World Habitat Day 2022

World Habitat Day is held on the first Monday of October and launches Urban October. The day centres around the global observance, which is held in a different country each year with keynote speakers and roundtable discussions focused on a specific theme. World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 in Nairobi, Kenya, with the theme ‘Shelter is my right’.

On 3 October 2022, the Global Observance of World Habitat Day, under the theme Mind the Gap. Leave No One and No Place Behind, will look at the problem of growing inequality and challenges in cities and human settlements.

Event City and Country
Balikesir, Türkiye (Venue: Avlu Kongre ve Kültür Merkez - Art center)
Event Date
Media Resources
WHD 2022 Factsheet
Messages from the UN Secretary General and the Executive Director
SG's Message for the World Habitat Day

Each year, World Habitat Day focuses attention on the state of human settlements. This year’s theme – ‘Mind the Gap. Leave No One and No Place Behind’ – puts the spotlight on widening inequalities in living conditions across the world. A cascade of challenges – from climate chaos and conflicts to COVID-19 – is hitting the most vulnerable populations the hardest.

ED's Message for the World Habitat Day

The COVID pandemic, recent conflicts and the climate emergency have reversed years of progress in our fight against poverty. Today we are witnessing the emergence of newly poor people – those of us who have fallen into poverty due to the FOUR Cs: Covid, Conflict and Climate Crises. The UN-Habitat’s World Cities Report estimates that up to 163 million newly poor people now live in cities and urban areas. They have lost their income, lack decent housing and cannot access basic services.

Global Observance Speeches and Presentations
Speech at the press conference in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye, ahead of World Habitat Day 2022
Speech at the High-level opening ceremony of the World Habitat Day 2022 in Balikesir, Republic of Türkiye
Speech at the closing ceremony of the World Habitat Day 2022 in Balikesir, Republic of Türkiye
Videos

WHD programme

Concept Note

Event Toolkit

Social Media

Scroll of Honour

2022 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award winners announced

Nairobi, 16 September 2022 – The winners of this year’s UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award, one of the most prestigious prizes presented to those working on sustainable urbanization, have been announced.

This year, there were more than 244 nominations for the award covering individuals, organizations and projects in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The Selection Committee shortlisted 69 submissions.

The nominations were judged based on their contribution to UN-Habitat’s mandate focused on promoting socially and environmentally sustainable cities and human settlements; contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Sustainable Development Goals 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, and potential for scale up. In addition, the Selection Committee looked for innovative responses and solutions around the 2022 World Habitat Day theme “Mind the Gap. Leave No One and No Place Behind” focused on growing inequalities that have been exacerbated by the triple ‘C’ crisis – COVID-19, climate, and conflict. In 2021, there were almost 163 million newly poor people in urban areas, according to the UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2022.

The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award, a plaque engraved with the name of the winning individual, city or institution, will be presented during the global observance of World Habitat Day. This year, the global observance will take place on 3 October 2022 in Balikesir, Republic of Türkiye.

“We have five impressive award winners this year and one special recognition. I want to congratulate the winners and thank them for their contribution and efforts to address sustainable urbanization,” said UN-Habitat’s Executive Director, Maimunah Mohd Sharif. “I am impressed with these innovative ideas and outstanding work. We need more solutions, and we need them now to make sure we close the gap and leave no one and no place behind.”

Winners of the 2022 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award

  • 15'min City Global Initiative

For offering a compelling model with global outreach that facilitates narratives and mobilization on sustainable urban development and is contributing to accelerating the implementation of the New Urban Agenda as a blueprint for the COVID-19 recovery.

  • Mr. Stanley Anigbogu, from Nigeria

For his pioneering use of simple technology and recycling electronic waste to create innovative energy solutions for marginalized communities and families, small business owners and refugees.

  • Ms. Dipti Mahapatro, from Bhubaneswar, India

For her innovative leadership in turning a failing public-private transport service into inclusive, accessible, cleaner and safer urban mass rapid transit system with transformative impacts especially regarding opportunities provided for women.

  • Programa Parceria, Recife, Brazil

For its in-situ approach to undertake disaster risk reduction strategies and enhancing resilience in favelas with a community-based approach that seeks to improve infrastructure in existing settlements and avoid evictions.

  • URBAN Intergroup of the European Parliament

For being effective in enabling European legislation, policies, and financing for sustainable urban development in cities and human settlements which can provide inspiration for parliaments and parliamentary assemblies in other regions of the world.

Special Citation:

            United Cities and Local Governments, UCLG
For its global outreach in promoting networks and alliances and generating technical guidance to local governments worldwide, highlighting the importance of localizing SDGs for tangibility of global agendas and establishing appropriate monitoring systems.

 

Information on the previous World Habitat Day celebrations is available here.

Please feel free to contact us on our email address: unhabitat-whd@un.org

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