Huairou Commission Advocates for Gender-Inclusive Urban Development at UN-Habitat Executive Board Meeting

From March 25-27, 2025, the Huairou Commission, an ECOSOC accredited civil society organization, participated as an observer in the 1st Session of the 2025 UN-Habitat Executive Board Meeting. One of the main agendas of the meeting was to discuss the draft strategic plan of UN-Habitat for the period 2026–2029. Discussions during the meeting also highlighted the growing global housing crisis, which affects 2.8 billion people, with 1.1 billion currently living in informal settlements. 

Ann Wanjiru Mbuthia, from Mathare Legal Aid & Human Rights Advocacy (MLAHRA), Kenya, delivered an oral statement on behalf of Violet Shivutse, Global Chair of Huairou’s Governing Council. The Huairou Commission welcomed UN-Habitat’s strategic priorities on housing, land access, and basic services and stressed the need for integrating gender equity and women’s leadership in urban planning, governance, and resource mobilization. As a longstanding partner of UN-Habitat, the Huairou Commission reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for women’s empowerment, inclusive and gender-just urban development, calling for strengthened partnerships, multi-level governance, and data-driven decision-making to ensure sustainable and resilient communities worldwide.

Read our full statement here: https://huairou.org/staging2025/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/HC-Oral-Statement-UN-Habitat-Executive-Board-Meeting-March-25-2025.pdf