Habitat III

Habitat III
Name	Habitat III
Caption	Skyline of Quito, Ecuador near the venue for Habitat III
Date	October 17–20, 2016
Location	Quito, Ecuador
Participants	Representatives from United Nations, national delegations, local governments, UN‑Habitat, civil society, private sector
Outcome	Quito Declaration; New Urban Agenda

Habitat III Habitat III was the third United Nations global conference on human settlements held in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. The conference convened state leaders, mayors, representatives of the United Nations General Assembly, international financial institutions such as the World Bank, and NGOs including UNDP partners to adopt the New Urban Agenda, intended to guide urbanization policies for the United Nations member states and subnational authorities.

Background and Context

Origins of Habitat III trace to the series of UN conferences on urbanization following the first global meeting, convened after post‑war reconstruction efforts and later responses to rapid urban growth and informal settlements. Preceding gatherings include the 1976 Habitat I in Vancouver and the 1996 Habitat II in Istanbul, which engaged actors such as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and multilateral lenders like the International Monetary Fund. The global urban landscape entering Habitat III showed accelerating urbanization across regions such as Sub‑Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, alongside challenges addressed by agendas like the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goal 11, prompting coordination among institutions including UN‑Habitat, the UNECE, and the African Union.

Conference Objectives and Themes

Habitat III aimed to renew political commitment to sustainable urbanization and articulate normative guidance to implement Sustainable Development Goals. Core themes linked to policy instruments and actors included urban governance by municipal networks such as United Cities and Local Governments, financing mechanisms involving the European Investment Bank and Asian Development Bank, land and housing rights examined in relation to instruments like the Right to the City movement, and resilience strategies associated with UNISDR frameworks and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The conference emphasized links to the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda's role in aligning urban planning with climate action, infrastructure financing, and inclusive municipal service delivery.

Preparatory Process and Stakeholders

The preparatory process featured regional meetings convened by bodies such as the ECLAC, ESCAP, and the ECA, national dialogues led by ministries in host and participating states, and stakeholder consultations organized by networks including ICLEI, World Urban Forum partners, and Habitat International Coalition. Major stakeholders comprised national delegations from countries like Ecuador, United States, China, India, and Brazil; subnational delegations from cities such as New York City, Cape Town, Shanghai, and Medellín; and international organizations including UNICEF, WHO, and the ILO. Private sector participation involved firms active in urban infrastructure and finance, alongside philanthropic actors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Quito Declaration and New Urban Agenda

The Quito Declaration articulated political commitments by heads of state and local authorities to pursue sustainable urban development and endorsed the New Urban Agenda, a non‑binding document outlining principles for urban planning, land tenure, infrastructure, and municipal finance. The New Urban Agenda referenced instruments and institutions like Habitat II outcomes, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and mechanisms for alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. It called for partnerships across constituencies—including municipal associations such as C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and development banks—to implement policy measures on affordable housing, public transport, and green spaces.

Implementation, Follow-up and Monitoring

Follow‑up mechanisms envisioned linkages among UN entities such as UN‑Habitat, the UN DESA, and the High‑Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to monitor progress. Implementation modalities proposed engagement with national urban policies, subnational climate action plans submitted to the UNFCCC processes, and reporting aligned with SDG indicators overseen by statistical bodies including the United Nations Statistical Commission. Financial instruments and initiatives from the World Bank Group, regional development banks, and public‑private partnerships were signaled as critical for scaling infrastructure investment and technical cooperation with organizations like UNDP and OECD.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics from academic institutions such as London School of Economics researchers, civil society networks including Slum Dwellers International, and think tanks argued the New Urban Agenda lacked binding mechanisms and clear financing commitments. Debates involved tensions between neoliberal urban development promoted by some multinational financiers and human rights‑based approaches advocated by NGOs and scholars associated with Human Rights Watch and universities such as University of California, Berkeley. Controversies also emerged over representation—questions raised by municipal movements, grassroots organizations, and indigenous groups about the role of informal settlers and references to land rights—and concerns about the influence of private sector actors and development banks on policy prescriptions.

Category:United Nations conferences