issue that connects the work of
UN-Habitat with that of its partners. That is the case, forexample, with the efforts that are being made towards
assisting communities and infrastructure to adapt toclimate change, with a particular focus on ensuring theinclusion of marginalized and informal communities in
adaptation to climate-related shocks, building on theirorganizational capacity and support mechanisms.
139. UN-Habitat has several key partnerships working
on resilience, which it aims to strengthen and expand
during the period covered by this Strategic Plan. Those
include local and national government; United Nations
system partners, such as the United Nations Office forDisaster Risk Reduction and IOM; the private sector;
research institutions; and civil society. UN-Habitat
recognizes in particular the critical role of women andgrassroots groups in ensuring resilient communities.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 55

Safety140. Safety is of key relevance in the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, which aims for “a world
free of fear and violence […] where human habitats
are safe”,55 with a number of targets under Sustainable
Development Goal 11 making specific references tosafety.56 The New Urban Agenda calls for a safe andsecure environment in cities and human settlements,
enabling all to live, work and participate in urban life
without fear of violence and intimidation, taking into
consideration that women and girls, children andyouth, and persons in vulnerable situations are often
particularly affected.57
141. The Strategic Plan recognizes the relevanceof safety in ensuring overall improved urban living
conditions, social inclusion, reduction of inequality, andeliminating social and territorial exclusion patterns.
UN-Habitat elevates safety as a transversal issue tobe considered as a marker across all the domains ofchange and their respective outcomes, with particularregard to improving standards of living and the inclusionof migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons,as only if such groups are safe can they meaningfully
participate in decision-making.
142. The New Urban Agenda calls for crime prevention
policies to be integrated into urban strategies andinitiatives.58 In that integrated perspective, safety
intersects with aspects of social inclusion that are related
to sustainable mobility, effective access to and useof public space and basic services, and the fosteringof social cohesion and integration. It is also important
for the promotion and preservation of productive andcompetitive cities, decent jobs and livelihoods. Studies
have shown a strong statistical relationship between
crime, violence, increased inequality and the role thatthe concentration of disadvantage in specific partsof a city – an expression of spatial inequality – plays
in exacerbating different forms of criminality. Safety
also has a disproportionate effect on women, genderminorities, youth, older persons and persons withdisabilities, leading to diminished outcomes in terms ofdevelopment and prosperity.
143. Based on its experience in promoting urban
safety and its leadership position on the matter within
the United Nations system, UN-Habitat is in a strong
position to mainstream safety issues throughout its work,
partnering with local and national government; United
Nations system partners, such as the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime, UNICEF and UN-Women;
the private sector; and civil society and stakeholders,
including rights-holding groups, organized community
groups and research institutions.
144. Internal modalities of implementing, monitoringand evaluating social inclusion issues and cross-cutting
thematic areas
145. Through its Strategic Plan for 2014–2019, UNHabitat approached cross-cutting issues through thetwo-track approach of mainstreaming and issue-specificprojects. As a result, significant progress has been
made towards setting up programmes and systems toensure effective rights- and issue-based mainstreaming
and prioritization, and a more cohesive and integrated
approach. Targeted programmes have led to effective
field operations with gender- and youth-specific projects.
146. The creation of a cross-cutting marker systemthat assesses cross-cutting activities in all UNHabitat projects and programmes and provides
recommendations has proven effective in mainstreaming
key areas, as have project support, capacity-building
and advocacy efforts. Project support and issue-specificprojects will therefore continue to play an importantrole in the new Strategic Plan. In addition, the social
inclusion dimension and cross-cutting thematic areas
will be further reinforced through the support of theorganizational enablers.

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147. Lessons learned from previous cross-cutting
issues point towards challenges in measurability,
monitoring, evaluation, funding and buy-in. UN-Habitat
capacity to meaningfully address the social inclusion
dimensions must therefore be radically strengthened
to fulfil its ambitious objectives, including in the context
of its organizational structure, staffing and related
performance management indicators and targets.

E.

148. Furthermore, specific indicators for the proposed
outcomes in the Strategic Plan under each domainof change will take into account social inclusion
parameters. Clear and explicit outputs for each social
inclusion dimension or thematic area will be developedand integrated into the domains of change for improved
monitoring, evaluation and evidence-gathering so that
their impact can be measured to inform knowledgebased advocacy for best practice.

DRIVERS OF CHANGE

149. The Strategic Plan presents a method and aframework that describes why and how a desiredchange is expected to happen, with the understandingthat the transformation is a multi-year journey. Drivers ofchange are specific elements that work together and are
required to deliver services and products that will leadto change or drive results and will ultimately result in
the achievement of the objectives of the Strategic Plan.
They also represent the main functional competencies of
UN-Habitat.

UN-Habitat will work with countries todevelop and implement urban policies at theappropriate level, including in local–nationaland multi-stakeholder partnerships, build
integrated systems of cities and other humansettlements, and promote cooperation at alllevels of government to enable the achievementof sustainable integrated urban development

150. The New Urban Agenda identifies the following
four fundamental drivers of change:(a) Policy and legislation;(b) Urban planning and design;(c) Governance;(d) Financing mechanisms.
151. These drivers are context specific, and UN-Habitat
will support cities and countries to develop their own
successful means for deploying them and overcoming
any barriers that might prevent their full implementation.
Drivers will be informed by the human-rights-based
approach and, as such, will be gender responsive.

