Habitat III Issue Papers - 2: Migration and Refugees in Urban Areas

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Publication language
English
Pages
8pp
Date published
31 May 2015
Type
Factsheets and summaries
Keywords
Development & humanitarian aid, Protection, human rights & security, Forced displacement and migration, Urban, Urban design/planning

The purpose of this Issue Paper is to raise awareness of how inclusive planning for rapid urbanisation, migration and displacement – through improved rights and protection for migrants and refugees, access to adequate services, opportunities and space, and regulations that create an enabling environment – can maximise the skills, resources and creativity of migrants and refugees that drive sustainable development.

The central pillars of the New Urban Agenda, which provide guidance on issues such as urban planning and design and the legal frameworks needed to produce positive outcomes of urbanisation, also offer an opportunity to respond to the needs of migrants, refugees and other displaced in urban areas. Accordingly, the Issue Summary section of this paper discusses the enabling national legal and policy frameworks required to address the vulnerabilities and injustices facing these populations; the need for integrating migration concerns into development planning; and ways forward to bridge humanitarian and development concerns.

This issue paper is part of a series of thematic reports offering a comprehensive, expert-level view of the processes of urbanisation that characterise today’s century of cities — and look forward to what could and should come next. The 22 “issue papers” were submitted by a range of multilateral institutions. They will ultimately be used to guide discussion by 10 formal “policy units”, which will focus on the six thematic issues deemed important for the Habitat III process. Made up of independent experts, these units touch on housing, resilience, equity and other issues. Eventually, they will each provide formal input regarding the crafting and, especially, implementation of the New Urban Agenda.