Nairobi: Malaysia created history by being officially elected as the President of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for the 2025 to 2029 term. Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, in a Facebook post tonight, said that Malaysia received unanimous support from all 193 member states in the election.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the official announcement was made during the Bureau Officers Election session at the UN-Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the UN-Habitat Assembly was established in 1975 and became a full program at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2001. It is the highest global decision-making body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements, convening every four years and playing a crucial role in shaping global policies for cities and communities.
As president, Malaysia will work closely with the UN-Habitat Executive Board and global partners to strengthen multilateral cooperation, promoting inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable cities worldwide. Meanwhile, in his speech at the assembly, Nga urged member states to redouble efforts to implement the New Urban Agenda. He emphasized the need to strengthen multilateralism and the Habitat Agenda.
Nga called for continued support for a High-Level Meeting on the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda, especially as 2026 marks ten years after its adoption at Habitat III in Quito. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation in line with the principle of People-Public-Private-Partnership (4Ps), stressing the need for shared knowledge, fostering partnerships, and ensuring that no one and no place is left behind in the urbanizing world.
During his term as President of the Assembly, Nga aims to strengthen UN-Habitat as a platform for action, ensuring that the voices of local governments, women, youth, civil society, and vulnerable communities are considered in policy development and action plans. Nga announced that a Joint Bureau meeting will be held in Penang, Malaysia on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Conference of Ministers of Housing and Urban Development this October. This meeting will provide an opportunity for joint bureaus to assess the impact of the Assembly and align their support with the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026-2029.
Furthermore, Malaysia will actively participate in the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, in May next year.