(a) Policy and legislation
152. Within the context of urbanization, national
governments in all countries must place urban policy at
the very core of the highest levels of policy analysis andpolicymaking, whether macroeconomic, social or spatial.
National urban policies, in particular, bring together theotherwise disjointed energies and potential of urban
centres within national systems of cities and as part ofUN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 57

urban and territorial planning. They are outstanding
instruments, not just for resource allocation across cities,
but also to redress social inequalities and discrimination,
both within and between urban areas, and to establish
synergetic connections between the dynamics ofurbanization and the overall process of national
development, recognizing the importance of fostering
mutually reinforcing rural–urban linkage and leveraging
that linkage for sustainable development.
153. UN-Habitat will work with countries to develop
and implement urban policies at the appropriate level,
including in local–national and multi-stakeholder
partnerships, build integrated systems of cities andother human settlements, and promote cooperation at
all levels of government to enable the achievement ofsustainable integrated urban development.
154. A clear and transparent legal framework for urban
development further establishes appropriate rules
and regulation systems that respond to real needs,
actual capacity and available resources. It can provide
a solid, forward-looking framework to guide urban
development, based on accountability, the rule of law
and clear implementation mechanisms, and which canbe continuously enforced as part of efforts to harness
the transformative force of urbanization. UN-Habitat
will promote relevant legislation, including that basedon equity considerations that leave no one and noarea behind and foster gender equality, which in turn
reduces poverty and enhances shared prosperity; andappropriate building and urban regulations, designed

Urban and territorial planning and design ismore than a technical tool; it is an integrativeand political participatory process that
addresses and helps to reconcile competinginterests regarding city form and functionality
within an appropriate urbanization perspective

to strengthen climate action and improved urban
environment, and to address effective urban crisis
prevention and response.

(b) Urban planning and design
155. Urban and territorial planning and design is morethan a technical tool; it is an integrative and politicalparticipatory process that addresses and helps toreconcile competing interests regarding city form
and functionality within an appropriate urbanization
perspective. The proportion of land occupied globally byplanned urban areas and densities is decreasing, withland consumption exceeding population growth, moving
away from the key Sustainable Development Goals andthe targets thereof. The fastest urbanizing areas often
have the weakest planning systems and capacities. All
too often, planning and design concepts still promotesegregation of functions and car-oriented developments,
with a focus on buildings rather than on the streets,parks and squares that constitute public space.
156. As a driver of change, urban planning anddesign needs to work for the public good, representing
collective values and agreements, and adopting ahuman-rights-based approach, with development plans
and solutions that address the pressing needs of cities,
while at the same time maximizing their comparativeadvantage. Urban planning and design must be a centralcomponent of the renewed urban governance paradigm,
which promotes local democracy, participation, inclusion
and transparency, with a view to ensuring sustainableurbanization and spatial quality.
157. Well-planned and designed cities and other humansettlements can optimize economies of agglomerationand increase density. UN-Habitat will promote wellplanned cities and other human settlements to optimize
economies of agglomeration and infrastructure
investment, increase density when necessary,58 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

generate mixed land use, protect the natural and built
environment, promote public spaces with vibrant streets,
and encourage social diversity, integration, cohesion
and gender equality. UN-Habitat will also reinvigorate
long-term and integrated urban and territorial planningand design in order to optimize the spatial dimensionof the urban form and deliver the positive outcomes ofurbanization. That will require a renewed engagementwith the private sector, in particular the real estate sector.

sound institutions and mechanisms that empower
and include representatives of urban stakeholders
and constituencies, in addition to appropriate
checks and balances, providing predictability andcoherence in urban development plans to enablesocial inclusion; sustained, inclusive and sustainableeconomic growth; and environmental protection.

(d) Financing mechanisms(c) Governance158. Weak institutions and poor governancemechanisms increase the risk of low performance,
wasted resources, inefficient sectoral interventions,human rights violations and an overall lack of progress.
Effective institutions and governance mechanisms,
both formal (constitution, legislation and regulations)and informal (social norms, customs and traditions),
together determine how people, and public and private
sector organizations, make decisions of an economic,
social or political nature, maximizing potential andoptimizing resources. Urban governance encompasses
the different ways in which public and private institutions
and individuals participate in the planning, design andmanagement of the common affairs of a city, and theprocesses used for effectively realizing the short- andlong-term agenda of a city’s development. Urban
governance can deliver sustainable development when
it is environmentally friendly, participatory, accountable,transparent, effective, equitable and inclusive, both inlaw and in practice.
159. UN-Habitat recognizes the multiplicity
of local, regional and national governmental
agencies and organizations, many of which havecompeting interests and influence. Improving urban
governance requires that the institutional framework
be coordinated and transparent. UN-Habitat will
work to help strengthen urban governance, with

160. Financing mechanisms are a powerful driver ofchange in the Strategic Plan. The ability of local andnational government to mobilize, sequence and makeeffective use of a wide variety of financial sources
and instruments is central to the achievement of thesustainable development agenda. An increasing numberof cities and countries are aiming to use an increasingly
diverse set of financing frameworks and instruments,
including blended finance, impact investment, public–
private partnerships, property taxation, land value
capture and bond issuances. New schemes such ascity-focused finance facilities and international funds,
such as the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fundand the Global Environment Facility, are opening up
novel opportunities for funding. Country/city ownership,
multi-stakeholder partnership and higher accountability
are critical in the use of such funds. Development

UN-Habitat will work to help strengthen
urban governance, with sound institutions
and mechanisms that empower and include
representatives of urban stakeholders andconstituencies, in addition to appropriate
checks and balances, providing predictability
and coherence in urban development plansto enable social inclusion; sustained, inclusive
and sustainable economic growth; andenvironmental protection

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 59

finance through bilateral and multilateral funds should
support innovative projects, pilot interventions andcritical capital investment. The funds should be climatesensitive, connected to environmentally sound activities
and founded on human rights principles, giving particularconsideration to gender and age dimensions.

161. UN-Habitat will work, through its United Nations
Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, withcountries to support effective, innovative and sustainablefinancing frameworks and instruments, and enable
strengthened municipal finance and local fiscal systems
in order to create, sustain and share the value generated
by sustainable urban development in an inclusive
manner.

F. ORGANIZATIONALPERFORMANCE ENABLERS

162. Organizational performance enablers will allow theorganization to operate efficiently, achieve the expected
results and make progress towards the goals of theStrategic Plan. While developing its internal efforts andexpertise in these areas, UN-Habitat will also support
local and subnational governments, Member States andother partners to develop their organizational enablers,
thus driving sustainable urban development. Enablers
allow for greater efficiency, effectiveness and impact, toinfluence and leverage the actions of other stakeholders,and initiate and sustain transformative action.
163. The following six organizational performanceenablers will create the conditions necessary for UNHabitat to support the desired change set out in theStrategic Plan:(a) Monitoring and knowledge(b) Innovation(c) Advocacy, communication and outreach(d) Partnerships(e) Capacity-building(f) Systems and processes.

