Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) have formalised a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 16 January 2026 at UNITAR Headquarters in Geneva. The agreement was signed by Ms Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, and Ms Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
The partnership directly addresses a stark implementation gap: while 1.1 billion people live in informal settlements and 2.8 billion face inadequate housing, local governments often lack the technical tools, data, and trained personnel to respond effectively. By combining UNITAR's training infrastructure, which reached 161,000 local officials through 32 training centres in 2025, with UN-Habitat's urban development frameworks, the agreement creates specific delivery mechanisms for upgrading slums, improving water services, and localizing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Strategic Alignment for Urban Impact
The MoU brings together UN-Habitat's normative leadership on sustainable urban development with UNITAR's system-wide training and learning expertise. This collaboration directly supports both organisations' strategic priorities and responds to the UN80 reform agenda, calling for greater system-wide coherence and joint delivery at the local level.
UN-Habitat's Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 introduces a focused approach on access to adequate housing, land, and basic services for all, with particular attention to the transformation of informal settlements and slums. Current projections show that without major intervention, urban poverty will continue to concentrate in informal settlements, where infrastructure deficits leave residents vulnerable to climate impacts, disease, and displacement.
UNITAR trained more than 550,000 beneficiaries in 2025, with nearly one-third reached through its CIFAL Global Network of affiliated training centres, positioning the institute to scale UN-Habitat's technical guidance into municipal practice.
