The United Nations Housing Rights Programme (UNHRP) is a joint initiative of the United Nations Human Settlement Program (UN-HABITAT) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) mandated and endorsed by their respective governing bodies and the GA, and launched in 2002 by the Executive Director of HABITAT and the High Commissioner of Human Rights.  The initiative’s objective is to support the efforts by governments, civil society and national human rights institutions to realize the right to adequate housing as described in international human rights declarations and reaffirmed in the Habitat Agenda.

To achieve this objective the UNHRP is involved in the following actions at the global level:

• Development of standards and guidelines;
• Elaboration of existing international legal instruments and support for enhanced compliance by governments; and
• Development of a system to monitor and evaluate progress in the realization of housing rights.