(a) Monitoring and knowledge
164. The monitoring of urban conditions and trends
at the country, regional and global level is essential forthe reporting of progress on Sustainable Development
Goal 11 and providing evidencebased information tobuild sustainable urban policies at every level of urban
governance. All types of data – small, big, spatial,
local and national, disaggregated (by gender, age andlocation), quantitative and qualitative – are important.
Shared ownership of data, including by the mostvulnerable, analytical capacities and leadership tobuild a shared understanding are critical for data andknowledge to work as an enabler that supports change.
By adopting an incremental and inclusive approach tothe creation of adapted indicators, and user-friendly
and participatory data platforms and databases, as
proposed by the United Nations Secretary-General in
the Quadrennial Report: UN-Habitat Strategy to Report60 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

on the Progress of the Implementation of the New
Urban Agenda (2018), data and the production of related
knowledge can be perceived as a critical resource forchange.

(b) Innovation
165. To become a centre of excellence and innovation,
UN-Habitat needs to produce cutting-edge knowledge;
facilitate knowledge sharing, particularly between cities;
enhance knowledge management; systematize anduse best practice; develop institutional incentives forlearning; and further develop knowledge-supporting
systems, drawing on the work of key partners.
166. The UN-Habitat Knowledge Management
Strategy; its long-standing research and normative
work; the production of flagship publications, including
country, regional and global reports; the work of the
Global Urban Observatory, tracking and reporting on
urban trends and conditions; and the best practicedatabase, are all supporting structures that need
to be significantly expanded and consolidated sothat knowledge can play an appropriately importantrole as an organizational enabler. As part of its
focal point role, UN-Habitat has a key role to playin generating knowledge based on the operational
work and good practice within the United Nations
system and its network of partners. There is a needfor a stronger focus on emerging and frontier issues,
such as migration, climate change, the future ofwork and food, insecurity and conflict, and the useof new technologies and their impact on the futureof urbanization. Similarly, more research needs to beundertaken into the most appropriate urbanization
models and their impact on the domains of change
and consequently on the interrelations between theurban dimensions of the Sustainable Development
Goals.

167. Innovation, at the frontier of new knowledge,
is key to developing solutions that have the ability toaccelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals, while taking into account the scaleand speed of urbanization, and the impact of climatechange and new technology. For innovation to flourish
and become a key enabler in designing and deploying
the drivers of change, UN-Habitat needs to put inplace adequate institutional, managerial and financial
conditions. It is only when innovation is part of every job
across the organization, and when innovative solutions
are used by everyone, that innovation becomes a key
enabler for development.
168. Innovation is critical for the realization of various
dimensions of development and prosperity, and in theprocess releases undeveloped potential and makes
the fullest use of local resources and assets. Innovative
funding opportunities, partnerships and methodologies,
such as open and challengedriven innovation, need
to be explored and the capacity of local government
to effectively procure, test and implement frontier
technologies needs to be significantly strengthened.
169. As part of the implementation scheme of theStrategic Plan for 2020–2023, UN-Habitat will work with“innovation teams”. Drawing on the experience of the
Urban Planning and Design Lab, those teams will deploy
specific tools and methods, evaluate new and innovativeideas and the prospect of implementing them, assess
specific strengths of people and analyse the potential ofexisting processes to be improved and transformed into
innovative solutions.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 61(c) Advocacy, communication andoutreach170. UN-Habitat recognizes that a key role isinfluencing broader action at all levels and by all typesof stakeholders, including Governments, communities
and the private sector. It is a key element of UN-Habitat’srole as a focal point for the implementation of the New
Urban Agenda and in accelerating progress towards theachievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,
and goes beyond the partnerships that the Programme
can establish. It is fundamental that it should draw on
the data, knowledge and innovation generated by UNHabitat and the wider group of urban stakeholders. That
requires strong narratives that are tailored to different
audiences and take into account regional diversity.
The transformative nature of the Strategic Plan andthe fact that its realization necessitates a collective
effort requires UN-Habitat and other United Nations
agencies to speak with one coherent voice. Advocacy,in that sense, can strengthen credibility and reinforce
coordination between partners, ultimately influencing
actions, thoughts and beliefs, and bringing together
different actors and segments of society.
171. Effective communication will be vital for the
success of the Strategic Plan, to enable the results of
the normative and operational work of UN-Habitat to
be shared effectively. Such communication, beyond
providing simple data and information, should articulate
more detailed messages and narratives, based ona deep understanding of people and partners, theirdemands and motivations. UN-Habitat has significant
experience in creating communication tools andpackages that give voice to what it is doing andachieving in cities and countries around the world,
although reporting on transformative change andimpact is an area in which it needs to improve. It has along track record of amplifying the voices of decisionmakers, citizens, slum-dwellers, grassroots women’sorganizations, community groups and other partners
working in urban development, as has been evident at
major conferences, such as the World Urban Forum.
172. Advocacy and communication must go hand inhand to maximize outreach and broaden the numberof stakeholders working towards the implementationof the New Urban Agenda and the achievement of theurban-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.

(d) Partnerships
173. Strategic partnerships are an essential vehicle formobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technology
and financial resources. That is clearly reflected in
Sustainable Development Goal 17, the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
The Strategic Plan aims to strengthen partnerships
as essential vehicles for advocacy and resource
mobilization, scaling up and deepening the impact of
UN-Habitat programmes at all levels; enhancing national
ownership, transparency and accountability; giving voice
to communities, women, youth, persons with disability,
older persons and vulnerable groups; and implementing,monitoring and reporting on the New Urban Agenda
and the Sustainable Development Goals in line with itsrole as a focal point.59 Partnerships are needed, both tocomplement UN-Habitat expertise in its leading role in awide range of outcomes and for the Programme to add
its expertise and value to efforts led by others.

