UNECE experts are visiting Armenia this week to conduct the research mission for the second Country Profile on Housing and Land Management of Armenia. The recommendations to be formulated in the Country Profile will form the basis of the country’s national action plan on sustainable housing and urban development. 

The Republic of Armenia is committed to improve its housing condition and urban development. The country is actively working towards the preparation of the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – HABITAT III (October 2016) and has already   submitted its national report on housing and urban development to the secretariat of the conference.

UNECE formalized its cooperation with the Government of Armenia on 9 April 2015 via two Memoranda of Understanding, with the Ministry of Urban Development and the UNDP office in Armenia. These provide the framework for cooperation for the Country Profile and for the development of a smart city pilot project in the town of Goris, initiated within the UNECE-led “United Smart Cities” initiative. As a result, UNECE and UNDP Armenia will support Armenia in conducting the analysis of the housing and urban development situation and developing specific policy recommendations and action plans at both country and municipal levels.  

Commenting on this cooperation, the Minister of Urban Development of the Republic of Armenia Narek Sargsyan stated that, “The mission of urban development is to create a human habitat that is favourable, safe, and enabled with high aesthetic features, including all the multifunctional and sophisticated processes of urban development. International organizations, national and local self-government, private sector and civil society should join their efforts for reaching that goal.”

Coherent actions of the government and international partner organizations, efficiently facilitated by the UNECE, will be an essential stimulus for implementation of the national goals of sustainable urban development prioritized by the Republic of Armenia, which in its turn will be a contribution in the global action towards the implementation of the New Global Urban Agenda. 

Note to editors

The Country Profiles on Housing and Land Management are a flagship activity of, UNECE, performed under the Committee on Housing and Land Management. These studies provide tools for governments to analyse and assess their policies and strategies on housing, urban development and land management, as well as the institutional and financial frameworks for these sectors.

The UNECE “United Smart Cities” project is conducted in cooperation with the Organization for International Economic Cooperation (OiER), Environmental Agency Austria (EAA), UN-Habitat, the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), and many other organisations. This project aims to help cities in transition and developing countries to promote their sustainable growth while focusing on a more transparent and efficient use of their natural and human resources. Participation in this project allows cities to gain an easier access to new technologies and will support them in improving the quality of life of their inhabitants.

For more information, please visit website: http://www.unece.org/housing.html

Or contact:  

Gulnara Roll, Head
Housing and Land Management Unit
[email protected]