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Sustainable Reconstruction: A Framework for Inclusive Planning and Financing to Support Green Transition in the Arab States Region
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Number of pages
56
Publication date
2023

Sustainable Reconstruction: A Framework for Inclusive Planning and Financing to Support Green Transition in the Arab States Region

This framework represents a comprehensive guide for Arab countries emerging from conflict and crisis situations to design and implement sustainable reconstruction activities that accelerate efforts towards building forward better. Drawing on analyses of over 100 reports and consultations with multiple stakeholders across relevant sectors, including government officials, planners, investors, and others, in Iraq, Libya, the State of Palestine, Sudan, and elsewhere, the framework serves as an operational tool laying out valuable insights and practical recommendations for action by governments and partners across the region.

The Arab States region is subject to ongoing challenges from political upheavals, socio-economic disparities, conflicts and terrorism to natural disasters, desertification, periodic dust and sandstorms, and water scarcity. The cumulative impacts lead to significant pressures on and, at times, an outright destruction of infrastructure, displacement of populations, and environmental degradation. Sustainable reconstruction is an important component for any post-conflict and post-crisis strategy that can contribute to sustainable and lasting peace, stability, and prosperity.

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Number of pages
136
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN-Habitat

Land Governance, Natural Resources and Climate Change in the Arab Region

This report explores some of the critical challenges that converge at the intersection of climate change and land governance. Some of these challenges are droughts, desertification, disaster risk, land and water management, land degradation and restoration, soil erosion and conservation, biodiversity, and food security. In examining these challenges in the context of the Arab region, the report aims to:

  • Create new knowledge based on existing sources of information and data as well as expert experiences and recommendations.
  • Contribute to contextualizing and developing internationally negotiated frameworks on land governance and climate change in ways that recognize land tenure-related challenges in different regional geographic contexts.
  • Help relevant central governments, local authorities, and concerned civil society organizations in the Arab region to understand, better, the interrelation between climate-related challenges and land and natural resources management (specifically, water).
  • Stimulate policy debates and encourage further research on the topic, particularly policy-oriented research that seeks to promote effective land management and administration tools to protect the land tenure rights of vulnerable groups against climate change effects.

The report builds on the recommendations of key international frameworks related to climate and land that Arab countries have endorsed. It also relies on relevant literature and well-founded arguments that consider good land governance as a crucial factor in stabilizing vulnerable communities and enhancing their resilience to shocks and stresses, including the adverse impacts of climate change on land and property rights. The report covers urban and rural areas, agrarian and pastoralist communities, natural resource-based conflicts, forced migration, and displacements. Questions of access to and control over land and natural resources are core concerns throughout the report in view of land inequalities and plural land tenure arrangements that characterize Arab countries.

 

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Number of pages
82
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN-Habitat, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)

Leaving no one behind - How a global instrument to end plastic pollution can enable a just transition for the people informally collecting and recovering waste

This report provides an overview on the importance of the Informal Waste and Recovery Sector (IWRS) for ending plastic pollution. It outlines how the current negotiations towards a global instrument to end plastic pollution can leverage a just transition of the IWRS. It calls for the just transition of the IWRS to be fair, inclusive, and equitable, generating and preserving decent work opportunities in a way that leaves no one behind. This involves enabling IWRS workers to pursue their livelihoods in a dignified manner, by their choice either inside or outside of the sector and involving stakeholders impacted by the transition in the development and implementation process. Key elements of a just transition of the IWRS include official and legislative recognition, protection of human and labour rights, access to social services and health schemes, and fair payment for work for all IWRS stakeholders. These are key considerations to bring to the first meeting of the INC but are also basic elements of promoting a just transition in local and national policies that aim to formalize and integrate informal waste and recovery workers as part of strategies to end plastic pollution.

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Urban Digest Oct cover
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Number of pages
29
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN-Habitat

UN-Habitat Lebanon Country Programme Newsletter- Issue 03: Placing cities at the heart of Lebanon’s future recovery and sustainable development

In this edition, UN-Habitat Lebanon’s Urban Digest, highlights the programme’s updates on several of the agency’s ongoing projects in the country, a wrap-up of the first National Urban Forum of Lebanon, a deep dive into Beirut’s urban recovery efforts while the country suffers from an ever-deepening socio-economic and financial crisis. The newsletter also features key updates on the programme’s projects.

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Global Review of Smart City Governance Practices
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Number of pages
68
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN-Habitat

Global Review of Smart City Governance Practices

Through smart city initiatives, digital technologies are increasingly applied in cities to modernize city operations and transform service delivery. The ongoing digital transformation provides new opportunities but also creates challenges, and it is increasingly apparent that delivering effective urban digital services is a complex task. Nowadays, smart city projects are typically driven by technology and little attention is given to governance dynamics. In addition, the novelty and complexity of many smart city initiatives make it difficult for public sector organizations to fully grasp how to effectively manage digital transformation processes.

As many cities and public sector organizations across the world have been experimenting with smart city initiatives, their actions have generated a data-rich environment from which to learn. As such, this report features findings from a systematic literature review and a global online survey completed by approximately 300 respondents, who have reported on the smart city governance practices of more than 250 municipalities in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

With the objective to support both urban managers and practitioners, the report highlights several dimensions for effective smart city governance and ways to foster a people-centered approach to smart cities. It serves as a knowledge resource to present best practices, gaps in smart city governance mechanisms, and the various elements to consider when governing the planning and implementation of smart city initiatives.