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174. UN-Habitat will build on its Stakeholder Engagement
Policy and Stakeholder Collaborative Framework toenhance the engagement of its partners in policy, advocacy
and decision-making, and the coherent participation of
local, regional and national governments, the United
Nations system, civil society, academia, the private sector,
financial institutions and other stakeholders in programme
design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
175. The reform of the United Nations development
system also calls for a much more coherent engagementof the United Nations system as a whole at the country,
regional and global level, and for the United Nations tofocus on its comparative advantage in its partnerships
beyond the United Nations system. That includes theorganization’s multifaceted role as thought leader,catalyst, convener and capacity-builder. The collaborative
implementation framework proposed by UN-Habitat isa basis on which to further develop its focal point role,organized around the following four key objectives:(a) Improve knowledge production, monitoring,
reporting and advocacy;(b) Provide coherent, integrated policy and technicalsupport to Member States across the three United
Nations pillars (human rights, peace and security, anddevelopment);(c) Increase joint catalytic action to drive transformativechange;(d) Scale up the role of the UN-Habitat as a convener
and catalyst for all urban stakeholders, including
deepening collaboration with local government.
176. UN-Habitat will strengthen United Nations system
collaboration to bring greater synergy and coherence in
the implementation of the four domains of change. As
mandated by the General Assembly, it will coordinate thedevelopment and implementation of a United Nations
system-wide strategy on sustainable urban development

and human settlements. Working to significantly
improve engagement in United Nations country teams,
regional coordination mechanisms and United Nations
Development Group processes,60 the Strategic Plan aims
to optimize the contributions made by the various partsof the United Nations system.

(e) Capacity-building
177. Capacity-building, defined as the transfer andmultiplication of knowledge, competencies, methods
and skills to a maximum number of individuals andinstitutions worldwide, is an important means of
implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and a transformative engine for creating
and maintaining development change. It creates andstrengthens the ability of UN-Habitat; Governments,
particularly local and regional governments; and partnerorganizations to plan, manage, execute and monitor
policies, programmes and projects at all levels. Capacitybuilding (including training) is the means to groundUN-Habitat’s normative work, assess and respond to theneeds of Governments and partners, trigger innovations
and support long-term institutional transformation at
the country level. It comprises a set of activities andinnovative approaches that empower and enable
individuals and organizations to understand, analyse andimplement solutions to the daunting urban challenges
facing cities and urbanization. It is therefore not only an
enabler of organizations and individuals alike, but also
an enabler of policy implementation, organizational andinstitutional change, and transformative action on the
ground.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 63(f) Systems and processes
178. The Strategic Plan embraces systems and process
management as a fundamental enabler. Any change
in institutions is confronted by resistance and inertia intheir internal processes and systems. The design andadaptation of UN-Habitat systems and processes to
the Strategic Plan will involve more than rearranging
workflows and general conditions. It requires thedevelopment of an experienced and capable team that
responds to the requirements and conditions of the plan;
wellplanned, robust, flexible and adaptable processes
that render more effective administration and decisionmaking; realignment of information systems so thatthey help cross-functional processes to work smoothly,rather than simply supporting projects or units; a resultsbased management that guides programme planning,monitoring and reporting, and evaluation; innovative,
adapted and highly secure technology that supports
the operation of the day-to-day work of organizational
units; and knowledge management to address barriersin systems and processes that have provided limited
support to increase performance and deliver better
results. In supporting the development of informationand knowledge platforms (including the Project Accrualand Accountability System, the database of bestpractice, the information portal and social media), thisenabler will support an integrated knowledge process tobetter achieve the desired transformations, connecting
knowledge to attitude, behaviour change and policy
decisions.
179. Furthermore, UN-Habitat, in line with systemwide United Nations policy, is targeting improved
gender parity, particularly at higher levels, with anaim of achieving 50/50 parity in employment in theorganization by 2024.

64 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

03
New waysof working

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 65

INTRODUCTION

180. The achievement of the new Strategic Plan will require breaking down silos at multiple levels. It warrants greater
coherence in the ways in which UN-Habitat intervenes in various situations; how it engages at the city, regional andcountry level in line with the reform of the United Nations development system; and how integrated programming is
promoted and ensured across the organization. The following sections summarize those issues with a particular focus
on innovation and a strong interplay between the domains of change, the drivers and the organizational performanceenablers.

A. TYPOLOGY OF
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

181. The achievement of the new Strategic Plan will
require tailored and focused efforts at the country level,
while bearing in mind paragraph 19 of the New Urban
Agenda, which recognizes the “unique and emerging
urban development challenges facing all countries,
in particular developing countries, including Africancountries, least developed countries, landlocked
developing countries and small island developing States,
as well as the specific challenges facing middle-income
countries [and that] special attention should also begiven to countries in situations of conflict, as well as
countries and territories under foreign occupation, postconflict countries and countries affected by natural andhuman-made disasters”.
182. Each country and its cities and other humansettlements are unique and subjected to specificsets of conditions and dynamics. A simple typology
comprising six groups is proposed. It can be translated
into a differentiated approach for UN-Habitat, working
with its partners, to best support countries and cities in
implementing the New Urban Agenda and achieving
the urban dimensions of the Sustainable Development
Goals. The typology developed in the context of thisnew Strategic Plan will be adjusted during the plan’s
implementation.

183. The six groups are as follows:(a) Where there is demand to develop drivers of change
for sustainable urbanization;(b) Where there is demand for drivers of change to berealigned to ensure development outcomes in linewith the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;(c) Where drivers of sustainable urbanization arebroadly aligned to development agendas, but there
is demand for increased impact;(d) Where there are already drivers of sustainableurbanization, but support is needed in urban
regeneration and in achieving more balanced
territorial development;(e) Where drivers of sustainable urbanization appear tobe effective in achieving sustainable development
outcomes, but there is a demand for systems toevaluate and measure progress;(f) Where shocks, including conflict, natural eventsand complex emergencies, are disrupting progress
towards the achievement of sustainable urban
development.

