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The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Recovery efforts, by overlooking or directly discriminating against some groups, can perpetuate and even reinforce pre-existing patterns of vulnerability and disadvantage. This is often the case with women. In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, it was reported that the international response on many occasions strengthened "those who were better off and/or more articulate … while marginalizing those who had few assets, notably women". Relief efforts and policies, for instance, excluded women from livelihoods assistance and on occasion directly undermined women's pre-existing rights, such as their rights to housing or land in matrilineal communities. When women also happen to have insecure tenure - as they often do because their access to housing and land frequently hinges on a relationship with a man, or because they face additional hurdles as sole head of a household, they are particularly vulnerable.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- The right to adequate housing is most clearly recognized by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (article 11). The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights underlined the importance of interpreting the right in broad terms, identifying seven aspects of the right that States must progressively realize: security of tenure; availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure; affordability; habitability; accessibility; location; and cultural adequacy. All the aspects and safeguards pertaining to eviction and resettlement derived from the right are relevant to disaster response, as are the human rights principles of participation and non-discrimination and equality.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Similar lessons can be learnt from post-disaster situations. Disasters occur in a social context framed by complex issues of power, politics and longstanding vulnerability and poverty, including widespread tenure insecurity. Understanding this complexity is fundamental to developing and implementing successful responses. This is illustrated in the case of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras in October 1998. According to official estimates Hurricane Mitch left 21 cities severely damaged, 82,735 houses damaged, 66,188 houses destroyed and 44,150 people homeless. In addition 123 health centres and 531 roads were damaged and eight health centres and 189 bridges were destroyed. As a result, an estimated 1.5 million people were negatively affected.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- A number of successful rehabilitation and reconstruction initiatives in Honduras, where undisputed land was available at a reasonable distance from livelihood opportunities and facilities, illustrated how settlement development could be an appropriate means to support disaster-affected populations and introduce better practices in areas such as site planning, house design, use and production of building materials, water supply and sanitation and environmental protection. Cases such as El Progreso and Choluteca also included direct involvement by local authorities working in collaborating with other support institutions as well as members of the beneficiary community, all with the help of unprecedented levels of support from donors and relief organizations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Given the urgent, crisis nature of post-conflict and post-disaster situations, the approach of collecting and analysing detailed information, and of direct participation by the people affected, may seem difficult to achieve. This approach is likely to contradict powerful humanitarian and political pressures that emphasize speedy resettlement, rebuilding and re-housing. In post-conflict and post-disaster situations, "quick wins" easily become equated with rapid physical delivery, often with scant consideration, or even awareness, of possible counterproductive longer-term consequences. Getting "policy choices" right in the field of land and housing requires, in normal circumstances, the undertaking of complex analytical processes. In the midst of crises, the need for speedy decisions and practical livelihood support-oriented action may run counter to the need for caution and for intensive consultation with those directly affected.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- In spite of these challenges, it is very important to ensure that time and opportunity are made for gathering of information, analysis and assessment of policy choices; and for intensive consultation with, and the involvement of, those affected. People directly affected by conflicts and crises are not mere helpless victims. They are invariably the first people "on the scene" and are often the first to take some form of action. In Honduras following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch the immediate post-disaster processes of rescue, relief and stabilization were characterized by remarkable personal determination and great displays of social solidarity, with private and public buildings opening their doors to the displaced and homeless. Communities in different parts of the country self-organized and developed their own survival strategies. Citizens joined neighbourhood or community solidarity groups, which, because of insufficient official assistance and their isolation, frequently carried out emergency tasks on their own initiative. Some of the most basic emergency interventions implemented included search and rescue operations, provision of temporary shelter, sanitation programmes such as the disposal of human and animal remains, and the distribution of water, food, blankets, and domestic items. This was in contrast to the Government's response to the crisis which included immediate centralization of State power and, two days later, the announcement that plans to draft a national plan for reconstruction had been initiated, conducted without transparency in a secretive fashion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Research conducted by the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP) and the ProVention Consortium in the wake of the 2005 South Asia earthquake found "accumulated evidence that people affected by disasters want to participate fully in the response, even if this means a slower implementation process. However, disbursement pressure - the need to get money out of the door - has in the past partly determined response mechanis."While emphasizing the importance of participation, the study also cautions: "When considering communities […] it is important to remember: not to romanticise the coping capacities and resilience of local people and communities - they often face insurmountable difficulties when responding to major disasters; that often 'communities', particularly in areas of high inequality, are made up of different interest groups, and include marginalised groups who may well have difficulty getting their views represented; cultural 'norms' may also, for example, work against women's rights."