First Session of the 2025 UN-Habitat Executive Board Session

Opening Remarks by Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)  

First Session of the 2025 UN-Habitat Executive Board Session 

25 - 27 March 2025 

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Honourable Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development, and Head of the Delegation of the Republic of Kenya 

Dr. Shuaib Belgore, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on behalf of Honourable Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 

Ms. Anaclaudia Rossbach, UN Habitat Executive Director, and my sister and friend, 

Members of the Executive Board, 

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Colleagues,  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Good morning!  I am delighted to welcome you once more to the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) Gigiri complex for the First Session of the 2025 UN-Habitat Executive Board meeting.  

These sessions present key opportunities for Member States and stakeholders to advance the global urban agenda and shape the future of sustainable human settlements. This year is shaping up to be a pivotal one for UN-Habitat and for the UN at large. A major milestone in 2025 will  

Today, we recognize the pressing challenges that continue to shape our work. Urban and rural communities worldwide face vulnerabilities that demand urgent and transformative action. The new vision for UN-Habitat underscores the critical importance of building resilient human settlements—places where housing, land, and basic services are not just fundamental needs but lifelines that empower millions to thrive. 

The UN80 Initiative launched by Secretary-General António Guterres to mark the United Nations’ 80th anniversary is a major milestone in 2025, marking an important moment for the United Nations to stock-take on its past, to inform its vision and alignments going forward. This initiative reinforces the UN’s commitment to reform and modernization, building on ongoing efforts such as UN 2.0 and the Pact of the Future to enhance the organization’s effectiveness in addressing global challenges. 

The 2025 UN Habitat Assembly will present a crucial opportunity to reinforce collective efforts, with key decisions on UN Habitat’s Strategic Plan, a new stakeholder engagement policy, and the International Guidelines on People-Centred Smart Cities which will define the global urban agenda for years to come. UNON stands ready to support UN-Habitat in the successful organization of this pivotal session, ensuring meaningful outcomes for the future of sustainable urbanization. 

At UNON, we are dedicated to continuously improving the services we provide and enhancing our infrastructure to better support our clients. 

I would like to close by expressing heartfelt gratitude to all Member States, partners, NGOs, and stakeholders who have stood by and continue to offer unwavering support to UN-Habitat during this critical period, working towards evolved, resilient, inclusive, sustainable urban solutions. 

We cannot afford to leave anyone or any community behind. We must continue striving for a future where our children and grandchildren for generations to come can positively amplify the roots we set today in equity, progress and sustainability. 

I take this opportunity to wish you all very successful deliberations over the coming days. 

Thank you.