World Habitat Day

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter for all. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

The first United Nations World Habitat Day Celebration was held 1986 in Nairobi, with the theme "Shelter is my right".

The international community commemorates World Habitat Day on the first Monday of every October, reminding the world of the commitment to the protection and realisation of the human right to adequate housing and to an adequate standard of living for all people across the world. It is also an occasion to recognise and support ongoing human rights struggles, honour human rights defenders, remind Governments of their legal obligations and bring to light the multiple violations that millions continue to face of their housing and related rights.

1986 Shelter is my right (Nairobi, Kenya)

1987 Shelter for the homeless (New York, United States)

1988 Shelter and community (London, United Kingdom)

1989 Shelter, health and the family (Jakarta, Indonesia)

1990 Shelter and urbanization (London, United Kingdom)

1991 Shelter and the living environment (Hiroshima, Japan)

1992 Shelter and sustainable development (United Nations, New York)

1993 Women and shelter development (United Nations, New York)

1994 Home and the family (Dakar, Senegal)

1995 Our neighbourhood (Curitiba, Brazil)

1996 Urbanization, citizenship and human solidarity (Budapest, Hungary)

1997 Future cities (Bonn, Germany)

1998 Safer cities (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

1999 Cities for all (Dalian, China)

2000 Women in urban governance (Kingston, Jamaica)

2001 Cities without slums (Fukuoka, Japan)

2002 City-to-city cooperation (Brussels, Belgium)

2003 Water and sanitation for cities (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

2004 Cities - Engines of rural development (Nairobi, Kenya)

2005 The Millennium Development Goals and the city (Jakarta, Indonesia)

2006 Cities, magnets of hope (Naples, Italy / Kazan, Russia)

2007 A safe city is a just city (The Hague, Netherlands / Monterrey, Mexico)

2008 Harmonious cities (Luanda, Angola)

2009 Planning our urban future (Washington DC, United States)

Stamp catalogue - 1998 - Safer cities

Bangladesh 5 October 1998

Stamp catalogue - 1999 - Cities for all

Bangladesh 4 October 1999

Stamp catalogue - 2002 - City-to-city cooperation

Bangladesh 7 October 2002

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last revised: 5 July 2009