United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN HABITAT)

1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.

 

Yes, the Governing Council (GC) of UN-Habitat has on several occasions made recommendations that enhance the global monitoring, reporting and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

A) The relationship between high-quality urbanization and development was recently emphasized at the 26th session of GC with several supporting resolutions in line with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. More concretely:

a. GC 26/8 acknowledged that: "… the implementation of the New Urban Agenda contributes to the implementation and localization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in an integrated manner", while "taking note of the need of the work of UN-Habitat, within its mandate, to support the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including 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 and the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change through the development and implementation of its strategic plan".

b. Further, GC/26/8 encourages UN-habitat, in accordance with the role of UN-Habitat as a focal point for sustainable urbanization and human settlements, including supporting the implementation and review of the New Urban Agenda, to collaborate with other United Nations programmes and entities, Member States, local authorities and relevant stakeholders, as well as through the mobilization of experts, to contribute to a United Nations system -wide strategy and continue generating evidence-based and practical guidance for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the related dimensions of the sustainable development goals, as well as to further develop the action framework for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, in close consultation with Member States, local authorities and stakeholders".

c. Finally, GC/26/8 requests UN-Habitat to "develop, within available resources and within the existing mandate of UN-Habitat, in close collaboration with other United Nations system entities, in consultation with member States, and taking into account the recommendations of the report of the independent assessment and the views of relevant stakeholders, a proposal for a unified global monitoring framework that will facilitate the tracking of progress towards achieving the goals of the New Urban Agenda, as well as the urban dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the sustainable development goals, in a systematic manner;"

 

2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes

 

We have developed work plans at the agency level to monitor and report on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, specifically around the global monitoring of SDG 11. These efforts extend to strategies of how to work with regional commissions to enhance local capacities. In this regard, we are organizing regional workshops to build capacities of member states to monitor Goal 11 as well as addressing mechanisms for global data workflows from member states to international agencies.

Further, UN-Habitat has initiated a series of national consultations on a pilot basis within its technical cooperation activities in a few selected countries in support of development of methodologies and road maps to catalyze the implementation of NUA as an integral part of 2030 Agenda and SDGs.

 

2.2 Aligning the structure of the organization with the transformative features of the 2030 Agenda, including any challenges and lessons learned in doing so

 

The agency is also the global lead on monitoring of the NUA. As such a lot of alignments have been done with NUA and SDGs. Specifically, UN-Habitats CPI Global initiative has reviewed the existing indicators and targets and ensured that these are well alignment with the 2030 SDGs agenda and other global and regional agendas. Annual reporting mechanism are also aligned to track results along the various goals and targets of the SDGs as well as levels and amounts of investments in the various SDGs targets.

A new strategy of portfolio development is being developed to ensure a greater convergence of thematic areas and their results expected to contribute to the transformative dynamic of NUA and 2030 Agenda.

 

2.3 Readjusting or updating results-based budgeting and management, including performance indicators:

This has also been done and more alignments is expected in the next two years. Specifically, the CPI global monitoring framework has been mapped on several performance related dimensions and indicators that allows for easy reporting or impacts, budgets and overall management of results related to the 2030 SDGs agenda and other global goals.

 

2.4 Action to enhance support to the principle of "leaving no one behind" and to integrated policy approaches:

In our new monitoring tools including the CPI, data collection and analysis is all linked and designed to monitor and respond directly or indirectly to the SDG principle and associated dimensions which then ensure that a holistic monitoring process is implemented and this allows for documenting gaps, limitations and stories of people being left behind. Specific inequities at all levels are documented through qualitative data collection process and validated with secondary correlations. Secondly, we have also developed new spatial tools that enable us to study the urban spaces horizontally and vertically in a way that documents aspects of lives that are being left behind. A tools for collection of perceptions in cities is also available and compliments the largely quantitative based CPI tools.

 

2.5 Others:

In parallel, several projects and programmes have been designed aiming to support new legislation and planning policies at the national level towards strengthening rural-urban linkages, as well inclusive slum upgrading.

