KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has achieved a historic milestone after being officially elected as the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) president for the 2025 to 2029 term.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, in a Facebook post last night, said that Malaysia received unanimous support from all 193 member states in the election.
“The official announcement was made during the Bureau Officers Election session at the UN-Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, today,” he said.
Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the UN-Habitat Assembly was established in 1975 and elevated to a full program at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2001.
It is the highest global decision-making body on sustainable urbanisation and human settlements, convening every four years and playing a crucial role in shaping global policies for cities and communities.
As president, Malaysia will work closely with the UN-Habitat Executive Board and global partners to strengthen multilateral cooperation, promoting inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable cities worldwide.
Meanwhile, in his speech at the assembly, Nga urged member states to redouble efforts to implement the New Urban Agenda.
He said this is to ensure the strengthening of multilateralism and the Habitat Agenda.
“We hope that you will continue to support the call for a High-Level Meeting on the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda, especially as 2026 marks 10 years after its adoption at Habitat III in Quito.
He also emphasised the need to cooperate in line with the principle of People-Public-Private-Partnership (4Ps).
“We are stronger together when we continue sharing knowledge, foster partnerships, and ensure that no one and no place is left behind in our urbanising world.
“During my term as president of the assembly, let us strengthen UN-Habitat as a platform for thinking and doing. Let us ensure that the voices of local governments, women, youth, civil society, and vulnerable communities are taken into consideration when we develop policies and design action plans,” he said.
Nga said a Joint Bureau meeting will be held in Penang, Malaysia on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Conference of Ministers of Housing & Urban Development this October.
”This will provide an opportunity for joint bureaus to assess the impact of the Assembly and align their support with the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026-2029,” he said.
Apart from that, he added that Malaysia will also play an active role at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, in May next year. – May 31, 2025