The human right to adequate housing and land: guaranteeing the dignity to dwell

The chapter argues that, since the 1980's, there has been tremendous progress in the articulation at national and international levels of the right to adequate housing (RAH). This articulation has, in turn, contributed significantly to the content of the emerging right to land. The chapter outlines the normative development of the RAH, the role of different UN bodies in the process and the development of soft-law human rights standards to operationalize the RAH. The chapter delineates the content of the right to land seen as a congruent right to the RAH and what this content means for particular groups such as women, the indigenous and descent-based communities and peasants. The chapter also outlines the role of key UN bodies, such as the Human Rights Council, CEDAW and the FAO, in further articulating instruments that recognize the human right to land. The chapter while recognizing the inextricable link between the rights to housing and land and the 2030 Development Agenda, argues strongly for a more comprehensive integration of these essential human rights to in the Sustainable Development Goals and targets.