Transforming habitats and cities: towards urban development in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document is based on the statements and presentations delivered at the thirty-first General Assembly of the Forum of Ministers and High-Level Authorities on Housing and Urbanism in Latin America and the Caribbean (MINURVI), held on 5 and 6 December 2022 at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago. At the meeting, authorities, leaders and experts in housing and urban planning met with the aim of positioning habitat and housing as pillars for achieving sustainable urban development in the region and for working towards cities that are more just, inclusive and resilient. The General Assembly explored ideas related to the challenges, progress made and opportunities for creating cities that promote human rights and the right to the city, economic reactivation and the reduction of inequality and environmental impacts, as well as for rethinking the role of the State in achieving those objectives. The event was structured around four main themes: (i) the role of the State in the production of housing and urban development; (ii) funding and the land and housing markets; (iii) gender mainstreaming and care systems in inclusive cities; and (iv) the importance of sustainability and climate change in cities. These issues were explored in depth through panel sessions, presentations and exchanges at which authorities, technical experts, academics and representatives of civil society all participated. A ministerial dialogue was held on the second day of the meeting, during which the country that will chair MINURVI and the members who are to serve on its 2023 Executive Committee were elected. The Declaration of Santiago —the outcome document of the thirty-first General Assembly, containing the commitments assumed in pursuit of the region’s sustainable urban development— was also signed on that occasion.