The world has an opportunity this October to ensure that growing cities and human settlements are inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Global leaders will announce the New Urban Agenda, a plan that will shape urban policy around the world for decades to come and therefore must:
- Emphasize housing. Housing, both in the informal and formal sector, reduces poverty, generates jobs and is critical in addressing energy consumption and climate change.
- Prioritize security of tenure. People shouldn’t live in constant fear of eviction, especially women. When secure land rights are present, entire communities thrive.
- Promote community-led development. Communities know their needs and should define their own future. This means contributing to the Habitat III process and participating in local decision making.
- Set specific and accountable measures. To end poverty, the world needs more than good ideas. Habitat III must produce an outcome document with specific and measurable commitments that contribute to the achievement of the Global Goals.
World leaders have set us on the right path with a draft that calls for housing at the heart of the New Urban Agenda and includes these recommendations.
I stand with Solid Ground, a global advocacy campaign of Habitat for Humanity, to ask for your support to ensure the above recommendations remain in the New Urban Agenda and are strengthened in the coming months, promoting a world in which everyone has a decent place to live.
Donate your autograph to join Solid Ground and make a difference for people living in Cambodia.
