2003/04/03

Recognize the right to adequate housing, demands rapporteur

Social Watch

A firm recognition to the human right to adequate housing was demanded by the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Miloon Kothari, in his annual report to the UN Human Rights Commission presented in Geneva on April 1st 2003. In his report he mentions the significant input that constitutes the 2003 Social Watch Report, “The Poor and the Market”. He also acknowledged that “he is inspired by the diligent work of civil society in supporting his mandate and contributing towards securing housing rights for all.”

In this report, the Special Rapporteur expresses the need to create strategic alliances with NGOs and networks, among which Social Watch is mentioned, aiming at monitoring the fulfillment of the right to adequate housing, and studying the impact of globalisation regarding the right to adequate housing and other related rights, as well as performing surveys on women and adequate housing.

The report highlights several emerging issues:  water and sanitation as essential elements for the realization of the right to adequate housing; the need to undertake further research on innovative local responses to globalisation in urban and rural development; the need for rights-based indicators and assessment tools for monitoring Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other relevant outcomes of major United Nations conferences and summits that contribute to the realization of rights relevant to his mandate.

An executive summary and the complete report are available at:

http://www.unhchr.ch/housing/