Today, HIC-HLRN has responded to UN-Habitat’s survey for Participation of Local Authorities and Other Habitat Agenda Partners in the Habitat III Preparatory Process. In a 5 June 2014 letter, Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-Habitat and Secretary-General of the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) requested initial ideas and inputs from Habitat International Coalition – Housing and Land Rights Network on how the United Nations might engage with UN-Habitat and HIC-HLRN’s constituency in the Habitat III preparatory process. The upcoming 2016 Habitat III organizers explained that they welcome recommendations to assist them toward making the right recommendations to the PrepComm on improved participation of all stakeholders, including in the conduct of the conference itself.

The four survey questions, came at an opportune time for HIC, as the Coalition recently has completed a series of consultations with its Board, Members and broader constituency on these very issues. The findings represent the initial phase of HIC-HLRN preparations for Habitat III, and the global coalition is able to share those responses in the completed questionnaire, submitted today.