UN Charter on Sustainable Housing agreed
Highlights from UNECE meeting on housing and land management
Geneva, 9 October 2014 | Published in Urban, Economy
On 8-9 October, the 75th session of the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management was held in Geneva and was concluded by the agreement on the UN Charter on Sustainable Housing.
The meeting was very successful and it counted on the participation of 132 delegates, representing the governments of ECE member states as well as some international organizations and NGOs. On this occasion, the participants agreed on the text of the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing. Although it is not legally binding, this document represents a major achievement in that it formalizes the commitment of the committee members sustainable and balanced housing policies. The Charter will now have to be officially adopted at a meeting in April next year.
Housing Europe - invited to speak on the first day during a session on 'Towards affordable and social housing' - expressed its support to the Charter, which shows a holistic and integrated approach to housing and considers social, environmental and economic sustainability as key to successful housing policies. It is this type of approach that we call for at the EU level.
Read MoreAnother key document was presented: a draft study 'Social Housing in the UNECE - Models, trends and challenges'. The report shows an interesting and comprehensive overview of trends in social housing after the global financial crisis and includes recommendations to countries in the ECE region, and once it is finalized we will widely circulate it among our members and partners.
The programme of the second day focussed on energy efficiency, smart cities, and urban planning, and it included a presentation on the city of Rakvere by Andres Jaadla, Chair of the Estonian Union of Co-operative Housing Associations and member of Housing Europe's Board.