United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Mandate
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
In Kosovo since: 1999
At a glance:
- In follow to its establishment in Kosovo, UN-HABITAT has been promoting good governance, security of tenure, sustainable human settlements development and inclusive spatial planning.
- UN-HABITAT’s initial interventions in Kosovo were focused on the establishment of institutions to work with property issues as the Housing and Property Directorate, the Kosovo Cadastre Agency, the Institute for Spatial Planning within the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and building capacities for efficient management of local governments through LoGo (Local Government Programme) and Municipal Support Prorgramme.
- Through UN-HABITAT support a new planning system has been developed and institutionalized at central and municipal level.
- UN-HABITAT provided technical support in drafting a new system and legislation framework for planning; assisting the post-conflict transition from the former centralised, top-down planning system towards an inclusive, participatory and multi-disciplinary approach to planning.
Its program activities were mainly focus on:
- Assisting municipalities in the actual drafting municipal and urban development plans in an inclusive, participatory and gender-sensitive manner through providing on-the-job assistance and guidance to municipal planning bodies, local government officials, and civil society organizations and private sector;
- Strengthening the dialogue between municipal and central level on issues related to local level policy, legislative and planning issues to increase harmonization in the field of inclusive, strategic and action-oriented spatial planning;
- Building capacities among civil society organizations and private sector to actively participate in the consensus-building on spatial development planning at the municipal level and be an informed partner for local governments in the planning process while advocating for the needs of specific social groups, both men and women, boys and girls as part of good governance practices;
- Supporting action planning and assisting in developing pilot action projects identified through the planning process.
Contacts:
UN-HABITAT Office
Ms. Krystina Galezia
Tel: +381 (0) 38 517 835
Fax: +381 (0) 38 517 836
Address: Nazmi Gafuri Street, 33 (top floor)
10000 Pristina, Kosovo
Email:garth.krystyna.galezia@unhabitat-kosovo.org
More on Web: www.unhabitat-kosovo.org and www.unhabitat.org