UN-Habitat's vision of urbanization encompasses all levels of human settlements, including small rural communities, villages, market towns, intermediate cities and large cities and metropolises, i.e. wherever a stable community is continuously located and there are housing units together with permanent social and economic activities, common public space, urban basic services and local governance structure.

1. Cities are facing unprecedented demographic, environmental, economic, social
and spatial challenges. The world is urban and urbanization is a source of
development. How we develop our cities, towns and villages in the next years
will have an impact in the quality of life of millions of citizens and will be the
legacy for future generations
UN-HABITAT
24th Session Governing Council
NAIROBI, 15- 19 APRIL 2013

2. Copyright © United Nations Human Settlements Programme, April 2013
2
U N - H A B I TAT

3. UN-HABITAT
24th Session Governing Council
N A I R OBI, 15- 19 APRIL 2013

4. On 5 April, the United Nations Secretary-General called
for accelerated action from Governments, international
organizations and civil society groups in the next 1,000 days
to reach the targets of the eight Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) by the deadline of the end of 2015.
Since the MDGs were adopted by all United Nations
Member States in 2000, extreme poverty has been cut
by half globally, and two billion more people have gained
access to safe drinking water. In addition, according to
United Nations data, maternal and child mortality rates have
dropped. But the world continues to fight killer diseases,
such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. We also know that
the sanitation target is presently far from being met, and
that many people are still in need of access to clean drinking
water, in spite of the good progress made.
We are happy to have met the target of improving the
lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 well in
advance. This is an important achievement. But this figure
hides a reality. This welcome cut has been dramatically
surpassed by the increased number of new arrivals to
the slums. The final result is that the total numbers of
people living in slums have actually not diminished. On the
contrary, it has increased from 760 million to 863 million.
In other words, the number of people joining slums has
surpassed the numbers of those leaving them through
national and international efforts.
Globally, we, the international community, the
governments, civil society, must recognize that despite
the great effort made, we have not reached the point of
stopping the growth of slums.
I therefore urge all Governments and Habitat Agenda
partners to ensure that the MDG targets on slums, water
and sanitation are firmly kept in mind during the discussions
2
U N - H A B I TAT
Joan Clos
Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat)

5. on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
and Sustainable Development Goals. It is
critical that they are included, in one way
or another, in the Post-2015 Agenda. At
the same time, we all have a responsibility
to continue working to make the most
of the next thousand days and fulfill the
millennium promise to the world’s poorest
and most vulnerable people.
We all know that cities and towns in
developing countries are facing many
serious problems. The challenges are many.
Inadequate housing. Insufficient urban basic
services; namely water, sanitation, drainage,
energy and transport. Unemployment,
especially among our youth. Expansion of
the informal sector. Unplanned and often
chaotic peri-urban expansion. Social and
political conflict over land. High levels of
vulnerability to natural disasters, partly as a
result of climate change.
In addition, developed countries, cities and
towns are facing a new range of challenges.
We see excessive energy consumption.
Increasing pockets of urban poverty and
inequality are manifesting themselves in
new forms of segregation between the rich
and the poor.
Our work at UN-Habitat has shown that
in developing countries, most of these
challenges are not only the result of rapid
urbanization, but also of the lack of proper
urban policies to guide the process.
We have to remind ourselves that
throughout history, urbanization has
always been the process by which societies
have been transformed to higher levels
of development. In fact, we can say
that there is a proven, powerful
and positive correlation between
urbanization and development. The
experience of most of the BRIC and
newly industrialized countries, including
the Asian Tigers, has demonstrated the
power of urbanization as an engine of
development.
The strategic goal of UN-Habitat for the
next six years or so is to promote the role
of urbanization in achieving sustainable
development. In doing so, we are building
on governments’ recognition in the
Rio+20 outcome document, “The Future
We Want”. If cities are well planned and
developed, including through integrated
planning and management approaches,
they can promote economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable societies.
We hope that this thinking will continue
to inform the preparatory process for the
Habitat III Conference, and other global
processes currently taking place in parallel,
especially the discussions on the Post-2015
Development Agenda and Sustainable
Development Goals.
How we develop our villages, towns
and cities in the near future will have a
significant impact on the quality of life
of millions of citizens. This will be an
important legacy for future generations. We
need to redouble our efforts to address the
urbanization challenges that villages, towns
and cities are experiencing right now.
UN-Habitat will help to ensure that the
urban centres and other human settlements
of the future will be well planned and
designed to reduce poverty and promote
better quality of life.
mobility for our citizens. Create an enabling
environment for economic activity and
job creation. All of that in addition to the
enhancing of cities’ resilience to natural
disasters, and promotion of sustainable
energy uses.
At the same time, the goal of social inclusion
and citizen participation must be supported.
Sound regulatory frameworks and land
management principles to deliver adequate
shelter for all must also be pursued.
It is my hope that, working together, we
can move away from the perception of
urbanization as a source of problems. We
will move towards a new and more positive
view of urbanization as an opportunity and
a sustainable source of development. It is
indeed now “Time to Think Urban”.
Habitat III is offering us an excellent
opportunity to move forward, setting
a new urban and human settlements
agenda for the next twenty years. This
must constantly be informed by the
shaping and implementation of post-2015
Sustainable Development Goals. We need
your engagement in the process towards
a successful Habitat III Conference, one of
the first global conferences that will be
held after the definition of the Post-2015
Development Agenda.
On our part, we stand ready to demonstrate
our expertise in the struggle against poverty,
and to support Governments and Habitat
Agenda partners.
UN-Habitat is ready to play a leading role in
guiding the urban development agenda.
What we are asked to do together is to
facilitate equitable access to adequate
housing and basic services. Provide easy
24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL
3

