UN-Habitat and GLTN to participate in the Arab Ministerial Forum on Housing and Urban Development

Adequate housing is a human right and one of the most pressing human needs, essential for the achievement of several interconnected human rights (dignified life, housing, health, education, etc.) and SDG 11. Adequate housing shortages affect most countries in the Arab region. In areas affected by conflict or natural disasters, provision of adequate housing becomes a priority to respond to the destruction and damaged suffered by the housing stock.

On the occasion of the Arab Ministerial Forum on Housing and Urban Development, which took place in Tripoli, Libya, on 19-20 December, UN-Habitat and the Global Land Tool Network led two technical sessions on land and housing.

The first session, “Why is it so expensive to have a house?” shed light on some of the key underlying factors that made housing and land increasingly unaffordable in the region, and on the policy and programmatic interventions that proved successful in addressing these challenges. Through case studies from Egypt, Lebanon, and Libya, the session highlighted the link between the availability of adequate housing and improved land management, including enhanced land registration, land and property taxation, regulation of the rental markets, and other tools.

The second session, “Land Administration and Land Rights for Peace and Development in Libya,” presented the findings of the recently published report by UN-Habitat and the Global Land Tool Network, "Addressing Land Administration and Land Rights Challenges to Pave the Ground for Peace and Stability in Libya." Developed in consultation with a wide range of Libyan stakeholders and validated during a roundtable in Tripoli in 2022, the report outlined the key features, challenges, and priorities for reforming the land sector to meet the needs of modern Libya.