66 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

B. UN-HABITAT PRESENCE AT THE CITY,
COUNTRY AND REGIONAL LEVELS

184. The implementation of the new Strategic Plan
will require a catalytic approach, in which UN-Habitat
leverages its knowledge, technical cooperation,
convening capacity, partnerships and advocacy (“Think,do, partner, share”, a process illustrated in figures 2–4
below) for scaled-up impact to achieve sustainableurban development. Cities, countries and regions will bemapped in relation to the domains of change and the
Typology of Human Settlements, drawing on voluntary
national reviews of progress towards the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development and the Quadrennial
Report: UN-Habitat Strategy to Report on the Progress of
the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
185. The new Strategic Plan will be tailored to regional
specificities and regional development frameworks. UNHabitat capacity and footprint at the regional level will
be reviewed to improve their effectiveness. Knowledge
generated locally will be synthesized regionally and willcontribute to regional policy frameworks and knowledge
repositories through partnership with the United Nations
regional commissions and regional United Nations
Sustainable Development Groups. It will also contributeat the global level to the normative development andbest practices of UN-Habitat, including flagship reports
and international norms and guidelines. The international
norms and guidelines will be promoted throughadvocacy platforms and channels at the country andregional level, for use by various levels of governmentand other stakeholders.
186. The World Urban Forum, which takes place
every two years, and regional forums, which takeplace between the World Urban Forums, will eachenable groups of cities and groups of countries withsimilar change trajectories to meet regularly and shareexperiences. These forums will engage United Nations
Resident Coordinators and a broad range of United

Nations agencies, so that the organization is better
placed to support change trajectories towards theachievement of the urban Sustainable Development
Goals, including in countries where UN-Habitat is notpresent. Regional forums will also be better linked toUnited Nations regional commissions for strengthened
contributions to regional policy dialogue and knowledge
exchange.
187. Other than in crisis-affected countries, entry pointof UN-Habitat at the country level is the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework, which allows
the discourse on urbanization to be integrated within
the broader national development agenda and theopportunity to link the achievement of urban targets withthe broader Sustainable Development Goals.
188. UN-Habitat will aim to ensure country presence
in a critical mass of countries across the typology andacross regions. That will involve strengthening country
teams where they are effective, introducing new country
programmes where needed and developing flexible
ways to make expertise available for short- or longerterm periods, such as seconding senior urban advisors
to Resident Coordinator’s offices or seconding specificurban expertise to other key United Nations entities,
such as UNDP. Wherever possible, technical cooperationin establishing drivers of change will be integrated within
broader collaborative efforts of the United Nations andother stakeholders, such as the World Bank and local
government networks.
189. Where UN-Habitat is not present at the country
level, it will utilize its knowledge and experience insimilar contexts to support partners and stakeholders,and provide on-demand support as needed. The
Typology of Human Settlements will help to group cities
and countries in such a way as to optimize knowledge

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 67

exchange. Through partnership with city networks andlocal government associations, UN-Habitat will ensurethat optimal local practice and experience are sharedeffectively.

191. Achieving sustainable urban development is seen
as a continuum that involves generating knowledge
and supporting local implementation, monitoring results
and then advancing to the next stage. It will be of key
importance that the development of drivers of change
and catalytic local actions are both effectively monitored,
communicated and disseminated as best practice. That
will enable stakeholders to continue to be engaged in
the process and ensure that outcomes are on coursewith common objectives, while enabling lessons learned
to be transferred to contexts in which they can be
replicated and scaled up. UN-Habitat, present on the
ground and with strategic partnerships, is uniquelyplaced to effectively utilize its niche knowledge positionand convening capacity to leverage the efforts of others
to accelerate the achievement of urban goals.

190. Catalytic local action that addresses acutechallenges and accelerates the achievement of theurban Sustainable Development Goals will be equallyimportant. It will initially be implemented throughpilot projects and scaled up through various forms
of investment, including social impact investors,
cooperatives, community-based initiatives, public–
private partnerships and partnerships with developmentbanks. Drivers of change, as described above andtailored to the four domains of change, will be supported
HSP/HA/1/7
bynorms and tools that can be adapted to local
contexts, drawing
on methodologies
alreadydeveloped
commonobjectives, while
enabling
lessons learned to be transferred to contexts in which they can be
by UN-Habitat. replicated and scaled up. UN-Habitat, present on the ground and with strategic partnerships, isuniquely placed to effectively utilize its niche knowledge position and convening capacity to leverage
the efforts of others to accelerate the achievement of urban goals.

Figure 2 Think Figure
and partner
2

Think and partner

Figure 3
Do and partner

68 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

Figure 3
Do and partner

Figure 3 Do and partner

HSP/HA/1/7

Figure 4

Shareand partner
Figure 4 Share andpartner

34

C.

Integrated programming, programme planning and budgeting
183. The outcomes of the new strategic plan will only be achieved through integrated programmingthat cuts across the four domains of change and focuses on niche position, value proposition andstrengths of UN-Habitat. That entails developing an integrated results measurement system, including
a set of transformational indicators to track transformational work. Developing more systematic

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 69

C. INTEGRATED PROGRAMMING,
PROGRAMME PLANNING AND BUDGETING

192. The outcomes of the new Strategic Plan will only
be achieved through integrated programming thatcuts across the four domains of change and focuseson niche position, value proposition and strengthsof UN-Habitat. That entails developing an integrated
results measurement system, including a set of resultsoriented indicators to track transformational work.
Developing more systematic approaches to knowledge
management, collation, publication and meta-evaluationof projects and programmes will be central to this new
approach.
193. The United Nations reform agenda includes
a reform of the peace and security architecture,development system reform and management reform,
aimed at simplifying procedures and decentralizing
decisions, providing greater transparency, efficiency,
agility and accountability. The management reform
includes a transformation of the programme planningand budgeting process to better respond to changes
in the breadth and depth of the organization’s
mandates. In response to the challenges posed by the
programme planning and budgeting processes, theSecretary-General has proposed the streamlining andimprovement of the planning and budgetary processes
to better support decision-making and increase thetransparency of information. Those proposals include thefollowing:(a) Moving from a biennial to an annual process;(b) Shortening the planning and budgetary cycle fromfive years to three years;(c) Presenting programme planning and performance
information in the annual regular budget, rather thanin separate reports;(d) Refining elements of the results-based budgeting
framework;(e) Strengthening performance reporting by reflecting
information on lessons learned, including from
evaluation and self-evaluation, in the annual budget;(f) Seeking greater authority for the redeployment of
resources during budget implementation;(g) Increasing the level of the Working Capital Fund.
194. UN-Habitat annual work programmes and budgets
will be aligned with the above process and informed by
the four-year Strategic Plan.