6. TWO YEARS WORKING FOR
SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
2011
June: Approval of “The Future We Want” at Rio+20
with specific mention to sustainable urban
development
February: UN-Habitat organizational reform starts
April: 23rd Session of the UN-Habitat Governing
Council
May: Publication of the Global Report on Human
Settlements – Cities and Climate Change
June: The Nigeria Government adopted a revised
National Housing Policy and National Urban
Development Policy
July: UN-Habitat participates at the London 2012
Olympic Games Torch Relay. Julius Mwelu,
torchbearer
June: 1st African Youth Assembly, Lagos, Nigeria
October: World Habitat Day, Aguascalientes, Mexico
2012
January: Launch of “I’m a City Changer” campaign
March: AMCHUD Conference in Nairobi, Kenya
May: Launch of the Regional Report of the State of
the Arab Cities 2012
June: Transitional organization structure of UN-Habitat
in place
June:
First National Urban Forum in Colombia. UNHabitat continued to support National Urban
Forums in 13 countries (Burkina Faso, Cuba, Fiji,
Ghana, Lebanon, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal,
Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, and
Viet Nam)
4
U N - H A B I TAT
August:
UN-Habitat signs the transparency commitment.
Launch of Open UN-Habitat
August: State of the Latin American and Caribbean Cities
Report
September: Sixth Session of the World Urban Forum, Naples,
Italy
September: Launch of the State of the World Cities Report
2012-2013
September: Medellin selected host city for the seventh
session of the World Urban Forum
September: First meeting of the Advisory Group on Gender
Issues (AGGI)
October: World Habitat Day “Changing Cities, Building
Opportunities”

7. October: Completion of the National Urban Policy
Framework
November: Launch of “Because I’m a Girl: Urban
Programme”, Hanoi
November: The World Urban Campaign reaches 70
partners
December: Launch of “I’m a City Changer” Africa
Campaign
March: World mayors commit to make cities crime and
violence free. First Steering Committee of the
Safer Cities Global Network in New York
March: Dr. Joan Clos, UN-Habitat Executive Director,
awarded with the prestigious Penn IUR Urban
Leadership Award
April: Launch of the City Resilience Profiling
Programme
April: 24th Session of the World Urban Campaign
December: Rabat Declaration on “Making Slums History”
December: APMCHUD Conference in Amman, Jordan
December: Global Land Tool Network increases partners up
to 50
2013
January: PAAS system in place to improve UN-Habitat
accountability
February: Launch of the Cities Prosperity Initiative
UN-Habitat responded to humanitarian crises in the
Philippines, Mozambique, El Salvador, Libya and Cuba by
deploying missions in support of Humanitarian Country
Teams and Governments to coordinate housing and shelter
rehabilitation response.
The One Stop Youth Resource Centre model. UN-Habitat
continues to work in partnership with local authorities,
United Nations agencies and other stakeholders to support
the four original Centres in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda, and establishment of new ones in Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, India Mauritius,
Nigeria and South Sudan.
March: Japanese Government extends financial
contribution to the rehabilitation of Sri
Lanka’s conflict affected areas and UN-Habitat
Afghanistan projects
24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL
5

8. SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION: A NEW VISION
The world is fast becoming predominantly
urban. At the beginning of the 19th
century, only 2 per cent of the world’s
population was urban. The population
living in urban areas reached 50 per cent
at the beginning of the 21st century and is
expected to reach 60 per cent by 2030. At
the same time the world’s population has
grown from 900 million to 7 billion.
The fastest rates of urbanization are in the
developing world, which is facing huge
challenges related to poverty, segregation
between the rich and the poor, poor basic
services, inadequate housing, lack of proper
means of livelihood and climate change risks.
Historical economic studies have established
that there is a positive correlation between
planned urbanization and development.
It is also clear that the urban economy
is more productive due to the proximity
of the factors of production, increased
specialisation and market sizes. Because of
this, proper urbanization should be used as
a powerful tool for creating employment
and livelihoods. This requires a mind-set shift
away from viewing urbanization mainly as
a problem, towards viewing urbanization as
a very powerful tool for development, and
as a strategy against poverty and lack of
adequate housing and urban basic services.
Cities and towns in developing countries
are facing serious challenges, due to the
lack of proper urban policies, which include
unemployment, especially among the
youth; high percentages of people living
in slums; the dominance of the informal
6
U N - H A B I TAT
sector; inadequate urban basic services,
especially water, sanitation, drainage and
energy; unplanned peri-urban expansion;
social and political conflict over land; high
levels of vulnerability to natural disasters,
partly resulting from climate change; and
poor mobility systems.
At the same time, cities and towns play a
role as drivers of national economic and
social development.
In many developing countries, rapid
urbanization is preceding industrialization.
The limited number of formal industrial
jobs is often linked to widespread
unemployment. This, in turn, has led to the
expansion of the urban informal sector, and
increased social tension.
Slums and the informal sector are the
spontaneous form of urbanization consisting
of a series of survival strategies, most borne
out of poverty and desperation. Given the
lack of urban planning, the slum represents
the only housing and livelihood opportunity
for many. A strong pro-active policy should
prevent the development of slums, promote
strong local institutions and encourage
people’s involvement in decision making.
The city is a human construct; a sociallyconstructed human artifact. Though it is
often regarded as inevitable at best, the
growth and development of cities is far
from spontaneous and uncontrollable.
Urbanization can be steered and shaped in
a collectively desired manner. The more we
see cities as voluntarily shaped, the more
we recognize their positive potential as
levers for sustainable development.
We need to see the city more as an asset
and a solution, as a driver of development
and poverty reduction. Urbanization
presents an opportunity to solve many of
the challenges confronting contemporary
human development. Well-planned and
designed cities can generate higher levels
of societal wellbeing, global economic
growth and means of livelihood and foster
sustainable development. The key is to
promote a more proactive perspective on
the city. This will prevent negative, selffulfilling perceptions of urbanization and
piecemeal problem solving.
Sustainable urbanization is the way forward,
an opportunity for sustainable development
that must not be missed.