 

3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:

 

a) Dialogues and sessions on capacity building were organized during the Habitat III conference in Quito. With over 150 representatives from various countries participating in several forums.

b) A specialized training on human settlements indicators within the SDG global monitoring framework was organized in Naivasha Kenya attracting over 15 member states and other private and CSO.NGOS representations.

c) Regional workshops on monitoring of the SDGS indicators linked to urban or human settlements where organized Africa, and for GCC countries in 2017, and plans are on track for similar workshops to be concluded in 2018 for the ESCAP, ECLAC and ESCWA regions.

d) Advisory missions have been organized for selected countries: Botswana, Kuwait, Swaziland, Zambia, Ethiopia, etc. These sessions provide an opportunity to work directly with a country and sharing knowledge, experiences and best practices on specific areas of implementation and monitoring of the 2030 agenda and SDGs.

 

3.2 Mainstreaming the SDGs in sectoral strategies, including specific SDG/target strategies:

 

Additional capacity development sessions are planned for the World Urban Forum in Feb 2018. These sessions will largely cover all the below areas highlighted

- Mainstreaming the NUA/SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies

- Mainstreaming the NUA/SDGs in sectoral strategies, including specific SDG/target strategies

- Data and statistical capacity building for monitoring NUA/SDGs

- Science, technology and innovation for monitoring NUA/SDGs

- Multi-stakeholder partnerships for monitoring NUA/SDGs

- Sub-national plans/strategies and implementation for the SDGs

- Leveraging interlinkages across SDG goals and targets

 

3.3 Data and statistical capacity building:

Yes, as described above.

 

3.4 Science, technology and innovation for the SDGs:

N/A

 

3.5 Multi-stakeholder partnerships:

Yes, as described above within the World Urban Forum context and others

 

3.6 Sub-national plans/strategies and implementation for the SDGs:

Yes, as described above.

 

3.7 Leveraging interlinkages across SDG goals and targets:

Yes, as described above.

 

3.8 Others:

N/A

 

4.1 Supporting the intergovernmental body of your organization in contributing to the thematic review of the HLPF:

UN-Habitat has participated in the last two rounds of the HLPF: 2016 and 2017. The agency contributed to the compilation of reviews and status reports of various goals and supported countries to package the data and status in their Voluntary National review reports. In 2017, UN-Habitat and other custodian agencies organized a global review on target 1.4 under Poverty goal and findings were shared through side events organized on the sidelines of the HLPF meeting. In 2018, UN-Habitat is leading the global review of the Goal 11 and is coordinating with several agencies and member states on the compilation of the status reports.

 

4.2 Contributing to policy/background briefs for the HLPF:

UN-Habitat has worked with other agencies to compile policy and background briefs for the HLPF. In 2017, a policy and status report was produced for targets under Goal 1 on Poverty.

 

4.3 Helping organize SDG-specific events in the preparatory process:

Yes UN-Habitat has organized and participated in several SDG-specific side events in the preparatory process as well as organized side events during the HLPF process. Events organized include a Local Authorities event aimed at providing a space for interaction with Member-States, to promote a commitment to the localization of the SDGs and its review, considering it an integral element to achieve the agenda. This was particularly helpful in terms of further convincing Member States to establish and further advance on national localization strategies, in collaboration with local and regional authorities. Our team also participated in regional preparatory process for HLPF organized in New York, and Asia.

 

4.4 Organizing side evens or speaking at the HLPF:

 

Yes, for the last two year, UN-Habitat participated in and organized several side events:

a) Local authorities and cities contributions to other SDGs (2017)

b) A side event on the Security of tenure Rights for men and women and other vulnerable groups (2017).

c) Session on use of Geospatial data for SDGs monitoring.

d) The urban lens: An accelerator of poverty eradication and prosperity. Interconnected approaches to address poverty, hunger, health and well- being, gender equality, resilient infrastructure and innovation (2017).

 

4.5 Supporting VNR process:

UN-Habitat has supported the VNR process for the last two years. We contributed directly to the provision of data for selected countries as well as shared latest methodological development to help guide countries in their reporting. We have also undertaken analyses of the VNR by goals and contributed policy briefs on the progress of various countries (see policy and advisory note on target 1.4).

