This event offers an opportunity to place crucial topics for the future of our cities on the discussion agenda, including the link between sustainable mobility, housing, and urban development.

The project "Inclusive, Sustainable, and Smart Cities within the Framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean,", part of the CEPAL-BMZ/GIZ cooperation program, focuses on strengthening the technical and institutional conditions to promote development in urban areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Additionally, CEPAL, MINURVI, MERCOCIUDADES, and the IDB share concerns about having more detailed information to improve the design and implementation of public policies, subsidies, and financing for addressing housing deficits.

Within this context, two sessions are proposed with the participation of national authorities, local governments, and representatives from financial organizations and development support institutions. The panels aim to facilitate dialogue and discussion between local and national levels, with the goal of promoting better urban public policies.

For more information about the event, please click on the link in the right column.

The Forum of Ministers and Highest Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean - MINURVI is the intergovernmental coordination and cooperation entity that promotes the sustainable development of human settlements, and is composed of the ministers of state and governmental authorities under whose jurisdiction are, in their respective countries, matters related to housing and urban development.

In order to address the housing deficit while facing the challenges of climate change and promoting the development of the value chain of sustainable construction and housing, it is imminent to deepen the diagnoses and collaboration between the different actors involved.

In this regard, and in order to provide innovative and effective solutions to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Ministerial Meeting on: Financing for climate change mitigation in urban settlements, which was led by the presidency of Minurvi in charge of Minister Santiago Maggiotti, Minister of Territorial Development and Habitat of Argentina (2022-2023).

The objective of this meeting was to discuss possible strategies to create a regional financing fund that would contribute in a concessional manner to the incremental costs of projects and programs with a significant impact on increasing resilience to climate change and/or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The event took place on April 10 and 11, 2023 at the Kirchner Cultural Center in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It was attended by 28 member countries and ECLAC was represented in its role as Technical Secretariat of Minurvi.

Please scroll down the Agenda below to see the details and download the materials of this activity.

In a context shaped by unprecedented global challenges, the Fifth Housing and Habitat Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean concluded with a unanimous call to consider housing as a fundamental tool to address the climate and social crisis affecting the region. Organized by Habitat for Humanity, in collaboration with strategic partners and convened through the Urban Habitat and Housing Practice Platform (UHPH), the event took place in Bogota, Colombia, from July 31 to August 2, 2023.

The Forum, the only one of its kind in the region, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including government representatives, sustainable development experts, community leaders and academics, who came together to analyze and co-construct comprehensive and innovative solutions that respond to current housing and urban challenges.

The region has faced increasing challenges related to climate change and social inequality, exacerbated by the global health emergency. The housing deficit, which has been a constant challenge, has become even more acute, underscoring the urgent need to address these problems from a comprehensive, horizontally and vertically coordinated and sustainable perspective. In this edition, the central theme was housing as a cornerstone in the fight against the climate crisis and the social problems aggravated by the pandemic.

For three days, experts and various stakeholders interested in housing, urban planning and sustainable development participated in panels, lectures and working sessions to address these critical issues. The participation of the Human Settlements Unit of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) strengthened the connection between the discussions and regional policies.

One of the highlights of the Forum was the panel entitled "Challenges in housing and settlements in the face of climate change and the social crisis," with the participation of Diego Aulestia, Chief of the Unit, who shared valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the region in the area of housing and habitat. The panel presented innovative approaches to ensure decent housing in harmony with the environment and resilient to climate change.

The Fifth Housing and Habitat Forum reaffirmed the commitment of multiple stakeholders to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in the region. It also highlighted the importance of intersectoral collaboration and the joint search for solutions to address emerging challenges.

The presentation by Diego Aulestia, Chief of ECLAC's Human Settlements Unit is available above. More information on the event, as well as the agenda, can be found in the attached link.