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- From a human rights perspective, investment in upgrading settlements characterized by grossly inadequate living conditions as part of disaster response is not only legitimate but also indispensable, bearing in mind the obligation of non discrimination and attention to the most vulnerable. Moreover, for principled and pragmatic reasons, in a number of contexts it would be important to address the situation from a longer-term perspective: in the context of Haiti, this means a focus on improving conditions in settlements not damaged by the disaster (provided they are not in disaster-prone areas) but with the same urbanistic and vulnerability characteristics as those affected by it.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- A focus on individual beneficiaries and on "deliverables" - food, shelters, health kits - as ends in themselves might divert from the fundamental responsibility to respect, protect and fulfil rights (to housing, water, health, for instance), and the requirement to think of the long term. In Haiti, it was reported that immediate needs had dominated the international community's response and that specific pledges to support permanent housing requirements had therefore been less significant. The Haiti Shelter Cluster of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee reported on the risks of institutionalizing camps and of consuming scarce resources in emergency measures at the expense of more durable permanent solutions were recognized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- These and other proposals to address housing, land and property rights through the active participation of the affected people, and to build on existing community processes, were not taken up by the transitional authorities or the newly independent Government. In the aftermath of the later wave of violence, destruction and displacement of 2006-7, the need for such involvement became prominently recognised. The five pillars of the National Recovery Strategy included one aimed at building trust within communities and between the people and the Government. This was in the context of urgent attempts to achieve the reintegration and return of IDPs displaced by the violence to their communities, with the incentive of cash compensation from the State with which they could repair their homes or settle in alternative areas in cases where reintegration proved impossible. As part of a Dialogue, Communications and Outreach Programme, dialogue teams were established to manage the necessary conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation processes. This required the participation of local authorities, youth leaders and other groupings. The programme, which was still continuing in some communities in May 2010, incorporated the use of customary dispute resolution practices and peacebuilding ceremonies. It is widely regarded as having been successful and necessary for peacebuilding and the safe return of IDPs. Women reportedly participated far more actively than men in the community dialogue and reconciliation process. This was in contrast to the compensation payment process, which had been male-dominated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Given the lessons of the past two decades, and the institutional reforms already initiated, humanitarian agencies, and one would assume bilateral donors, are now much more aware of the risk of doing unintended long-term harm through well-meaning early action which ends up increasing the vulnerability of the poor. In the area of the right to adequate housing and particularly on the issues of security of tenure, location, cultural adequacy and availability of services, facilities and infrastructure, at least, the time has come for "Do no harm" guidelines to move to a next step where specific tools for timely analysis and proactive interventions ("Do the right thing") are provided at the field level.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- Armed conflicts and natural disasters are a massive and growing problem worldwide. They have devastating consequences for the people affected and cause daunting challenges on a massive scale. Each year conflicts result in dislocation for hundreds of thousands of people. According to calculations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the total number of people forcibly uprooted through conflict and persecution stood at 43.3 million at the end of 2009, "the highest number since the mid-1990s". This included 15.2 million refugees, 983,000 asylum seekers, and 27.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). At the same time the world is facing natural disasters on an unprecedented scale. During the period 2000-2008 an average of 392 disasters per year occurred worldwide. During 2009 a total of 335 disasters were reported, killing 10,655 and affecting more than 119 million persons, and causing more than US$41.3 billion in damages.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- The poor often stand to lose most in disaster contexts because they often have to settle on fragile and exposed land that is highly susceptible to the effects of disasters. When a disaster strikes, their pre-existing vulnerabilities are exacerbated, with women, children and marginalized groups bearing the brunt of the impact. After the disaster, the poor often also find their attempts to return to their homes officially denied on the grounds that return would be unsafe, and/or not permissible as they did not have official proof of a right to live there in the first place. This can have dramatic consequences for the livelihoods of individuals, families and entire communities. In the case of conflicts, the displacement and dispossession of specific groups are often deliberate strategies of one group or side in the conflict against another. This can result in the total destruction and/or secondary occupation of their lands and homes, and obstruction of their attempts to return and reclaim what was theirs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Since the 1990s there has been a growing recognition of the importance of adopting a human rights approach (and the use of human rights enforcement mechanisms) in the resolution of conflicts and peacebuilding. The Secretary-General emphasized that the promotion of human rights is the common thread in the Organization's work in peace and security: "Human rights bodies are involved in early-warning and preventive activities, and human rights considerations are increasingly embodied in our response to crises." He also announced that the United Nations had commenced implementation of a rights-based approach to development, which "describes situations not simply in