UN-Habitat Mozambique has launched the new Habitat Country Programme Document (HCPD) for the 2022-2026 period with a total funding of USD 25 million.“The national ownership during design of the HCPD demonstrates a clear understanding that the UN is well placed to promote a common approach and purpose, suggesting a greater alignment between United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2022-2026) and national priorities as well as national development cycles,” said UN Resident Coordinator of Mozambique, Myrta Kaulard.
Urbanisation, together with natural disasters and climate change, and conflict and violence, will play a major role in shaping the country’s development outcome as cities are increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, particularly the urban poor. In Mozambique, around 8 million urban residents are currently living in informal settlements which are often built-in high-risk locations like floodplains, and lack basic risk-reducing infrastructure.
Conflict, violence, and displacement are also increasingly straining cities and service delivery.
Such as the case of Northern Mozambique, people find safe haven in urban areas, resulting in a tendency for higher rates of gender-based violence, and putting intense pressure on services and sanitation.
The HCPD shows that improved and appropriate management of the urbanization process including climate resilience and Building Back Better and Policies for sustainable human settlements, would help the country accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.
The HCPD also cites the need of inclusive area-based socio-economic development and stability to promote a development that is guided by integrated territorial approaches.
In this context the HCPD 2022 – 2026 will provide thought leadership on issues core to the achievement of the SDGs, Paris Agreement, New Urban Agenda, HDP Triple Nexus, and human development based on a jointly developed theory of change underpinning the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), which contributes to Mozambique’s Five Year Plan (2019 – 2024).
“This is a document that presents strategic priorities and outcomes that underpin UN-Habitat’s contributions to the national development agenda with a focus on climate resilience and sustainable urbanization. This Document has benefited from multiple levels of consultations with government counterparts at all levels, including at a validation meeting in November 2022 and the Government of Mozambique commends UN-Habitat for this approach” said the representative of the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Sofia Santos.
The overall objective of the new country programme is that by 2026, all Mozambican people will contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable, inclusive and gender-responsive sustainable urbanisation and climate resilience based on innovation,technical assistance, capacity building, advocacy, policy influencing and partnerships.
UN-Habitat will support Mozambique to enable vulnerable groups, in particular poor people, internally displaced people in particular women and people with disability, to create and access resilient public social infrastructures and housing; improved livelihoods; evidence-based policy options for sustainable, socioeconomic development agenda; and inclusive, gender-responsive and urbanization process.
The programme will enable people in Mozambique, especially those at risk of being left behind, to benefit from and contribute to evidence-based policy options for sustainable urbanisation process as well as an inclusive and gender-responsive resilient and sustainable development resulting from Mozambique’s effective adaptation to climate change; disaster risk reduction and resilience building.
“On behalf of the UN, I reaffirm Mozambique’s commitment in its journey towards the urbanisation as a catalyst for the sustainable and resilient development with gender as a transversal action”, said Kaulard.