9. 24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL
7

10. TOWARDS A NEW URBAN MODEL
The new urban model for the 21st century
is based on the following principles:
1
We must re-embrace the adequate
compact and mixed-use city. Cities
and their component neighbourhoods
need to be compact, integrated and
connected. This requires a shift away from
the mono-functional city of low density and
long distances, which is poorly connected,
socially divided and economically
inefficient. Instead, the new paradigm
optimizes well designed demographic and
economic densities and privileges, and
proximity among firms and people within
a dominantly mixed land-use pattern. The
resulting human scale minimizes transport
and service delivery cost, optimizes the use
of land and promotes social diversity. It also
supports the protection and organization of
urban open spaces.
2
Reasserting urban space is a highly
effective entry point for improving
the functioning of a city. The way in
which space is deployed and shaped is
central to the process of city development.
This will determine the value of the land
and will require value-sharing mechanisms.
Urban public space is the backbone of
the city. It allows people to live amidst
complexity, negotiate differences, and assert
their identities and access resources in
formal and informal ways. Effective policies
on the establishment, management and
maintenance of urban space are the key
for economic performance and efficiency,
as well as inclusivity, walkability and social
interaction.
8
U N - H A B I TAT
3
Urban practitioners must move
from sectorial interventions to
those that address the city as a whole.
The prevailing fragmented, sectorial
approach to urban development has often
created enclaves of successes with little
transformational impact. Partial solutions
tend to worsen the conditions of the
city, often producing dysfunction in the
whole. Addressing the many problems
characterizing cities today, such as sprawl,
segregation and congestion, requires a
more holistic, integrated, and city-wide
approach in which solutions should be
equivalent to the scale of the problems.
4
Urban planning and design set the
critical spatial framework. Good
urban planning and design should establish
minimum common space, optimised street
connectivity and social mix with a variety of
housing prices within an area. The resulting
urban fabric will be fine grained, with a
variety of housing types, an inviting public
realm, pedestrian-friendly streetscapes,
defined centres and edges and varying
transport options.
5
Smartening land-use planning
and building codes is essential.
Effective law codes and regulations are
key instruments for pursuing resilient and
low-carbon urban development. Such codes
should limit specialised land use zoning;
encourage mixed use through floor space
designated for economic uses, and mandate
minimum street area as a proportion of a
neighbourhood’s overall land area. There is
an urgent need to increase the standards
of public space form the current existing
average of 10% up to at least 30%.
7
Cities must promote endogenous
development. The new urban
paradigm requires strategies, plans and
model projects that activate endogenous
factors. Such factors include nurturing
and utilizing local assets – particularly
human capital that maximize tangible
and intangible local opportunities, exploit
local potential and position the city within
the outward macro context of regional,
national and global development. A wellplanned city can directly improve by 15%
its employment rate by means of increased
construction and urban basic service
provision.
8
City-dwellers themselves –
particularly the poorest and most
vulnerable – must remain the primary
beneficiaries. These are the primary
stakeholders who directly and personally
experience a city on a daily basis. The ‘right
to the city’ remains a powerful principle for
ensuring that the collective interest of a city
prevails. A human rights-based approach
is the only way to uphold the dignity of all
urban residents in the face of multiple rights
violations, including the right to decent
living conditions.

11. UN-HABITAT INFLUENCING URBAN CHANGE
• Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development (HABITAT III) to be held in 2016, will outline a new
Urban Agenda to respond to the new challenges and to raise the strategic, political and media profile for sustainable urban
development.
• Focus on Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals processes to take into
account urban challenges.
• Recognition of UN member states at the Rio+20 outcome document, “The Future We Want”, that: “if they are well planned
and developed, including through integrated planning and management approaches, cities can promote economically, socially
and environmentally sustainable societies. In this regard, we recognize the need for a holistic approach to urban development
and human settlements that provides for affordable housing and infrastructure and prioritizes slum upgrading and urban
regeneration…” (paragraph 134)
24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL
9