70 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

D. ORGANIZATIONAL ARCHITECTURE

195. UN-Habitat is undergoing a bold and ambitious
internal reform process aimed at turning the organization
into a modern, exemplary United Nations programme:(a) That is trusted, transparent and accountable;(b) That operates effectively, efficiently andcollaboratively;(c) Whose expertise is relevant, valued and in demand.
196. The change process, which further aligns UNHabitat with the broader reform agenda of the United
Nations, is being undertaken on the following sevenpriority areas:(a) Vision – Fosters a values-driven way of working toachieve our shared vision and purpose;(b) Impact – Delivers impact in all that we do to change
lives for the better;(c) Funding – Maintains the trust and confidence of ourfunders and partners to deliver our mandate;(d) Collaboration – Collaborates effectively within the
United Nations system and externally to achieve
more together;(e) Team – Creates a safe and productive workplace
where talent thrives;(f) Processes – Gets systems and processes right for
maximum efficiency;(g) Leadership – Engages and empowers staff tocollectively drive change.
197. The reform of UN-Habitat will not be complete,
however, without transforming the way in which theorganizational structure is set up at the country, regionaland headquarters levels, with a view to implementing the
new Strategic Plan, once it has been finalized, in a more
coherent, inclusive, agile, efficient and effective manner.
UN-Habitat is therefore undertaking an organizational
restructuring exercise which will enable it to respond
optimally to its strategic and programmatic imperatives.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 71

E. RISK MANAGEMENT

198. The top critical risks identified at the corporate
level are the following:

200. To address this risk, the internal reforms being
undertaken by UN-Habitat will address matters related to
the following:(a) Realization and demonstration of results or impact
in line with the new UN-Habitat Strategic Plan andmandate;(b) Human resource strategy, operational tools andbusiness processes that are fit for purpose;(c) Financing the core budget.
(d) Realization and demonstration of results or impact
in line with the new UN-Habitat Strategic Plan andmandate.

(a) Creating a safe and productive workplace in which
talent thrives;(b) Managing talent and recruiting as resources permit;
this point includes the development of a Human
Resources strategy;(c) Getting systems and processes right for maximum
efficiency.
(d) Financing the core budget.

199. To mitigate this risk, a number of strategies will be
pursued, including the following:

201. To mitigate the funding risk, a number of strategies
will be pursued, including the following:(a) Focusing on the niche position, value propositionand strengths of UN-Habitat;(b) Developing an integrated programme planning andresults measurement system;(c) Developing a set of transformational indicators to
track transformational work;(d) Strengthening engagement of the regional offices in
the processes of the United Nations Development
Group;(e) Developing more systematic approaches toknowledge management;(f) Leveraging strategic partnerships to scale up thework of UN-Habitat and acting as a catalyst;(g) Developing a systematic approach to collation,
publication and meta-evaluation of project andprogramme evaluation;(h) Centralizing reporting information and data to ensureease of reporting as requests arise.
(i) Human resource strategy, operational tools andbusiness processes that are fit for purpose.

(a) Expanding resource mobilization to unconventionaland non-traditional donors, such as foundations,the private sector and emerging donor countries,
including carrying out situation analyses of the nontraditional resource environment;(b) Developing a strategy for building long-term
strategic relationships with key donors from relevant
sectors, based on common priorities;(c) Reviewing the UN-Habitat funding model to align itwith donor policies and trends, including mapping
outcomes and their value to different types ofdonors;(d) Developing policy, procedures and systems
to support a coordinated approach to donors
and providing a holistic picture of UN-Habitat
engagement with donors;(e) Making a compelling case for support by using theoutcome of previous achievements and impact tobroaden knowledge and appreciation of the work of
UN-Habitat to change lives and transform societies;

72 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023(f) Deploying a robust communication strategy thatuses messaging and branding to raise awarenessof sustainable urbanization challenges andopportunities, and the unique contribution that
UN-Habitat makes as a thought leader and as acentre of excellence and innovation;(g) Making a commitment at the highest level of
UN-Habitat to engage fully in resource mobilization;(h) Investing in a results-based management framework
to strengthen quality reporting and ensure consistentquality, timeliness and transparency in the use offunds and a consistent reflection of outputs andresults.
202. A more comprehensive and detailed risk analysis
will be carried out during the preparation of each of thesix annual work programmes and budgets through which
the new Strategic Plan will be implemented.

F. PERFORMANCEMEASUREMENT
203. Planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation
are critical elements of results-based management andtogether constitute the basis of UN-Habitat transparency
and accountability with regard to partners and donors.
Performance information from monitoring and evaluation
will be used more systematically so as to take corrective
action, enhance programmatic and organizational
decisionmaking and accountability, and ensure that
results are achieved, and outputs delivered effectively
and efficiently.

204. In addition, information on monitoring andevaluation will be used for organizational learning, by
sharing findings and lessons learned both internallyand with Member States and partners. Through regularbriefings and quarterly and annual progress reports,
information on monitoring and evaluation will be used
to hold UN-Habitat accountable to Member Statesby communicating the extent to which resources are
efficiently and effectively being used to achieve results.

G. MONITORING
AND REPORTING

205. The implementation of the new Strategic Plan
will be systematically monitored in order to optimallymanage the achievement of results. In more specificterms, that means ensuring that the various levels of
indicators in the results framework are reported upon.
Objective level indicators will be measured every two
years, while outcome level indicators will be measured
annually or biannually, depending on the type andmethodology.

206. Monitoring delivery of the programme of work interms of implementation of deliverables at the projectlevel will be undertaken continuously and reported upon
on a quarterly basis through both the Umoja 2 moduleand the UN-Habitat internal performance measurement
system.