 

5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT?  Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:

There several ongoing on-going collaborations with various agencies on achieving coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. UN-Habitat is an active member of the Inter Agency Expert Group on SDGs where a lot of synergies are discussed on methodological developments, joint monitoring and reporting processes, and joint advisory missions for countries. So far several regional interactions with countries have been organized for several countries. These have mainly addressed the following issues/discussions a) examining jointly how the urban lens accelerates the integrated achievements of policy coherence and cross-sectoral approaches to accelerate the implementation of SDGs goals and other global agendas such as New Urban Agenda and the Sendai Framework. Jointly assessing the key elements of enabling institutional, policy and financial frameworks particularly in terms of what interventions in cities teach us about participatory approaches, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged in the spirit of leaving no one behind. Multi-stakeholder partnerships have also been discussed widely especially touching on what is needed to enhance the knowledge-policy-practice interface around the sustainability challenges and opportunities related to SDGs 1. Finally, a lot of joint discussions have also covered how urban lens can support data disaggregation, qualitative approaches to metrics and enhancing citizen-driven data.

 

6. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups, both in supporting implementation at the country, regional and global levels, and within your own organization? If yes, please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned:

UN-Habitat has worked through urban observatories, city leadership and local government ministries, to engage local stakeholder groups in various countries. At the regional and national levels, we have worked with relevant regional bodies such as UN regional commissions, Regional Mapping agencies, UCLG, etc. to engage blocks of countries/cities on supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. At the global level, we also work directly with UN agencies, other multilateral international agencies and organizations to support implementation of the SDGs. For example, in the Africa region, we organized a regional workshop in Botswana that attracted over 15 countries in the region. This workshop was used to share latest methodologies and approaches for global monitoring and reporting. Member states apricated the timing and depth of knowledge shared during this workshop. Many countries expressed the need to conduct such workshops in their countries to ensure more localization of the methodologies and approaches shared. However, our efforts are unable to reach out to too many countries or teams/other stakeholders within countries due to funding constraints.

 

7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.

 

a) Habitat III conference Quito, Ecuador Oct 2016.

b) 1st Human Settlements Indicators Workshop on SDGs: Kenya, Feb 2017.

c) Expert Group meeting on definitions of cities for Global monitoring purposes; Brussels, April 2017

d) Africa Regional Workshop on Human Settlements Indicators, Dec 2017, Gaborone, Botswana.

e) World Urban Forum, Feb 2018.

f) Asia Regional Workshop on Human Settlements Indicators, April 2018, Bangkok, Thailand.

g) Arab States Regional Workshop on Human Settlements Indicators, May 2018, Beirut, Lebanon.

 

8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:

 

a) SDG 11 and human settlements Indicators Guide

b) National Sample of Cities guide for SDGs reporting

c) Global definitions of Cities Guide

d) UN-Habitat's Global Activities Report 2017

 

9. In your view, what should a strategic plan for the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs look like? What key elements should it include and major challenges address in such a road map?

A strategic plan for the UNDS to effectively support the implementation of a transformative, universal, integrated and rights-based 2030 Agenda, and to meet the expectations of Member States, should include a theory of change transcending the traditional departmental distribution of roles and mandates. This should allow for UN to effectively "function as a system" in an integrated and coherent manner, at the global, regional and country level. Improved "functioning as a system" is a pre-requisite for continued relevance, better strategic positioning, and strengthened delivery of results and impact within the 2030 Development Agenda. World-wide, the strategic potential of "Delivering as ONE" in a view to achieve coherence and integration has been undisputed despite the challenge of fragmentation of funding sources and increasing lack of political support to the work of UN.

 

10. Please indicate one or two endeavor or initiatives you suggest that the UN system organizations could undertake together to support the implementation of the SDGs between now and 2030:

 

a) Joint fundraising initiatives for national implementation, and global monitoring and reporting for SDGs.

b) Strengthen UN collaboration and partnerships with private and public Foundations for increased synergy.