Singapore’s Participation at the Resumed Session of the Second UN-Habitat Assembly

CLC’s Executive Director, Hugh Lim, led a delegation representing Singapore, at the Resumed Session of the Second United Nations Habitat (UN-Habitat) Assembly¹ from 29 to 30 May 2025.

The second Assembly was held in June 2023. However, member states agreed to a Resumed Session in 2025 to better align with UN-Habitat’s planning cycle with the UN development system’s policy review. This year, the resumed Session continued discussions under the theme “A sustainable urban future through inclusive and effective multilateralism: achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in times of global crises.”.

Supporting Multilateralism and Global Cooperation

As the Head of the Singapore delegation, Hugh delivered remarks at the high-level Dialogue on “Affordable Housing for All” during the Assembly Panel. He joined the global discourse on how housing policies could drive poverty reduction, job creation, climate action and crisis recovery, and share examples of Singapore’s public housing policies.

Singapore also supported the following at the Assembly Plenary:

• The adoption of the Strategic Plan for the Period 2026-2029 which provides UN-Habitat the official mandate and roadmap to promote transformative changes in cities and human settlements, and drive positive outcomes through knowledge sharing, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to mobile action; and

• The unanimous election of member states to the Executive Board and Bureau of the Assembly. 

Strengthening engagements with UN-Habitat

ED/CLC with UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach

CLC has always had a close working relation with UN-Habitat with thought leaders participating at the World Cities Summit, and capability development programmes such as the Singapore UN-Habitat International Leaders in Urban Programme.

On the sidelines of the Session, Hugh and the delegation took the opportunity to further connect with UN-Habitat’s Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach. He reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to continue working with UN-Habitat through these collaborations to promote socially and environmentally sustainable cities and housing settlements in line with the 2030 Global Agenda on Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda. 

Kenya’s Housing Cabinet Secretary Hon. Alice Wahome (left); Deputy Governor of Nairobi, James Muchiri (right)

Hugh also took the time to catch up and acquaint with city and federal leaders including Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Developments, Hon. Alice Wahome; the newly elected President of the UN-Habitat Assembly (2025-2027) and Malaysia’s Minister for Housing and Local Government, Nga Kor Ming; and the Deputy Governor of Nairobi, James Muchiri. The former two had spoken on high-level plenaries at the World Cities Summit in 2024.

 Contributed by: MaryAnne Pan, Deputy Director, Capability Development

¹ The United Nations Habitat Assembly is the governance body of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the highest global decision-making body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements.