Housing Rights

United Nations resolutions on housing rights

The following provides an overview of selected United Nations resolutions (and decisions) on the human right to adequate housing. The resolutions/decisions are grouped by thematic area and United Nations body.

Housing rights in general

• General Assembly

  • Resolution 41/146: Realization of the right to adequate housing, adopted 4 December 1986.

  • Resolution 42/146: Realization of the right to adequate housing, adopted 7 December 1987.

•  Economic and Social Council

  • Resolution 1986/41: Realization of the right to adequate housing, adopted 23 May 1986.

  • Resolution 1987/62: Realization of the right to adequate housing, adopted 29 May 1987.

  • Resolution 1994/8: Promoting the realization of the right to adequate housing, adopted 22 July 1994.

• Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (formerly Commission on Human Settlements)

  • Resolution 14/6: The human right to adequate housing, adopted 5 May 1993.

  • Resolution 15/2: Report on housing rights strategy, adopted 1 May 1995.

  • Resolution 16/7: The realization of the human right to adequate housing, adopted 7 May 1997.

  • Resolution 17/20: Work programme and budget of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) for the biennium 2000-2001, adopted 14 May 1999.

  • Resolution 19/3: Global campaigns on secure tenure and urban governance, adopted 9 May 2003.

• Commission on Human Rights

  • Resolution 1994/14: Promoting the realization of the right to adequate housing, adopted 25 February 1994.

  • Resolution 1995/19: Promoting the realization of the right to adequate housing, adopted 24 February 1995.

  • Resolution 2001/28: Adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, adopted 20 April 2001.

  • Resolution 2003/27: Adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, adopted 22 April 2003.

  • Resolution 2004/21: Adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, adopted 16 April 2004.

Forced evictions

• Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (formerly Commission on Human Settlements)

  • Resolution 19/5: Implementing and monitoring the goal of the United Nations Millennium Declaration on improving the lives of slum dwellers, adopted 9 May 2003.

Women's housing rights

• Commission on Human Rights

  • Resolution 1999/41: Integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system, adopted 26 April 1999.

  • Resolution 2000/13: Women's equal ownership of, access to and control over land and the equal rights to own property and to adequate housing, adopted 17 April 2000.

  • Resolution 2002/49: Women's equal ownership, access to and control over land and the equal rights to own property and to adequate housing, adopted 23 April 2002.

  • Resolution 2003/22: Women's equal ownership, access to and control over land and the equal rights to own property and to adequate housing, adopted 22 April 2003.

• Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (formerly Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities)

  • Resolution 1997/19: Women and the right to adequate housing and to land and property, adopted 27 August 1997.

  • Resolution 1998/15: Women and the right to land, property and adequate housing, adopted 21 August 1998.

  • Resolution 1998/16: Traditional practices affecting the health of women and the girl child, adopted 21 August 1998.

• Commission on the Status of Women

  • Resolution 42/1: Human rights and land rights discrimination, adopted 13 March 1998.

Children's housing rights

• Commission on Human Rights

  • Resolution 1993/81: The plight of street children, adopted 10 March 1993.

  • Resolution 1994/93: The plight of street children, adopted 9 March 1994.

• Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (formerly Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities)

  • Resolution 1994/8: Children and the right to adequate housing, adopted 26 August 1994.

Indigenous peoples' housing rights

• Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (formerly Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities)

  • Resolution 1994/45: Draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, adopted 26 August 1994.

 

Source: United Nations Habitat Programms