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 73

207. Monitoring of the implementation of the new Strategic Plan
will be based on the results framework. It is envisaged that the same
set of indicators will be used throughout the life of the plan, withminor adjustments being made as necessary. Reporting will focus
on the four domains of change: social inclusion issues, cross-cutting
dimensions, drivers and enablers.
208. A performance measurement plan will be developed tofacilitate systematic tracking of the implementation and performanceof the Strategic Plan. It will include development of performanceindicator data sheets for strategic results and outcome level results.
For each indicator, the following information will be provided: (i)description of what is being measured, (ii) sources of data, (iii)

data collection methodology, (iv) frequency of data collection, (v)baselines, and (vi) targets over the duration of the Strategic Plan.
Milestones will be set for each indicator.
209. The main reporting mechanisms will be a quarterly progress
report or dashboard on the implementation of the annual work
programme and budget, and an annual report on the implementationof the Strategic Plan. UN-Habitat will enhance its efforts to secure
increased funding for monitoring, reporting and evaluation.
Monitoring and reporting will be strongly motivated by the need to
identify lessons learned and generate new knowledge and evidence
to inform the implementation of the Strategic Plan.

H. EVALUATION

210. A mid-term evaluation of the new Strategic Plan will be carriedout to assess performance in terms of achievement of expectedaccomplishments, and relevance, efficiency, effectiveness andsustainability. That will provide evidence of what is working well andwhat is not working, which will allow corrective action to be taken
during the second half of the period covered by the plan. Similarly,
an end-of-plan evaluation will be carried out, focusing on outcomesachieved, to draw lessons from the implementation and generate
evidence to inform the next planning cycle.
211. In addition to those two evaluations, evaluations of particular
subprogrammes, country programmes or thematic areas of theStrategic Plan, requested by the Executive Director, Member States
or donors will be carried out, depending on availability of resources.

Such evaluations will be included in the relevant annual evaluationplans. Other evaluations conducted by UN-Habitat will include endof-project evaluation of all projects with a value of US$1 million andabove, as required under the UN-Habitat Evaluation Policy, and selfevaluation of projects with a value of more than US$300,000 but lessthan US$1 million.
212. In line with United Nations system evaluation norms andstandards, UN-Habitat develops a management response to each
evaluation and recommendations from evaluations are tracked
regularly to ensure that proposed actions are implemented by the
responsible entities in UN-Habitat.

74 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

I. FINANCING THE STRATEGIC PLAN

213. The primary vehicle for financing the new Strategic
Plan will be the United Nations Habitat and Human
Settlements Foundation, including the Urban Basic
Services Trust Fund and other technical cooperation
trust funds. UN-Habitat will put in place a strategy forstrengthening the Foundation to allow it to fulfil its corefunctions.
214. The core function of the Foundation andits primary operative objective is to serve as aninternational facility to assist in strengthening nationalsustainable urbanization development programmes
through the provision of seed capital and the extensionof the technical and financial assistance necessary topermit the effective mobilization of international anddomestic resources in support of the implementation of
the Habitat Agenda and other relevant mandates. That
entails the following actions:(a) Stimulating innovative approaches to preinvestment, pre-project and financing strategies forurban development activities, related urban poverty
reduction strategies and integrated city development
strategies, while drawing on the accumulated
experience of both the public and private sectors forthe mobilization of financial resources for sustainableurbanization projects through strategic partnerships;(b) Promoting and facilitating the mobilization of
extrabudgetary financial resources for urban
development from domestic and internationalsources, including United Nations agencies, theWorld Bank, regional development banks, bilateral
donors and the private sector;(c) Providing technical assistance services throughprojects related to sustainable urbanization andfinanced from extrabudgetary resources;(d) Promoting the adaptation and transfer of appropriatescientific and technical knowledge on sustainableurbanization projects, with particular attention topoor and low-income populations.
215. UN-Habitat will use its knowledge and convening
capacity to attract financing for the achievement of theStrategic Plan. Urbanization is known to be an engine of
economic growth and, as such, is capable of attracting
investment. It will be the role of UN-Habitat to work withpartners to ensure that investment in urban development
means investment in sustainable urban development.
216. At the global level, traditional, non-earmarked
donor support will be needed to maintain the basic
agency structure, including liaison and regional offices,and to ensure the effectiveness of the knowledge,
communication and partnership functions of UN-Habitatin line with its focal point role. Earmarked funding
will continue to be sought for global advocacy work,
primarily through Member States bidding to host theWorld Urban Forum and World Cities Day. At the country
level, additional donor funding will be sought for senioradvisors, who will convene the United Nations systemorganizations and stakeholders with a view to the joint
achievement of the urban dimensions of the Sustainable
Development Goals. Speed, scale and cost efficiency
will be achieved by leveraging the roles, capacities andresources of United Nations agencies and partners,
and of other actors, including development banks, theprivate sector, cooperatives and communities, towards
achieving scalable urban interventions that catalyse
positive change.

2. Urban
Planning and
Design3. Governance
4. Financing
Mechanisms

3. Advocacy,communicationand outreach

4. Partnerships

5. Capacity
building

6. Systems andprocesses

1. Policy &Legislation

Drivers ofchangeExpanded deployment offrontier technologies andinnovations

Effective settlements
growth andregeneration

Improved living
standards and inclusionof migrants, refugees
and internally displaced
persons

Enhanced resilience ofthe built environment
and infrastructure

Effective adaptationof communities andinfrastructure toclimate change

Enhanced social
integration andinclusive communities

Improved resource
efficiency andprotection of
ecological assets

Reducedgreenhouse gas
emissions andimproved air quality

Strengthened
climate action andimproved urban
environment

Crosscutting thematic areas: (1) Resilience; (2) Safety

Social inclusion issues: (1) Human rights; (2) Gender; (3) Children, youth and Older Persons; (4) Disability

Increased and equitably
distributed locallygenerated revenues

Improved spatialconnectivity andproductivity

Enhanced sharedprosperity ofcities and regions

Increased and secureaccess to landnd adequate andaffordable housing

Increased and equal
access to basic services,sustainable mobility andpublic space

Reduced spatial
inequality andpoverty incommunities
across the urban rural continuum

Effective urban
crisis prevention
and response

UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge,
policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind

Sustainable urbanization is advanced as a driver of development
and peace, to improve living conditions for all in line with the SDGs

VISION

2. Innovation

1. Monitoring &knowledge

Organizational
performanceenablers

A better quality of life forall in an urbanizing world

MISSION

Objective
Domains of Change
Outcomes

ANNEX: THE UN-HABITAT THEORY OF CHANGE

UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023 / 75

76 / UN-HABITAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2023

ENDNOTES
1.

