UN-Habitat sub-regional office for southern Africa launched in Botswana
Yang Wenyan, UN resident coordinator in Botswana, noted that the new hub positions UN-Habitat to better serve Southern Africa by functioning as a platform for policy advice, capacity development, and knowledge exchange. Key focus areas include housing, land governance, smart cities, and climate adaptation.
The United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa was officially launched here on Friday to promote inclusive urbanization through improved service delivery and regional cooperation.
Speaking at the ceremony in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, President Duma Boko emphasised that the UN-Habitat's presence would bolster the country's efforts to achieve affordable housing for all by leveraging global expertise, technical resources, and policy experience.
More To Read
- Nairobi poised as global diplomatic hub with Sh44 billion UN expansion
- Women in Botswana make up 54% of voters, but less than 10% of parliament: political parties can change that
- Botswana vice president will double as finance minister
- Botswana's BDP party loses power in election, local media report
- Botswana heads to the polls with diamond downturn in focus
- Diamond-rich Botswana votes with President Masisi seeking second term
"Your global expertise, technical resources, and policy experience will be instrumental in helping us design and implement tailored solutions, from informal settlement upgrades and slum prevention to climate-resilient infrastructure and inclusive urban planning for youth and gender equity," Boko said.
He highlighted urbanisation as one of Botswana's major challenges, with nearly 70 per cent of the population now residing in urban areas.
This shift demands innovative approaches to urban planning, governance, and management. To address housing needs, Botswana's National Housing Program aims to deliver 100,000 affordable housing units for low-income earners by 2028, Boko added.
Yang Wenyan, UN resident coordinator in Botswana, noted that the new hub positions UN-Habitat to better serve Southern Africa by functioning as a platform for policy advice, capacity development, and knowledge exchange. Key focus areas include housing, land governance, smart cities, and climate adaptation.
"It enhances our technical support to the government and anchors our efforts in one of today's most dynamic development priorities, urban transformation," Yang said.
Anaclaudia Rossbach, executive director of the UN-Habitat, described the hub as a testament to the shared commitment to tackling the region's most pressing urban challenges.
"This initiative stems from the Memorandum of Understanding between UN-Habitat and Botswana, outlining our collaboration to advance sustainable urban development in line with (African Union) Agenda 2063, the New Urban Agenda, and the (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 11, which aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable," Rossbach explained.
Housed at the United Nation building in Gaborone, the sub-regional hub aims to enhance coordination across Southern Africa, provide tailored technical support, and facilitate knowledge-sharing in critical areas such as housing, land development, urban planning, smart cities, and climate resilience, as well as build local capacity and empower Botswana's young professionals to engage at regional and global levels.
Top Stories Today
