Geneva UN charter on sustainable housing

The scope of the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing is to improve sustainability of housing in the ECE region through effective policies and actions at all levels, supported by international cooperation, in order to contribute to sustainable development in the region. Among its key directions of work and measures to promote sustainable housing, the charter proposes support cities and human settlements adopting and implementing smart city concepts, integrated policies and plans to support: inclusion, including socially mixed communities; resource efficiency; and resilience to climate change and disasters.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides, as well as human generated disasters, have resulted in large-scale damage to housing across the ECE region and present serious challenges for governments and the region. National policies and planning are often inadequate to prevent and minimize damage from disasters and emergency situations. Climate change has become a tangible reality, with rising global temperatures, flooding, storms and landslides affecting people’s lives and assets and causing economic and social losses.