The UN-Habitat Assembly recognized the importanceof aligning the cycle of the strategic plan with the fouryear cycle of the UN-Habitat Assembly, which has thesole mandate of approving the Plan. The next sessionof the Assembly will take place in 2023. Consequently,
in resolution HSP/HA/1/L.4, the UN-Habitat Assembly
approved the Strategic Plan for the period 2020-2023,
instead of 2020-2025.

20. A network of the world’s megacities committed toaddressing climate change.

40.

A/HRC/RES/32/2.

41.

New Urban Agenda, para. 13 (c).

21.

https://www.globalcovenantofmayors.org/about/.

42.

22. World Health Organization (2018), Fact Sheet: Ambient(outdoor) air quality and health. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health.

See, for example, Governing Council resolutions 16/6,
20/7 and 24/4.

43.

World Inequality Report (2018). Available at https://wir2018.wid.world/.

23.

New Urban Agenda, para. 65.

24.

New Urban Agenda, para. 71.

3.

UNICEF and WHO (2017). Progress on Drinking
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG
Baselines.

25. New Urban Agenda, paras. 13 (g) and 13 (h).

For example, enhanced shared prosperity in cities
and regions can only be achieved if women and girls
have equal access to decent jobs and livelihoods.
Likewise, improved living standards and the inclusionof migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons
would be impossible to realize unless viewed througha gendered lens.

44.

4.

Ibid.

See, for example, Transforming our world: the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, paras. 23 and
25.

5.

Ibid.

45.

See New Urban Agenda, paras. 20, 32, 113 and 134.

6.

UN-Habitat press release, 2 Oct. 2017. Available athttps://news.un.org/en/story/2017/10/567552-affordable-housing-key-development-and-social-equality-un-says-world-habitat.

46.

See Sustainable Development Goal 11, targets 11.2
and 11.7.

47.

See https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/youth-un/.

48.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
preamble.

49.

See, for example, Handicap International, “Disability
and Development”, http://www.hiproweb.org/fileadmin/
cdroms/Handicap_Developpement/www/en_page21.
html.

2.

7.

IOM (2017), Global Migration Trends Factsheet. Available at http://gmdac.iom.int/global-migration-trends-factsheet.

8.

UNHCR press release, 19 June 2018. Available at https://www.unhcr.org/afr/news/stories/2018/6/5b222c494/forced-displacement-record-685-million.html.

9.

“The Human Rights-Based Approach to Development
Cooperation: Towards a Common Understanding
among UN Agencies. Available at https://hrbaportal.
org/the-human-rights-based-approach-to-development-cooperation-towards-a-common-understanding-among-un-agencies.

10.

In the Quito Declaration, Governments noted theimportance of the role of UN-Habitat as a focal point
for the development of sustainable urbanization andhuman settlements, including in the implementation,
follow-up and review of the New Urban Agenda andrelated Sustainable Development Goals.

11.

https://reform.un.org/content/development-reform.

12.

See the annex to the present document for the fulltheory of change.

13.

OECD (2018), Divided Cities: Understanding
Intra-Urban Inequalities (Paris). http://dx.doi.
org/10.1787/9789264300385-en.

14.

A/73/83–E/2018/63.

15.

New Urban Agenda, para. 63.

16.

New Urban Agenda, para. 65.

17.

UN-Habitat (2017), Sustainable Urbanization in the
Paris Agreement: Comparative Review of Nationally
Determined Contributions for Urban Content. Available
at https://unhabitat.org/books/sustainable-urbanization-in-the-paris-agreement/.

18.

New Urban Agenda, para. 71.

19.

IPCC (2018). https://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_spm_final.pdf.

26. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/.
27.

IPCC (2014): one in seven of the world’s population
lives in slums and informal settlements; citing as asource Mitlin, D. and Satterthwaite, D., Urban Poverty
in the Global South: Scale and Nature (London, Routledge, 2013).

28. General Assembly resolution 71/243, para. 14.
29.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (2000)
on women and peace and security.

30.

United Nations Security Council resolution 2250 (2015)
on youth and peace and security.

31.

http://www.globalprotectioncluster.org/themes/housing-land-and-property/.

32.

“The [land tenure] continuum offers an alternative
approach to the dominant focus on titling of individually
held private property as the ultimate form of tenure
security, or the end goal of land tenure reforms. It
promotes recognition and increase of security acrossthe continuum, with opportunity for movement or transformation between different tenure forms.” (UN-Habitat
2016, Framework for Evaluating Continuum of Land
Rights Scenarios).

50. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, para. 23.
51.

New Urban Agenda, para. 20.

52. New Urban Agenda, para. 36.
53.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Training Guide. Available at https://www.ohchr.org/
Documents/Publications/CRPD_TrainingGuide_PTS19_
EN%20Accessible.pdf.

54.

See, for example, Transforming our world: the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, para. 7.

33.

Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, para. 8.

34.

See, for example, New Urban Agenda, paras. 12 and
126.

35.

In 2013, for example, human rights mainstreaming wasapproved as a priority issue through its inclusion in theStrategic Plan for 2014–2019.

56. Sustainable Development Goal 11, targets 11.2 and 11.7.

36.

Part of the right to an adequate standard of living
contained in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

58. New Urban Agenda, para. 103.

37.

As recognized by the General Assembly in 2010 by its
adoption of resolution 64/292 on the human right towater and sanitation.

38.

The right to a remedy is enshrined in article 2 of theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

39.

All the principles listed are enshrined in international
human rights instruments. See also www.unhabitat.org/
books/the-human-rights-in-cities-handbook-series-volume-i-the-human-rights-based-approach-to-housingand-slum-upgrading/.

55. Ibid.
57.
59.

New Urban Agenda, para. 39.
New Urban Agenda, para. 171.

60. The Inter-Agency Coordination Framework, a
UN-Habitat document yet to be adopted, proposes
incorporating sustainable urban development into theUnited Nations Development Assistance Frameworks and thence mainstreaming it into regional andsubregional policies and strategic plans or frameworks,
such as the Agenda 2063 strategic framework of theAfrican Union, regional economic communities, theAssociation of South-East Asian Nations and the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.