12. UN-HABITAT’S NEW SUBSTANTIVE PRIORITIES
FIGURE 1: UN-HABITAT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
e
ng
c
ate
ha
IONAL OFFICES AND
REG
CO
UN
TR
Y
PR
O
OJ
P
EC
T
u
c li m
s such as gender, youth,
in g
u tt
eb
n
no
fc
ee
ros
etw
ce of M a g e m e nt
an
s-c
O ffi
is s u e
Office of External Relations,
Governing Council Secretariat,
Liaison Offices
Strategic Planning, Legal,
Evaluation
rm
ati
ve
and
op er
atio n al w o r k e
iii.
Urban economy and prosperity; and
i.
Urban legislation, land and
governance;
iv.
Urban basic services (including
energy and mobility).
ii.
Urban planning and design;
In implementing these programme areas;
UN-Habitat is promoting two lines of action,
U N - H A B I TAT
dh
Office of the Executive Director
To effectively translate these ideas into
reality, UN-Habitat has prioritized four areas
in its substantive work:
10
an
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTION
AND MANAGEMENT
y
Glu
The third pre-requisite of planned urban
expansion is adequate technical capacity to
plan, develop and manage the city and all
other forms of human settlements. Urban
planning should be clear and simple, and
should allow for a multiphase approach. It
should define and preserve public space.
RAMME SUPPO
RT
OG
PR
cit
apa
nd C h
R e s e a r c h a B ra n c
B u il d i n g
The second is improved governance
capacity. The transition from spontaneous
urbanization to planned urbanization
requires institutional capacity at both the
national and local levels.
ts
The first is effective political commitment
to urban planning. Planned urbanization
requires robust political commitment and
also capacity to manage differences, land
disputes and conflicts of interest. In a
democratic context, planned urbanization
requires political legitimacy, trust and the
rule of law.
ri g h
NS
TIO
A
ER
E
IC
FF
O
ma
n
What can be done to address current
urban challenges and to ensure that
cities and towns of the world improve
their effectiveness as tools for national
development? There are three fundamental
principles that UN-Habitat promotes.
ma
n s u rin g
in st
re
i
am
ng
o
the first at national level, i.e. the elaboration
of National Urban Policy, and the second
mainly at the local level, i.e. properly
Planned City Extensions.

13. NATIONAL URBAN POLICIES PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR
FUTURE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
NATIONAL URBAN POLICIES AS A KEY TOOL FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In a context in which mobility, information and opportunities are constantly improving, and where there is a risk of fostering
inefficient and unsustainable urban-sprawl, UN-Habitat promotes the implementation of long-term “National Urban Policies”
(NUP) as flagship solutions for both fast-urbanising and sustainably transitioning countries. Aiming at a more qualified process
of urbanisation based on Compact, Connected, Integrated and Inclusive towns and cities, this tool strengthens the link between
urbanisation and socio-economic development, through problem-oriented roadmaps and strategic territorial blueprints.
The best reason to opt for a new generation of National Urban Policies comes from a strong evidence base. Over the last decades,
urbanisation has allowed for fast-growing emergent economies to steadily bridge their socioeconomic gaps with more developed
nations. Urbanisation is positively related to economic growth, to human development and to poverty reduction.
In sum, a National Urban Policy provides a framework for future urbanisation and urban development. It ensures a maximisation
of national and local benefits, urban economies of agglomerations, and at the same time a mitigation of potential adverse
externalities. It also helps coordination amongst different sectors and ministries, thus placing urban development at the highest
stage of strategic decision-making, as a prime strategy for national socio-economic development.
Therefore, National Urban Policies essentially seek to provide practical answers on how governments need to accommodate for the
next generations of urban population, on how many different phases are necessary, and on how challenges should be appropriately
addressed.
24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL
11

