The involvement of all stakeholders while working in the field of human settlements is essential for sustainable urbanization. It is already a recognized fact that, various actors within the civil society have found innovative and lasting solutions to problems faced by the poor, raised awareness, improved capacity at the community level and developed effective ways of increasing co-operation with local and central governments.

In recognition of the achievements of various actors within the urban sector, the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in Istanbul, Turkey in June 1996, was organized as a "Conference of Partners" to provide the fullest opportunity to all the actors in civil society to bring their experiences to the Conference.

As the secretariat to the Habitat II Conference, UN-HABITAT also broke new ground by involving local authorities, the private sector and representatives of civil society to play an active role in the Conference and in formulating the Habitat Agenda. As a legacy of the Habitat II Conference, partnerships and participation now constitute two important strategic objectives of the Habitat Agenda.

UN-HABITAT's focus on partners is twofold: It advocates partnerships and broad-based stakeholder participation as effective means of governance and of improving living conditions for all. It involves partners in the design and implementation of its work programme.
Those thematic groups and various multi stakeholders that have participated in shaping the Habitat Agenda are later recalled as "Habitat Agenda partners" and constitute the following groups:
 

HABITAT AGENDA PARTNERS

• Local Authorities
• Civil Society Organizations
• Parliamentarians
• Private Sector & Foundations
• Women and Youth Groups

OTHERS

• United Nations agencies
• Inter-governmental Organizations
• National Habitat Committees