Open Consultations with the Secretary General of the Habitat III Conference

The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) will seek renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assessing accomplishments to date, addressing poverty and identifying as well as new and emerging urban challenges in a global setting. Thus, the Conference will focus on adjusting, innovating and transcending the Habitat Agenda, while building on relevant international development goals, including those outcomes of major United Nations conferences and summits. 

The UN General Assembly in resolution 67/216 encourages effective contributions from, and the active participation of, all relevant stakeholders, including local governments, major groups as identified in Agenda 21, the relevant United Nations funds and programmes, the regional commission and specialized agencies, the international financial institutions and other Habitat Agenda partners, at all stages of the preparatory process and at the Conference itself and to make proposals on improved participation of local authorities and other stakeholders. 

The first meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the Conference will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 17 and 18 September 2014. The Open Consultations will take place one week prior to this first preparatory meeting, from 8 to 12 September 2014.

Objective

The policy formulation towards a “New Urban Agenda” plan for action at Habitat III requires and welcomes the increasing engagement of a variety of relevant stakeholders. The aim of the Open Consultation is to provide an interactive, open and frank exchange with each stakeholder group prior to the first Preparatory Committee session. It will allow direct debate with the Secretary-General of the Conference in order for him to gather the views and priorities of stakeholder and major groups towards the conference.

Open Consultation arrangements

Interested organizations and major groups, including local authorities and other stakeholders that are currently in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, wishing to request an Open Consultation with the Secretary-General of the Conference may contact the Habitat III Secretariat via email: habitat3secretariat@un.org with an indication of preferred date and time (maximum 2 hours per group). Open Consultations are not bilateral meetings with individuals or organizations, but should be requested by a group of organizations or stakeholders and or/representatives of major groups. The Open Consultation will be scheduled on a first-come first-serve basis.