Following contributions of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and our Committee, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing have included “Enhancing the Role of Regional and Local Governments” as a central focus in their annual report: Breaking the cycle: ending the criminalisation of homelessness and poverty. The study aims to assist national governments in implementing the guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights to decriminalise homelessness and life-sustaining activities for impoverished people.
This important recognition was achieved thanks to the formal contribution to the report submitted by UCLG, through our Committee and our members in late 2023, under the title “The Role of Local and Regional Governments in Relation to the Decriminalisation of Homelessness and Poverty.” The contribution compiles practical experiences, good practices, and key messages for advocacy from around 50 local and regional government representatives across 11 countries on three continents: the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
You can read the contribution and see the full list of participants here.
It is also based on the results of several discussions held throughout 2023, such as the 1st Cities Summit of the Americas, held in Denver, and the virtual meeting of the Community of Practice on Housing of UCLG, in September 2023.
Read more about the virtual meeting of the UCLG Community of Practice on Housing
The direct acknowledgement of the key role of local and regional governments can be found on page 18 of the report, which highlights:
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the need for local and regional governments “to develop strategies that strike a balance between the fair and inclusive use of public spaces and broader environmental, safety and economic objectives;”
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the prioritisation of affordable housing encompassing prevention, emergency responses, structural solutions and legal reform;
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shifting local policies towards non-discrimination, equality and safety.
Ahead of the review of SDG 1 in the framework of the HLPF on Housing Policy in New York in July 2025, this acknowledgement is a critical step forward in ensuring local and regional governments’ full involvement in housing policy, and in reducing inequalities as a means of achieving the goal of zero poverty.
As we approach the UN Summit of the Future (September 2024) and the upcoming World Social Summit (November 2025), for which we are calling for a global social agenda driven by public service provision, we invite local and regional governments to endorse the contribution titled “The Role of Local and Regional Governments in relation to the decriminalisation of homelessness and poverty” and to promote it within local social and housing policies.
If you want to know how to contribute further, please contact us at [email protected]