Every October, UN-Habitat and partners organize a month of activities, events and discussions on urban sustainability. This year, Urban October activities will begin with World Habitat Day on 5 October.

The purpose of World Habitat Day is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns. World Habitat Day was established in 1985 by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 40/202, and was first celebrated in 1986. It takes place on the first Monday of October.

The theme of World Habitat Day 2020 is Housing For All: A better Urban Future, and the Global Observance will be hosted by the city of Surabaya, in Indonesia.

Scroll of Honour

The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour award was launched in 1989 and is one of the most prestigious human settlements award in the world. It aims to acknowledge initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in the field of human settlements, provision of housing, highlighting the plight of people living in poverty or who have been displaced, developing and improving human settlements and the quality of urban life to leave no one behind echoing the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 with emphasis on Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

The award, a plaque engraved with the name of the winner, is presented during the Global Observance of World Habitat Day of the same year and the last time it was presented was in 2018.

Individuals, organizations, the private sector, government, non-governmental, bilateral and multi-lateral aid agencies dealing with sustainable projects which have had great impact in society, and any Habitat Agenda partner who has improved the lives of people can be nominated for the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour.

The call for Nomination of the 2020 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour is now closed. Nominees have been informed on the outcome of the selection and the Press Release on the winners is here. The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour awards will be presented at the Global Observance of the World Habitat Day in Surabaya, Indonesia on 5 October 2020.

More: https://urbanoctober.unhabitat.org/whd