Pretoria: South Africa's initiative to enhance sustainable, inclusive, and resilient human settlements has been significantly bolstered by the inauguration of a dedicated UN-Habitat Country Office in the region.
According to South African Government News Agency, Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, together with UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacl¡udia Rossbach, officially opened the office in the City of Tshwane, Gauteng. This event marks a new phase in the longstanding collaboration between South Africa and the United Nations agency, focusing on transforming human settlements, improving informal settlements, and advancing sustainable urbanization.
Minister Simelane emphasized that the establishment of the country office is a crucial step in integrating sustainable urbanization and human settlements development into the broader United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, aligning with South Africa's national priorities.
South Africa has gained international recognition for its efforts to provide adequate housing and upgrade informal settlements through its partnership with UN-Habitat. Minister Simelane expressed gratitude for UN-Habitat's support, which has helped the country address poverty, ensure adequate shelter, and deliver essential services.
UN-Habitat, established in 1975, facilitates transformative changes in cities globally through knowledge sharing, policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action. The UN-Habitat Country Programme for South Africa, adopted in September 2023, aligns with the country's national priorities and constitutional mandate to provide adequate housing. It supports the National Development Plan and the Medium-Term Development Plan 2024-2029 by focusing on spatial integration and capacity-building within local government.
Minister Simelane highlighted the program's role in advancing the Comprehensive Plan for the Creation of Sustainable Human Settlements, which aims to transform informal settlements and improve substandard housing conditions.
Beyond domestic efforts, the partnership with UN-Habitat is poised to bolster Africa's urban development agenda and contribute to Agenda 2063 - The Africa We Want. The initiative aims to establish a consolidated Southern African Development Community (SADC) agenda on human settlements.
This launch follows several years of cooperation between South Africa and UN-Habitat, including a significant meeting in October 2022 between the former Human Settlements Minister and former UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif. The discussions led to the Global Action Plan on Transforming Informal Settlements and Slums and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration on Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.
The newly launched office aims to strengthen collaboration among government, UN-Habitat, UN agencies, development partners, and stakeholders in the human settlements sector. It seeks to promote integrated urban interventions, capture global best practices, and develop solutions based on international experience and local realities.
Minister Simelane urged all stakeholders to leverage this new platform to deepen their commitment to creating safe, inclusive, and dignified human settlements, reaffirming the collective vision of sustainable and prosperous communities.