Solutions Session at the Second World Summit for Social Development

6 November 2025 | 11:30 AM–12:45 PM (Doha) | Room 3

Organized by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), UN-Habitat, Permanent Missions of Canada, Colombia, and Japan to the UN, and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).

Urbanization is reshaping our world, positioning cities as engines of growth, innovation, and connectivity. Yet, when poorly managed, it can deepen poverty and inequality, leading to challenges such as homelessness, informal settlements, and social exclusion. Today, over 1.6 billion people—one in five globally—lack access to adequate housing. This is not just a housing crisis, but a broader challenge to human security, social justice, stability, and sustainable development.

The Housing and Human Security for All model offers a transformative framework that goes beyond physical infrastructure, viewing housing as a social institution that shapes lives and opportunities. It recognizes housing as a foundation for well-being, health, and inclusion, and as both a mirror and a driver of inequalities. The model promotes an integrated, evidence-to-action approach to housing and development policy, aiming to expand opportunities and build equitable, resilient, and inclusive societies.

Within this framework, the Solutions Session will explore how housing can act as a strategic driver of inclusive social development and human security. By focusing on programming, investment, and policy approaches that enable housing initiatives to deliver meaningful social impact, the Session will underscore the importance of a comprehensive approach to reducing vulnerability. It will also highlight the vital role of transparent and inclusive planning in strengthening governance and ensuring that urban development responds to the diverse needs of all residents.

Welcome and Opening Remarks by Mr. Yukio Takasu, UN Special Adviser on Human Security

Framing Remarks by Ms. Rania Hedeye, Regional Director for the Arab States, UN-Habitat

Keynote address on the Housing and Human Security for All model by Dr. Alexandra Abello Colak, London School of Economics and Political Science

Panel Discussion: Housing through human security as a driver of social development

• Mr. Santiago Uribe, Executive Director, Medellín Resilience Office Corporation
• Dr. Roshini Bob, Senior Executive, Directorate of Safety, eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa
• Dr. Felix Munger, Adjunct Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Mr. Tarek Osseiran, Country Programme Manager, UN-Habitat, Lebanon

Closing Remarks and Way Forward by Mr. Pablo Fernandez, Assistant Secretary General for Partnerships, United Cities and Local Governments

The UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), in partnership with UN-Habitat and other partners, has been at the forefront of applying a human security lens to housing, shifting the focus from simply providing shelter to creating conditions where individuals and communities can live free from fear, want, and indignity. These initiatives recognize the deep connections between housing and broader systems, such as employment, health, education, and social protection, and promote coherence across sectors. By linking protective policies with community empowerment, they foster strategies that shield people from risks, such as eviction or climate hazards, while enabling them to shape their futures.

In Lebanon, a UNTFHS programme helped strengthen social stability by improving housing conditions, access to basic services, and inter-communal employment and training in vulnerable urban areas. In Cabo Verde, it is helping to integrate housing into a broader strategy for climate resilience, economic development and social inclusion. In Mexico and South Africa, the UNTFHS piloted urban safety monitoring tools to better understand and respond to interconnected risks. These examples demonstrate that integrated development and cross-sectoral collaboration can address the root causes of vulnerability, bridge policy and practice, and empower both individuals and institutions to foster urban environments that are safe, inclusive, and resilient.