The report is part of UN-Habitat’s strategy to promote a people-centered approach to digital transformation supporting local governments in establishing the right capacities, regulatory frameworks, collaborations and arrangements for using technology to advance human developments and show commitment to human rights, both in online and offline environments.

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Mainstreaming human rights in the digital transformation of cities – A guide for local governements
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Number of pages
42
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN-Habitat

Mainstreaming human rights in the digital transformation of cities – A guide for local governments

People living in cities around the world use a wide range of municipal services on a regular basis. Services provided to residents such as garbage collection, the provision of playgrounds, parking spaces, streetlights, affordable housing, social support and public transport all require a local government that is committed to facilitating good quality of life in the city. As city governments undergo digital transformation, the digital and physical aspects of the city become more closely connected with digital technologies being used to deliver services, manage urbanisation processes and communicate with residents. In some aspects it is becoming difficult to distinguish between offline and online services.

This online and offline connectedness is impacting public life in our cities and affects different groups across communities differently. The use of digital technologies, platforms and data by governments and the private sector affect urban residents, sometimes in unforeseen or unintended ways. For example, young women may face cultural and gender-related barriers that prevent their access to the internet and technology. Ethnic minorities and people on low incomes have high demand for the internet, but often struggle with lack of affordability. Such groups lack not only access, they also experience lower quality of digital services.

This publication refers to human rights in the digital context as ‘digital rights’. These are not new human rights. ‘Digital’ rights are interpreted as existing human rights which need to be protected in the context of digital technologies, as physical and digital spaces are increasingly intertwined. Digital rights assess how digital technology affects previously recognized rights – i.e., civil, political, economical, social and cultural rights. These rights form the basis of commitments described in this report and emphasise a culture for more inclusive and responsible use of technology.

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GPP: UN-Habitat Policy and Plan for Gender Equality and the Rights of Women in Urban Development and Human Settlements 2020 - 2023
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Number of pages
44
Publication date
2022

GPP: UN-Habitat Policy and Plan for Gender Equality and the Rights of Women in Urban Development and Human Settlements 2020 - 2023

The Gender Policy and Plan (GPP) 2020-2023 is UN-Habitat’s roadmap for promoting gender equality throughout its work. It is aligned with the organizational Strategic Plan (2020-2023) and supports the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its contribution to their implementation. The GPP elaborates the gender dimensions of the programmatic results and the relevant indicators for measuring success, as well as steps to strengthen gender equality across UN-Habitat systems and processes. It builds on the evaluation results, lessons learned and recommendations from the independent external evaluation of UN-Habitat’s Policy and Plan for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women in Urban Development and Human Settlements, 2014-2019 that was conducted in 2020.

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Rapport d’étude de base du projet: Tirer parti de la Participation Communautaire à la Gouvernance locale pour une Prévention et une Résolution efficace des Conflits dans les régions du Littoral et de l’Ouest affectées par la crise du Nord-Ouest et du Sud
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Number of pages
79
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN-Habitat

Tirer parti de la Participation Communautaire à la Gouvernance locale pour une Prévention et une Résolution efficace des Conflits dans les régions du Littoral et de l’Ouest affectées par la crise du Nord-Ouest et du Sud- Ouest au Cameroun

La crise sociopolitique s’est progressivement transformée en conflit armé dans les régions du Nord-Ouest et du Sud-Ouest au Cameroun, cette situation a entrainé des vagues massives de personnes déplacées et installées dans les régions voisines de l’Ouest et du littoral. Les répercussions de ces flux démographiques ont été rapides sur la cohésion sociale au sein des collectivités hôtes au niveau individuel, économique, socioculturel et sociopolitique avec des tensions diverses. Face à la précarité, la rareté des terres et la carence des opportunités économiques alors ressentis, les collectivités territoriales décentralisées font face à des défis liés à la maitrise des besoins des populations hôtes et des personnes déplacées, désormais au coude à coude face au déficit de logement, au risques liés à l’insécurité grandissante, à la rareté de terres cultivables et exploitables, à la rareté d’opportunités économiques et au besoin d’intégration socio-culturelle ;

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Number of pages
6
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN-Habitat

Communiqué of the Expert Group Meeting Urban Regeneration as a tool for Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery

Communiqué of the Expert Group Meeting on Urban Regeneration as a tool for Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery, held on December 2021 (Bilbao, Spain), organized by UN-Habitat (Inclusive, Vibrant Neighbourhoods, and Communities Flagship Programme), with the support of the Basque Government (Spain).

The debate focused on Urban Regeneration as an integrative process and essential instrument that city leaders, planners, and policymakers, together with civil society, investors, and the private sector should consider achieving sustainable and inclusive cities, and the COVID-19 pandemic recovery.

This Communiqué summarises the priority actions identified by the experts as a result of the two-day meeting: a) develop Guidelines for Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Regeneration, b) monitor spatial inequality; c) establish an Urban Regeneration Reference Group, and d) mobilize resources for urban regeneration.

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Number of pages
220
Publication date
2022
Publisher
UN HABITAT

The Global Urban Monitoring Framework

The Global Urban Monitoring Framework was endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2022 for implementation as part of the Harmonized Global UN Systemwide Strategy for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and New Urban Agenda (NUA) and other regional, national, and subnational urban programs. It harmonizes existing urban indices and tools, including the widely implemented City Prosperity Index (CPI). The framework aims at ensuring thematic integration and interlinkages among various dimensions of development, disaggregation of data, and inclusion of groups that are traditionally excluded. It promotes working at different scales and functional urban areas, including ecological functional areas, enabling city comparability, and the possibility of more in-depth policy analysis.