A/HRC/22/46
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
24 December 2012
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twenty-second session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate
housing as a component of the right to an
adequate standard of living, and on the right to
non-discrimination in this context, Raquel Rolnik
Summary
The present report is submitted by the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, in
accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 15/8. In the report, the Special
Rapporteur elaborates upon the concept of security of tenure as a component of the right to
adequate housing. The backdrop is one of a global tenure insecurity crisis, manifesting
itself in many forms and contexts—forced evictions, displacement resulting from
development, natural disasters and conflicts and land grabbing—and evident in the millions
of urban dwellers living under insecure tenure arrangements. The Special Rapporteur
discusses existing guidance under international human rights law, raising questions
regarding the precise State obligations with respect to ensuring security of tenure. She
examines the wide range of existing tenure arrangements, and the prevalent focus in policy
and practice on one form of tenure: individual freehold. The Special Rapporteur also
discusses selected operational and policy challenges pertaining to securing tenure. She
concludes by underscoring the need for more specific and comprehensive human rights and
operational guidance on security of tenure.
GE.12-18979