14. PROPERLY PLANNED CITY EXTENSIONS PROVIDE A LOCAL
PATH TO SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION, PARTICULARLY IN
CONCERT WITH NATIONAL URBAN PLANS
PLANNED CITY EXTENSION AS A KEY TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Urban growth of the past 30 years has largely resulted in crowded slums and sprawling settlements in the urban fringe. Cities are
consuming more and more land to accommodate new developments. In most regions, urban land has grown much faster than
urban population, resulting in less dense and in general more inefficient land use patterns. In addition, this is often happening in
the absence of a viable spatial structure. Pressure on land also results in increased land prices, while low density makes it costly and
inefficient to provide services and infrastructure. The overall efficiency of settlements is reduced and city development hindered.
Mechanisms for ensuring an orderly extension and densification of existing and planned neighborhoods are needed in order to
provide the city with a spatial structure that can support socio-economic and environmental sustainability. In order to create this
structure, city extension and densification plans are needed to enable cities to accommodate the expected urban growth in the next
decades in a sustainable way. Urban plans can provide for sufficient public space and street space organised in an urban structure
that minimizes transport and service delivery costs, optimizes the use of land, and supports the protection and organization of
urban open spaces. Densification initiatives include subsurban densification, area redevelopment and slum upgrading, layout of new
areas with higher densities, brownfield development, building conversions, and transit-oriented developments.
The aim of this combined approach is to increase residential and economic densities and thus support economies of agglomeration,
while guiding new development to areas which are better suited for urbanization, thus better preserving the environment and
increasing resilience.
The results achieved through the development of city extensions and densification plans are:
a.
b.
c.
d.
a spatial structure will be created in order to support urban development and attract investments;
large areas of land will be made available for development thus reducing land prices and speculation;
urban densities will increase incrementally accommodating population growth more efficiently;
the city’s ecological footprint will be minimized through more compact city patterns.
Additional benefits of this approach include:
a. economic agglomeration advantages, including lower costs of providing infrastructure and services;
b. strengthened social interactions and reduced mobility demand;
c. mixed use of land that increases social heterogeneity and generates economic densities.
12
U N - H A B I TAT

15. UN-HABITAT FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
The financial framework of UN-Habitat
comprises three sources of funding:
1. United Nations regular budget
allocations approved by the United
Nations General Assembly;
2. United Nations Habitat Foundation
funded by voluntary contributions. The
foundation is split into the foundation
general purpose, which funds core
activities, and foundation special
purpose for specific activities;
3. Technical cooperation contributions
and Trust Funds funded by voluntary
contributions for specific regional and
country level projects.
FIGURE 4: UN-HABITAT ANNUAL BUDGET IMPLEMENTED FROM 2008-2012
2008
2009
Year
UN-Habitat runs currently more than
200 technical cooperation programs and
projects in 75 countries, employing well
over 2,000 staff.
2010
2011
2012
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
(Amount in USD)
Regular budget UNA
Foundation Earmarked
Technical Cooperation Overhead
Foundation Programme Support
Technical Cooperation Earmarked
FIGURE 5: UN-HABITAT 2012 SOURCES OF FUNDS*
68% Traditional Donor Countries
32% Non-traditional source of funding
14% UN Agencies/Pooled Funding
1% Development Banks
4% Private sector
2% Municipalicities
6% Other Donor Countries
5% Emerging Donor Countries
* Traditional Donor Countries according to the OECD are those countries members of the
Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Under Emerging Donor countries we include
other important providers of development co-operation which are not DAC members.
According to OECD they can be classified in three sub-groups: countries with new or recently
revived, aid programmes, providers of South-South co-operation (developing countries,
middle income countries and emerging economies that share expertise and financial support
with other countries) and Arab Donors (some of them have been engaged in development
cooperation for decades). Other donor countries include other governments contributing to
UN-Habitat not included under the aforementioned categories.
24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL
13

16. UN-HABITAT PORTFOLIO 2013
UN-Habitat has a portfolio of USD 716
million as at 31 January 2013, with an
outstanding value of USD 217 million to be
implemented. UN-Habitat has more than
200 projects located in different regions.
FIGURE 6: UN-HABITAT PORTFOLIO PER REGION
Asia & Pacific 77,255,721
Global 55,041,525
Africa 46,311,766
Arab States 17,168,004
Latin America and the Caribbean 11,106,026
Europe & Former Soviet Union States 4,033,714
(Amount in USD)
FIGURE 7: UN-HABITAT PORTFOLIO PER THEMATIC BRANCH
Urban Basic Services 65,223,939
Housing and Slum Upgrading 40,564,930
Urban Planning & Design 32,233,092
Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation 26,936,305
Urban Land, Legislation & Governance 13,774,377
Urban Economy 7,381,862
Research and Capacity Development 3,463,281
(Amount in USD)
14
U N - H A B I TAT

17. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Appointed Executive Director of the United
Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat) at the level of Under-SecretaryGeneral by the United Nations General
Assembly, Dr. Joan Clos took office at the
Programme’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya
on 18 October 2010.
Dr. Joan Clos
United Nations Under-Secretary-General
and Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Born in Barcelona on 29 June 1949, he is a
medical doctor with a distinguished career
in public service and diplomacy. He was
twice elected Mayor of Barcelona serving
two terms during the years 1997-2006.
He was appointed Minister of Industry,
Tourism and Trade of Spain (2006-2008). In
this role, he helped rationalize the Iberian
Energy Market in line with European Union
Policies. Prior to joining the United Nations,
he served as Spanish ambassador to Turkey
and Azerbaijan.
He is a medical graduate from the
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
(UAB), specialized in Public Health
and Epidemiology, at the University of
Edinburgh (Scotland). Dr. Clos then joined
the Barcelona Municipal Government as
Director of Public Health in 1979.
As a city councillor between 1983 and
1987, he earned a reputation for improving
municipal management and for urban
renewal projects, notably managing the
renovation of downtown Barcelona’s Ciutat
Vella district. From 1990 to 1994 he was
Deputy Mayor in change of Finance and
Budgeting, playing a key role during the
1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Joan Clos is also widely credited with
inspiring far reaching investment
programmes for Barcelona. One of the
most ambitious was the Barcelona@22
programme which gave the city’s
dilapidated industrial zones a facelift.
In 2004 one of these newly refurbished
neighbourhoods near the old dockyards was
chosen as the site for the second gathering
of UN-Habitat’s World Urban Forum.
At the international level, in 1998 he
was elected President of Metropolis, the
international network of cities. Two years
later, he was elected President of the World
Association of Cities and Local Authorities,
(WACLAC). Between 2000 and 2007, he
served as Chairman of the United Nations
Advisory Committee of Local Authorities,
(UNACLA). And between 1997 and 2003,
he was member of the Council of European
Municipalities and Regions, (CEMR).
Dr. Clos received a number of awards
which include a gold medal from the Royal
Institute of British Architects in 1999 for
transforming Barcelona. In 2002, he won
the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award for
encouraging global cooperation between
local authorities and the United Nations.
24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL
15

18. DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon appointed Ms. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira of
the Republic of Rwanda as Deputy Executive
Director and Assistant Secretary-General for
UN-Habitat on 11 October 2011.
Ms. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira
Assistant Secretary-General
and Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Ms. Kirabo is the former Governor of
Eastern Province, the largest in Rwanda
with a population of 2.5 million. Prior to
that, she was Mayor of Kigali City (2006 2011), one of the fastest urbanizing cities
in the world. In recognition of the high level
of cleanliness, greenness, safety and the
sustainable, affordable housing initiatives
combined with pro-poor urban employment
opportunities, under Ms. Kirabo’s
leadership, Kigali won the UN-Habitat Scroll
of Honour Award in 2008.
Prior to her position as Mayor, Ms. Kirabo
was an Elected Member of Parliament
(and member of Parliamentary Standing
Committee in charge of land use and
management, settlement and environment),
she actively participated in the legislative
and over-sight functions of parliament in
addition to community mobilization.
Ms. Kirabo brings to this position a broad
knowledge and experience of over 15
years in senior management and strategic
16
U N - H A B I TAT
leadership in Government and NonGovernment institutions; both national and
international.
In her new role, Ms. Kirabo assists the
Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, in the
overall management of UN-Habitat to
achieve its mandate, and will support the
new UN-Habitat agenda to face urban
challenges by strengthening policies to
generate more equitable, wealthy and
sustainable cities. Among her many
important responsibilities, Ms. Kirabo
supports Dr. Clos in advancing the key
reviews currently underway at UN-Habitat,
including the review of UN-Habitat’s
strategic priorities for the coming years
leading to Habitat III in 2016.
Ms. Kirabo was educated at James Cook
University, Australia where she gained her
Masters in Veterinary Science in Animal
Production and Economics and at Makerere
University, Uganda where she gained her
Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine.

20. Support our projects
www.unhabitat.org