| Housing, Land and Property (HLP)-Sensitive Urban Law: Enhancing urban law to protect HLP across the conflict cycle (Conflict Prevention) | 2025 | As the world continues to urbanize, cities face greater challenges in responding to humanitarian crises and achieving sustainable post-conflict development that upholds everyone’s right to adequate housing. The impacts of conflict are increasingly being experienced in urban areas around the world – as seen in modern crises such as those in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Yemen and Syria – putting the housing, land and property (HLP) rights of civilians at risk. HLP issues arise in conflict contexts, but many of the challenges surrounding these issues, such as return, restitution, adjudication and dispute-resolution, can be traced back to tenure insecurity caused by poor governance, chaotic urbanization, weak land administration and inadequate housing law and policy. For this reason, urban law has a critical role to play in preventing conflicts and their collateral impacts on people’s access to their HLP. In establishing the legal frameworks for the governance, management and development of urban areas, urban law can strengthen tenure security and reduce the likelihood of land being a root cause or trigger of conflict. As the first publication in the “Urban Law and Conflict Series”, this report examines how urban law can support accountable, inclusive and responsive urban governance, spatial planning, land administration and housing law and policy to prevent conflict and mitigate the adverse impacts of conflict on HLP rights. |
| PLGS Annual Report 2024 | 2025 | Building upon a successful 2023, the 2024 Annual Report of the Policy, Legislation and Governance Section (PLGS) showcases continued progress towards achieving sustainable urban development. Through a range of impactful activities, PLGS strengthened its collaboration with donors, development partners, and beneficiary countries, advancing UN-Habitat work on policy, legislation, governance, metropolitan management, and urban-rural linkages. This report highlights key achievements, financial performance, and outlines ambitious plans for 2025 to further contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. |
| The Impact of UN-Habitat’s Work on Women and Girls Living in informal Settlements | 2025 | Since 1992, UN-Habitat has been working in Afghanistan to improve living conditions for people in vulnerable situations. While cities grew fast in recent years due to conflict-induced displacement, it is now climate change (reducing agricultural livelihoods), forced displacement from neighboring countries, and a large number of people in protracted internal displacement contexts which have resulted in rapid urban growth. A recent study found that Kabul’s built-up area expanded by 72% between 2008 and 2021. And cities keep growing. Many people in vulnerable situations settle in informal, unplanned and underserviced areas of cities – often in high-risk locations prone to flooding, landslides, and water shortages. Also, inadequate housing, no waste management, absence of sanitation and constant risk of forced evictions add to those challenges. Women are most impacted by inadequate housing conditions, the lack of proper sanitation and hygiene, being responsible for providing water for the family, and the absence of basic services in those informal settlements. Read more to discover how UN-Habitat's work shapes women's lives in Afghanistan. |
| Future Cities Advisory Outlook 2024: Digital Urban Governance | 2025 | Cities face tremendous challenges, demanding advanced and effective urban governance measures and tools. Digital solutions offer transformative potential through resources optimization, services enhancement, and inclusivity development. The Future Cities Advisory Outlook 2024 draws a clear technological landscape and implementation roadmap; collects 10 innovative practices from Chinese cities and enterprises; and launches Global Digital Urban Governance Initiatives. By embracing tech-driven collaboration, cities can build a more sustainable and inclusive future. |
| Quality of Life Conference - Concept Note and Agenda | 2024 | |
| A Brief Guide to ownership documents in Afghanistan | 2024 | This brief provides information on legal documents associated with land ownership, land lease/rent, and land occupancy in reference to relevant Afghan laws. It is intended to provide guidance on land and property rights in relation to IDPs, returnees and other tenure insecure groups. This guidance note is not a legal document, but provides information and analysis from the Housing, Land and Property Task Force (HLPTF). The HLPTF is a sub cluster of the Protection Cluster, and part of Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Country Team. The content of this brief is extracted from UN-Habitat’s (forthcoming) Housing, Land and Property Rights Guide. |
| دليل أدوات المساحات العامة: من المبادئ العالمية إلى السياسات والممارسات المحلية | 2024 | على الرغم من أهميتها في تعزيز التنمية الحضرية المستدامة، لم تول المساحة العامة الاهتمام الذي تستحقه في المؤلفات الأدبية، وأكثر أهمية، على صعيد السياسة العالمية. إلا أن هناك مجموعة متنامية من المبادئ والسياسات السليمة لتحسين إتاحة المساحة العامة الجيدة في مدننا. |
| Women, Land and Peace: Training guide to advance women’s Housing Land and Property rights in fragile contexts | 2024 | UN-Habitat and the Global Land Tool Network developed this training guide to build awareness among land practitioners on the importance of women’s housing, land and property rights in fragile contexts, helping them understand the specific challenges faced by women and the implications for their well-being and empowerment. The guide seeks to enhance practitioners’ knowledge by providing foundational information on legal frameworks, policies, and best practices related to women’s housing, land and property rights in such contexts, enabling them to integrate a gender-responsive approach into their work. |
| Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of the Tuban Delta Yemen | 2024 | كانت هذه الدراسة جزءًا من مشروع الاستعداد لصندوق المناخ الأخضر "تعزيز قدرات السلطات دون الوطنية والجهات الفاعلة الرئيسية في قطاع المياه للتكيف مع تغير المناخ في دلتا توبان". كان هدف المشروع تمكين حكومة اليمن، وخاصة السلطات دون الوطنية المستهدفة، من الاستجابة لتغير المناخ في دلتا توبان. يشكل تقييم قابلية التأثر بتغير المناخ هذا إلى جانب دراسة علم المياه الأساس لتحديد خيارات التكيف لقطاع المياه. |
| Enhancing Resilience through Integrated Spatial and Investment Planning | 2024 | Nestled along Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn River, the town of Naryn faces challenges such as environmental vulnerabilities, socio-economic disparities, and infrastructure gaps despite its cultural heritage and natural resources. The Naryn Urban Resilience Program, led by UN-Habitat Urban Lab with local and international partners, offers strategies for inclusive, sustainable urban development. Key outputs include a Town Profile, Strategic Spatial Plan, Design Guidelines, and a Capital Investment Plan. These tools enhance land use, infrastructure, and economic opportunities, particularly for vulnerable groups, while addressing climate risks and improving quality of life. Funded by the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs and supported by partners like the Aga Khan Development Network and the University of Central Asia, the program aligns global frameworks with local priorities to foster resilience and sustainable growth. |