OUR TOPICS AND ACTION

WE ARE FOCUSED ON GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA ISSUES

The Global Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals: A Common Vision and Global Commitment

WFWO is taking action to contribute to the Global Development Agenda for people and the planet and to support the work of the United Nations. WFWO maintains a consultative relationship with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), governed by the principles contained in Council Resolution 1996/31.

WFWO focuses on advocacy and resource mobilization to promote and support the implementation of internationally agreed goals and global commitments. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) contributed significantly to global progress, including a substantial reduction in extreme poverty. Recognizing the achievements of the MDGs, WFWO believes that continued and strengthened action is needed to address poverty and other global challenges.

In this context, WFWO continues to strengthen its mission and contribute to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building on the progress and lessons of the MDGs and supporting efforts to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Partnerships are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and to mobilizing the commitments, efforts, financing, technology, knowledge, and data required for sustainable development. WFWO supports collaboration among civil society organizations, institutions, the private sector, decisionmakers, and other stakeholders to encourage coordinated action towards the achievement of the SDGs.

WFWO works to raise public awareness and encourage action on sustainable development, with particular attention to reaching people and communities who are furthest behind. We support local action and innovation, stronger data systems and institutions, a more sustainable relationship between people and nature, and increased resources for sustainable development.

The Sustainable Development Goals represent a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and improve the lives and prospects of people everywhere. The 17 Goals were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which established a framework for achieving these Goals by 2030.

WFWO recognizes that, although progress has been made in many areas, significant challenges remain and accelerated action is required to achieve the Goals. Our work therefore contributes to the global effort to advance sustainable solutions to major challenges, including poverty, gender equality, climate change, inequality, sustainable development, and the financing gap.

Decade of Action to Deliver the Global Goals

WFWO supports the global call for a Decade of Action to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. We are committed to strengthening partnerships, advocacy, awareness, resource mobilization, and practical action to help advance sustainable development and contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Our vision is to contribute to global efforts that leave no one behind and to support collective action for people and the planet.

With just under ten years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, world leaders at the SDG Summit in September 2019 called for a Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development. They pledged to mobilize financing, strengthen national implementation, and reinforce institutions to achieve the Goals by 2030, leaving no one behind.

The UN Secretary-General called on all sectors of society to mobilize for a decade of action at three levels:

·    Global action: Securing stronger leadership, greater resources, and innovative and effective solutions to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

·       Local action: Embedding the necessary transitions within the policies, budgets, institutions, and regulatory frameworks of national governments, cities, and local authorities.

·       People action: Engaging young people, civil society, the media, the private sector, trade unions, academia, and other stakeholders in building a broad and sustained movement for the transformations required to achieve the Goals.

WFWO supports this call for collective action and encourages partnerships among governments, civil society, the private sector, communities, young people, and other stakeholders to accelerate progress towards sustainable development and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

WFWO AND ITS PARTNERS: TAKING ACTION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

WFWO, together with its financial partners and the Resource Mobilization Task Force established by WFWO’s Management, takes concrete initiatives to support sustainable development programmes in developing countries. These initiatives are undertaken in close cooperation with local authorities, local communities, NGOs, CBOs, and other stakeholders to contribute to the implementation of global commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Sustainable Development Goals provide a shared blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. The 17 Goals are interconnected and achieving them requires coordinated action to ensure that no one is left behind.   Solid Home Housing (SHH)

WFWO/SOLID HOME HOUSING (SHH) Project Facility: Focus on Social Housing

WFWO and its partners focus on social housing and resource mobilization as important areas of action in support of global communities, particularly in developing countries. Through the WFWO/SHH Project Facility, WFWO seeks to contribute to the Global Development Agenda by supporting adequate, affordable, safe, resilient, and sustainable social housing.

Social housing is an important component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and can contribute to the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals. Adequate and affordable housing can generate benefits in health, education, employment, economic opportunity, and community development.

Improving social housing can help families and communities overcome conditions associated with poverty and vulnerability. These improvements can also contribute to reducing inequality and strengthening resilience to economic, social, environmental, and natural hazards.

Actions to promote adequate and affordable social housing can have multiple positive effects and can support the implementation of other global development frameworks and strategies, including the New Urban Agenda, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement.

The WFWO/SHH Project Facility recognizes the transformational potential of housing in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It provides a framework for action, research, partnership development, and analysis of the contribution of housing to the SDGs and their targets and indicators.

The WFWO/SOLID HOME HOUSING (SHH) Project Facility and the 2030 Agenda

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development embraces core principles including universality, interconnectedness and indivisibility, inclusiveness, and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

The right to adequate housing is an important element of these principles and is reflected across the Sustainable Development Goals. Adequate housing has long been an area of interest for WFWO and its partners as part of their commitment to supporting human development and contributing to the implementation of the SDGs.

WFWO and its partners seek to strengthen efforts to promote adequate social housing. Adequate housing means more than simply having a roof over one's head. It includes adequate privacy and space, physical accessibility, security, security of tenure, structural stability and durability, adequate lighting, heating and ventilation, and access to essential infrastructure such as safe water, sanitation, waste management, and other basic services.

Adequate housing should also provide a healthy and suitable environment and be located in areas that provide reasonable access to employment, education, healthcare, transportation, and other essential facilities. These conditions should be available at an affordable cost.

Through social housing initiatives, WFWO and its partners also seek to support local employment, skills development, economic opportunities, and community-based development.

The Role and Impact of Social Housing Across the SDGs

An examination of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets demonstrates that social housing can contribute directly or indirectly to progress across multiple areas of sustainable development.

• Social housing and human development: Adequate housing can contribute to improvements in health, education, nutrition, access to water and sanitation, energy, living conditions, and the overall standard of living.
• Social housing and dignity: Adequate housing can provide a foundation for personal dignity, security, community cohesion, and the development of social and financial networks and assets.
• Social housing and employment: Housing development can generate employment and income opportunities through construction, maintenance, local supply chains, and home-based economic activities.
• Social housing and inclusive communities: Adequate and affordable housing can contribute to more inclusive, equitable, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities, settlements, and rural communities.

WFWO/SHH Project Facility and its partners recognize social housing as an integrated component of sustainable development and seek to contribute to local governments and communities across the SDG framework.

Goal 1 — No Poverty

• Adequate and affordable social housing can help reduce vulnerability to economic, social, health, and climate-related shocks and disasters.
• Equal access to land and housing, together with access to the economic resources associated with them, can support sustainable local development.

Goal 2 — Zero Hunger

• Access to affordable housing can help households avoid having to make difficult choices between housing costs and food expenditure.
• Secure tenure and adequate housing can provide opportunities for small-scale food production and household-level livelihoods where appropriate.

Goal 3 — Good Health and Well-Being

• Safe, stable, secure, affordable, and resilient housing is an important factor in supporting physical and mental health and overall well-being.
• Access to safe water, sanitation, ventilation, lighting, and healthy living environments contributes to better housing and community conditions.

Goal 4 — Quality Education

• Adequate living conditions can support children's access to education and contribute to improved educational outcomes.
• Training and capacity-building programmes related to social housing can increase knowledge of sustainable construction, disaster preparedness, environmental protection, and responsible development.

Goal 5 — Gender Equality

• Equal access to housing, land rights, credit, mortgages, and rental housing can help address discriminatory policies and practices affecting women.
• Secure housing can contribute to women's safety, stability, independence, and access to social and economic opportunities.
• Supporting women's housing rights can have wider benefits for families and communities.

Goal 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation

• Access to safe and affordable water and sanitation is essential to healthy and adequate housing and is fundamental to community well-being.
• Social housing programmes can incorporate appropriate water supply, sanitation, drainage, and waste-management systems.

Goal 7 — Affordable and Clean Energy

• Energy poverty can have significant social, environmental, and health consequences for households and communities.
• Energy-efficient social housing can help reduce energy consumption and household energy costs while supporting healthier and more sustainable living environments.

Goal 8 — Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The social housing sector can support economic growth through job creation in construction, maintenance, manufacturing, transport, and related services.
• Social housing development can create multiplier effects by generating demand for local materials, products, and services.
• Stable and adequate housing can support economic opportunities by providing households with a secure environment for productive activities and, where appropriate, home-based enterprises.
• Supporting local skills and employment in housing development can strengthen community economies and contribute to inclusive economic growth.

Goal 9 — Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The WFWO/SHH Project Facility promotes innovative approaches to affordable, resilient, energy-efficient, and environmentally sustainable housing.
• Appropriate technologies and sustainable construction methods can improve housing quality while responding to local conditions and available resources.
• Improving infrastructure in informal settlements and underserved communities can reduce risks to residents and support more resilient communities.
• Housing interventions that address energy access, quality, habitability, efficiency, and affordability can contribute to sustainable infrastructure and improved living conditions.

Goal 10 — Reduced Inequalities

• Inequalities in access to adequate and affordable housing can reflect wider social and economic inequalities.
• Equitable access to housing, land, infrastructure, and essential services can help reduce barriers faced by vulnerable and marginalized communities.
• Inclusive social housing policies can contribute to greater social and economic inclusion.

Goal 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Access to adequate and affordable housing is central to the development of inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities.
• Placing housing at the centre of sustainable urban and community development can contribute to improved social, economic, and environmental outcomes.
• Upgrading existing informal settlements while increasing access to adequate and affordable housing for low-income, vulnerable, and marginalized households can contribute to sustainable development.
• Improving housing affordability and living conditions is an important component of creating sustainable cities and communities.

Goal 12 — Responsible Consumption and Production

• The WFWO/SHH Project Facility promotes sustainable design and construction practices, including energy efficiency and the responsible use of local, recycled, and renewable materials where appropriate.
• Sustainable construction can help reduce life-cycle costs, carbon emissions, environmental degradation, and construction waste.
• Recycling and reuse of construction materials can reduce the extraction of raw materials and support more sustainable resource management.
• The use of appropriate locally available materials can also contribute to local economic development.

Goal 13 — Climate Action

• The WFWO/SHH Project Facility promotes sustainable social housing construction practices that can contribute to reducing environmental impacts and addressing climate-related challenges.
• Building resilient homes and communities can reduce vulnerability to climate-related hazards, strengthen preparedness, and improve the capacity of communities to respond to environmental shocks.
• Energy-efficient and climate-resilient housing can contribute to more sustainable communities.

Goal 16 — Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Interventions addressing informal settlements, inadequate housing, and housing affordability can contribute to improved urban planning, governance, and community development.
• Security of tenure and recognition of informal settlements can support the participation of vulnerable communities in decision-making processes.
• Inclusive housing and community-development programmes can contribute to safer, more cohesive communities.

Goal 17 — Partnerships for the Goals

• WFWO and its partners work together to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and to advance common objectives through collaboration and partnership.
• Multi-stakeholder engagement and participatory processes can contribute to the development and implementation of effective social housing and land policies.
• Inclusive public-private and community partnerships, together with responsible financial investment in social housing, can support the development of sustainable and resilient communities.
• Collaboration among governments, local authorities, civil society organizations, communities, development partners, financial institutions, and the private sector can strengthen resources and capacity for social housing development

 

WFWO/SHH Project Facility: Integrated Contribution to the SDGs Focused on Social Housing to contribute direct and integrated to implement SDGs 17 Goals