Monitoring implementation of the habitat agenda: The Global Urban Observatory.

• Author: Karl, Guenter
• Position: Brief Article

Monitoring progress in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda entails developing new and enhanced instruments to measure change. Following the Habitat II Conference, held in Istanbul in 1996, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) developed a global monitoring system called the Global Urban Observatory (GUO)-a network of regional, national and local urban observatories. Since 1998, when the GUO became operational, many cities have joined the network and actively participated in the collection of urban indicators. At present, there are 20 national and some 80 local urban observatories around the world.

The development of the GUO has been guided by the Urban Indicator Programme (UIP), which supports the Observatory through its intensive data collection in 200 cities and its focus on policy-relevant indicators. Starting in 1994, the UIP has produced a Global Urban Indicators Database which provides a city-oriented indicators collection approach particularly designed for policy analysis.

Similarly, the UNCHS Statistics Programme, with its comprehensive and regular data collection from national statistical offices in all Member States, concentrating on the four largest cities of each country is a strategic component in monitoring the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. In particular, the regularly published Campendium of Human Settlements Statistics, with its wide country and city coverage, serves as a comprehensive monitoring instrument.

Monitoring change not only encompasses data collection and dissemination; it also includes introducing more city-oriented statistical concepts. The Best Practices Programme is a global network, which identifies, analyzes and disseminates lessons learned from successful urban solutions--initiatives that have made a lasting contribution to the sustainability of cities and to improving the quality of life within communities. Initiatives meeting the Best Practices criteria are included in the database of the Programme. Selected best practices are analyzed in case studies; lessons learned from these best practices can guide community initiatives in other countries and cities. The Programme has been growing considerably over the past five years and enjoys a strong interest from around the world.

During its first phase, most GUO activities were concentrated on the collection and compilation of indicators. The actual use of the indicators for policy formulation and analysis remained to be...