A summary of the role of professionals as Habitat Agenda Partners

UN-HABITAT appreciates that if sustainable world cities are to be achieved, then it must involve the professionals working in all human settlements related fields. 

According to our definition, such professionals are people from diverse backgrounds and include- but not restricted to- architects, surveyors, urban planners, geographers and lawyers. In other words they can be drawn from any other profession that can practically contribute to a sustainable urbanization.

In the context of rapid urbanization, the skills of professionals matter more than ever – planners, architects, surveyors and engineers can make a difference. They need to work together and as partners with governments, communities and UN-HABITAT. Partnerships engaging the Human Settlements Professionals are key to practical sustainability in cities, particularly in delivering sustainable urbanization at scale. 

The history of UN-HABITAT’s engagement with Human Settlements Professionals goes back to the Habitat II Conference held in Istanbul in 1996, during which  the Habitat Agenda recognized partnership as a key principle for its future work. Understanding this important principle, and the appeal to all partners, three years later, the Habitat Professionals Forum  was established under the auspices of UN-HABITAT in New York.