terms of human needs, or of developmental requirements, but in terms of society's obligation to respond to the inalienable rights of individuals. It empowers people to demand justice as a right, not as charity, and gives communities a moral basis from which to claim international assistance where needed". He then issued guidelines to his Special Representatives on how human rights standards should guide peace negotiations. In 2000 the Report on the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (the "Brahimi Report") emphasized the importance of incorporating human rights into the work of peace missions. The Panel's key recommendations on a peacebuilding strategy for the United Nations included "a doctrinal shift in the use of civilian police, other rule of law elements and human rights experts in complex peace operations to reflect an increased focus on strengthening rule of law institutions and improving respect for human rights in post-conflict environments". It also recommended that "the ability of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to plan and support the human rights components of peace operations needs to be reinforced".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Another important development was the formulation of the Principles on Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons, generally known as the "Pinheiro Principles". These were the culmination of a shift that commenced in the early 1990s "from what were essentially humanitarian-driven responses to voluntary repatriation to more rights-based approaches to return […] increasingly grounded in the principle of restorative justice and of restitution as a legal remedy which can support refugees and internally displaced persons in their choice of a durable solution (whether return, resettlement or local integration)".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- It is also important to supplement data on services used by homeless people with estimates of those who are homeless but do not access services. When homelessness is assessed by counting the number of people sleeping in shelters or using services, improvements in those services may appear to increase the number of homeless, when in fact lower numbers simply reflect some improvements in meeting emergency needs. On the other hand, some cities have denied services as a punitive means of attempting to reduce the numbers of homeless in their jurisdiction. In those cases, lower numbers of people in homeless shelters is evidence of a serious violation of human rights. It is always important, therefore, to look behind numbers. Policies and accountability measures based exclusively on raw numbers are inadequate or incomplete from a human rights standpoint. Raw numbers may perpetuate exclusion and invisibility and fail to identify changes in the nature or experience of homelessness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Financialization of housing and the right to adequate housing 2017, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Policy responses to the financialization of housing have tended to prioritize support for financial institutions over responding to the needs of those whose right to adequate housing is at stake. Spending on bailouts of banks and financial institutions after the 2008 financial crisis far outstripped spending to provide assistance to the victims of the crisis. In fact, many national Governments made substantial cuts to their housing programmes. As noted above, the World Bank continues to promote "financial liberalization" rather than active State intervention in housing provision in emerging economies, despite the evidence that financialization generally increases inequality and fails to address the needs of the millions of households living in situations of homelessness or grossly inadequate informal housing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- By contrast, a number of reconstruction projects worldwide have attempted to see the reconstruction process "as an opportunity to promote a local development process" rather than being limited to restoring pre-disaster conditions - the participation of communities being essential in that regard.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing of persons with disabilities 2017, para. 31
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- Conflict and displacement also give rise to increased numbers of persons with disabilities. In Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Gaza Strip, for example, conflict has contributed to high numbers of persons with disabilities. At the same time, in each of those places, adequate, accessible housing is extremely scarce, with housing stock having been destroyed and a lack of access or specific policies blocking access to the materials and resources necessary to rebuild homes. In refugee camps, poorly lit and remotely located latrines can lead to difficult access and experiences of sexual violence for women with disabilities, while crowded, narrow walkways can result in persons with visual impairments falling into open sewers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Migration and the right to adequate housing 2010, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Non-discrimination and equality also imply that States have the obligation to recognize and care for the differences and specific needs of groups that suffer particular housing challenges or that have been historically discriminated against in terms of access to housing and essential services by the State or private actors. Therefore, the obligation to ensure non-discrimination requires positive measures of protection to be applied to particular groups, even in times of emergency or financial constraint (see E/C.12/GC/20, paras. 9, 12 and 13).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- However, existing guidance with respect to disaster situations has given little attention to the right to adequate housing. When reference to the right is made it is limited, with the right narrowed down to the need to provide shelter, housing or to aspects related to protection. The few attempts to discuss the right in a more comprehensive manner have remained at the level of an individual organization's guidance and not in the form of authoritative policies of broad application. Equally, United Nations human rights mechanisms have, with notable exceptions, not addressed the specificities of disaster situations and their impacts on the enjoyment of the right to adequate housing or other human rights, remaining at the level of generalities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- The 2005 Principles on Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons ("Pinheiro Principles") go one step further by recognizing a distinct "right to restitution" (covering housing, land and/or other property) for refugees and displaced persons. An important question is whether the Pinheiro Principles apply to post-disaster situations. The intention seemed to have been that they should apply, the central idea behind principle 1.2 being that people who are displaced - regardless of the reason for their displacement - are similarly situated and have a right to return to their places of habitual residence and thereby to restitution. On that basis, some interpret the Principles as applicable to all situations of natural disaster. However, others point out that the Principles are explicitly limited to the "arbitrary or unlawful deprivation" of people's former homes, land or places of habitual residence following displacement.