About UN-HABITAT Mission Statement The mission of UN-HABITAT is to promote sustainable urbanization through policy formulation, institutional reform, capacity-building, technical cooperation and advocacy, and to monitor and improve the state of human settlements worldwide. Objectives The objective of UN-HABITAT is to support Governments and other partners of the Programme to improve the shelter conditions of the world's poor in the adoption of operationally effective governance to promote international cooperation in shelter and sustainable human settlements development Strategy UN-HABITAT’s Strategy for Sustainable Urbanization: Preventive Strategies: slow down the pace of rural-urban migration Strengthen local authorities outside rapidly growing cities Enhance rural livelihood and security Adaptive Strategies and Interventions: fight poverty but not the poor fighting squatting, and not squatters Decent housing Water and sanitation Disaster preparedness & prevention Community-led safer cities initiatives Improved infrastructure Attracting investment Sound urban policies Promoting inclusion, gender awareness and participatory decision–making Building local capacities. Mandate and Background UN-HABITAT, formerly known as UNCHS (Habitat), was established in October 1978 as the lead agency within the United Nations system for coordinating activities in the field of human settlements. It is the focal point for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda – the global plan of action adopted by the international community at the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, in June 1996. Its activities contribute to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development within the context and the challenges of a rapidly urbanizing world. UN-HABITAT, a historic change Resolution A/56/206 adopted by the General Assembly on Friday, 21 December 2001