Leveraging Human Security for Integrated Urban Solutions and Housing - Lessons from Joint UN Action

This One UN event will demonstrate how the Housing and Human Security for All model is being used across joint UN programmes to help cities design integrated, people centered urban solutions. Drawing on experiences from Tripoli (Lebanon), Ciudad Juárez (Mexico), Durban (South Africa) and others, the event will show how coordinated UN action supports cities in addressing multifaceted risks related to housing, safety, social cohesion, climate pressures, service access and governance. The event will highlight outcomes from UN joint programmes funded by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security, including the Lebanon programme implemented by UN-Habitat, UNWomen, and UNICEF. In overcrowded neighborhoods facing deteriorated housing and limited services, the programme strengthened social cohesion, improved access to essential services, and expanded opportunities for vulnerable refugee and host communities. These results demonstrate how human security driven UN cooperation can enhance safety, inclusion, and resilience. The event will also showcase Human Security Participatory Appraisals, a diagnostic tool used by UN agencies, including UN-Habitat, UNODC and OHCHR, and cities to identify overlapping vulnerabilities and guide multisectoral planning. Examples from Ciudad Juárez and Durban will illustrate how these appraisals informed local strategies integrating housing with safety initiatives, mobility, climate adaptation, and community centered planning. Through a moderated discussion, UN agencies and city representatives will reflect on how joint UN support, grounded in the human security approach, breaks silos, enhances coherence, and accelerates progress toward the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda. The session will highlight actionable recommendations for strengthening One UN approach and expanding the use of human security based tools to improve housing outcomes and build more resilient and inclusive cities. Objectives: • Demonstrate how the human security approach strengthens joint UN programming on housing and urban resilience. • Highlight results from Tripoli, Ciudad Juárez and Durban showing improvements in safety, housing, and service access. • Showcase the human security based tools for integrated, multisectoral planning. • Promote collaboration across UN agencies, local governments, and communities to advance the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda. • Inspire replication and scale up of human security oriented approaches in other cities and UN programmes.