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- This is not to say that the Pinheiro Principles are irrelevant to natural disaster situations. First, they fully apply in actual cases of arbitrary or unlawful deprivation or destruction of housing or land occurring in post-disaster situations, including, arguably, when displaced persons are denied their right to return to their homes (see section IV below), and in cases of unreasonable State failings with respect to disaster preparedness, mitigation or early warning systems. Second, taken as a specification of existing standards pertaining to the rights of displaced persons and refugees to return to their homes, the Principles provide relevant guidance on how best to manage the technical and legal issues associated with housing, land and property restitution, guidance which has since been reflected to varying degrees in policy and practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- A rapid assessment and analysis of pre-existing tenure and property rights systems should be conducted in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or conflict. The aims of this assessment should be: (1) to guide on urgent steps to be taken to protect the right to adequate housing and tenure security of all, but particularly the poorer and marginalized members of society; (2) to identify areas of opportunity where, with the presence and support of bilateral and multilateral international agencies, opportunities could arise for improvement and innovation (for example securing of previously unavailable housing-related rights and entitlements for women); (3) to identify and warn against risk areas where poorly informed actions would result in further housing rights violations. This rapid assessment should be an essential step towards the formulation of a more detailed and comprehensive land management, allocation and registration strategy for sustainable rehabilitation and reconstruction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Dedicated funding mechanisms or channels should be established to provide resources to initiatives aimed at respecting, protecting and fulfilling the right to adequate housing from the very outset of humanitarian operations. In addition, structured capacity-building networks should be created at field level, accompanied by focused operational support. A documented body of evidence on past violations (and their causes) should be produced, made available and developed into guidelines for action.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- [Violations of the right to adequate housing can both contribute to and result from armed conflicts and natural disasters. The poorer and marginalized members of society are disproportionately affected. Addressing existing vulnerabilities can play an important role in both preventing and mitigating the impacts of disasters and conflicts. States should therefore:] Urgently step up their efforts to respect, protect and fulfil the right to adequate housing, in all its dimensions, in both urban and rural contexts;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Reflection on work undertaken in first 14 years of the mandate; outline of opportunities and priorities 2014, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The global extent of the phenomenon of homelessness is neither well known nor well documented. Global figures are scarce, and country-specific data are often incomplete and usually not comparable with those of other countries owing to differences in definitions and methodologies. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that at the domestic level, this statistical invisibility of a population can mean its neglect in the design of public policy and an absence of adequate responses. At the global level, it may conceal an acute global human rights crisis being faced by millions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Responsibilities of local and other subnational governments in relation to the right to adequate housing 2015, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Local governments, on the other hand, tend to be assigned responsibilities for provision and management of services such as water, sanitation, electricity and other infrastructure; land-use planning, zoning and development, which relates to decisions regarding evictions, displacement and relocation; implementing programmes to upgrade informal settlements and inadequate housing; enforcing health, safety, environmental and building standards; providing local emergency shelter; putting in place or implementing disaster risk reduction and response policies; and regulating the use of public space. Even if programmes are designed and fully or partially funded by central governments, it is often local authorities that decide where housing will be built or upgraded, and determine who will be allocated housing units or receive social benefits or housing subsidy based on prescribed criteria.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- The ongoing legacy of discriminatory customary and statutory laws on divorce, inheritance and matrimonial property - as well as social practices that attribute housing to male heads of households and the resultant poverty - deprive women of security of tenure and render them particularly vulnerable to homelessness. When women are widowed, separated or divorced, need to leave violent households or flee situations of armed conflict or natural disasters, or are evicted from their homes, they face significant risks of becoming homeless. Divorced and widowed women in Bangladesh and Lebanon, for example, are reported to be living in dilapidated shacks in dangerous informal settlements and women fleeing violence in Kyrgyzstan and Papua New Guinea are left with few housing options.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- IASC has further asserted that "Human rights have to be the legal underpinning of all humanitarian work pertaining to natural disasters. There is no other legal framework to guide such activities, especially in areas where there is no armed conflict". This shift is also about longer-term sustainability. It helps the relevant actors to plan for what follows beyond the initial relief and stabilization operations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph