The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced Secretary Julián Castro will lead a group of government, public sector, non-governmental, academic, and philanthropic leaders to prepare for U.S. involvement in Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development scheduled to take place in 2016.
As the chairman of U.S. National Preparatory Committee, Castro, in coordination with the State Department and other Federal agencies, will work with leading policy thinkers to use Habitat III to share approaches and ideas to address vexing urban and housing challenges in the U.S. and across the globe.
In 1976, the United Nations convened Habitat I in Vancouver, Canada, which sparked an international conversation on urban issues. Twenty years later, at the Habitat II conference in Istanbul, Turkey, world leaders endorsed the Habitat Agenda as a global action plan to create adequate shelter for all. At Habitat III, participants will analyze progress made on commitments made at Habitat II and Member States will develop a “New Urban Agenda” that addresses 21st Century urban challenges and harnesses the tremendous potential of cities to promote sustainable development globally.
For more information, visit www.hud.gov.
