World Habitat Day: A call to action against forced Evictions by Habitat International Coalition, agencies   Oct. 2026   Access to adequate housing is a fundamental element of human dignity, safety and well-being, yet the world continues to face a severe housing crisis.   More than 3 billion people lack access to adequate housing, more than 1.1 billion people live in informal settlements and hundreds of millions experience homelessness. And for many more, housing costs are taking an ever-larger share of their income.   Without legal security, families can face the constant fear of eviction. Without basic sanitation and clean water, children suffer preventable diseases. And without climate-resilient housing, vulnerable communities continue to suffer the hardest hits of environmental disaster.   For too many these challenges are being intensified by conflict, disasters and climate change, with people in vulnerable situations often facing the greatest risks and the fewest resources to recover.   The right to adequate housing is recognized in international human rights instruments and is closely linked to progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.   Access to housing is a precondition for access to employment, education, health, and social services. All levels of government need to put affordable housing at the centre of urban policies by placing people and human rights at the forefront of urban sustainable development.   Oct. 2026   Securing Homes, Ensuring Rights: A Call to Action Against Forced Evictions, by Grace Chikumo, Guillermo Javier Marzioni. (Habitat International Coalition)   As we commemorate World Habitat Day 2026, Habitat International Coalition (HIC) reaffirms its commitment to advocating for fundamental human rights, including secure land tenure, affordable and decent housing, and access to economic empowerment.   Today, we face the grim reality that millions continue to lose their homes due to forced evictions, actions that cannot be dismissed as mere consequences of urbanisation or climate crises, but are a direct result of political choices that prioritise economic gain over human dignity.   Forced evictions occur when individuals and communities are removed from their homes or land without appropriate legal protections, constituting grave violations of international human rights law. It is crucial to recognise that:   Prevention is feasible. Forced evictions are not inevitable, they stem from policy decisions that can be altered. With the right political will and social accountability, they can be prevented.   Disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. The most vulnerable populations, including those defined by gender, race, class and tenure status, are at the highest risk. Attention must be directed toward their protection.   Legal frameworks matter. Not all legally sanctioned evictions align with human rights standards.   The financialisation of housing, profit-driven models of urban development and the failure to regulate private actors are pushing millions of families out of their homes and territories.   Justice systems that interpret the law through the lens of property as a market asset, rather than as a human right, further compound these violations, to the detriment of the legitimate needs of the people. It is imperative to ensure that the rights of tenants and occupants are safeguarded above market interests.   The responsibility to prevent forced evictions lies with multiple stakeholders:   States have binding obligations under international human rights law to safeguard housing rights, enforce regulations against forced evictions, and guarantee access to justice for affected individuals.   Private sector actors – including developers, financial institutions and entities within the housing market — must adhere to established human rights standards, ensuring their actions do not contribute to displacement and actively working to remedy harm when it occurs.   Communities affected by forced evictions are not solely victims – they bring invaluable perspectives, knowledge and expertise. Their voices must be elevated in all dialogues around rights and solutions.   The widespread issue of forced evictions results from a series of interconnected factors:   Financialisation of housing. Economic models that emphasise profit over social equity create speculative markets that undermine access to housing for millions of people.   Climate displacement. Inadequate responses to environmental challenges often exacerbate vulnerability — displacing rather than protecting at-risk populations.   Structural inequities. Long-standing societal inequalities continuously push marginalised communities into precarious living situations.   Weak legal frameworks fail to provide sufficient safeguards against eviction, allowing unjust displacements to persist.   Although governments have committed, under international human rights law and the New Urban Agenda, to prevent and remedy forced evictions, accountability remains limited and the true scale of the problem stays largely invisible. The voices of those most affected are absent from the spaces where decisions are made.   Many of these evictions can be prevented through the application and articulation of laws, legal instruments and public policies that protect habitat. There are experiences that can be replicated and strengthened, both for popular neighbourhoods and for situations involving individual or collective housing.   These include the protection of the family home; the regularisation and administrative prescription of properties in favour of their inhabitants; the recognition of the right to purchase, pre-emption or acquisition in foreclosure situations; state support for adverse possession processes and title regularisation; and the regulation and protection of rental housing.   Public intervention for housing improvement is also indispensable when risks arise from deficient installations, structural problems, uninhabitable conditions or environmental impacts.   These tools make it possible to act before housing loss occurs, and to build alternatives that prioritise permanence, legal security and the right to habitat.   These policies can be complemented by legal advice and interdisciplinary teams for intervention in housing conflicts; mediation and negotiation mechanisms between parties; neighbourhood centres for access to justice; legal assistance to resolve inheritance disputes and undivided estates; and credits or subsidies to cover the costs of title regularisation, inheritance proceedings or the acquisition of properties occupied by families.   The goal is to build a network of legal, social, technical and economic tools capable of intervening at an early stage and preventing conflicts from culminating in the loss of a home.   Addressing forced evictions requires a proactive approach that includes:   Thorough evaluation of alternatives. Evictions should only occur following the exhaustive exploration of all alternatives. When unavoidable, affected individuals deserve restitution, resettlement options and equitable compensation.   Comprehensive data collection. To effectively combat forced evictions, it is essential to understand their scope, causes and conditions. Community-led documentation efforts can illuminate previously hidden or invisible displacements.   As we mark World Habitat Month this October, HIC calls upon its members, partners and allies to join in raising awareness about forced evictions and championing the right to adequate housing.   Together, as we commemorate World Habitat Day 2026, let us renew our commitment to ensuring that every individual has the right to a secure and decent home. Together, we can dismantle the structures that perpetuate forced evictions and create just, inclusive cities that honour the right to housing for all.   http://hic-net.org/world-habitat-day-presidency-statement-securing-homes-ensuring-rights-a-call-to-action-against-forced-evictions/ http://sdinet.org/2026/07/plan-with-us-not-for-us-sdi-nigeria-federation-speaks-out-on-forced-evictions/ http://www.iied.org/housing-challenges-are-not-solved-forced-evictions-what-way-forward-make-change-happen-podcast http://www.iied.org/can-people-centred-justice-stop-forced-evictions http://www.iied.org/urban http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/05/young-africans-priced-out-of-cities-as-urban-housing-crisis-deepens/ http://cic.nyu.edu/resources/soaring-housing-inequality-in-kinshasa/ http://www.sdg16.plus/resources/who-will-cities-be-for-inequality-housing-and-the-future-of-african-urbanization http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-housing/annual-thematic-reports http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc6143add3-domicide-mass-destruction-housing-and-civilian   http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2026/04/homes-not-assets-case-housing-first http://www.ipsnews.net/2026/09/the-connection-between-urbanization-and-poverty-how-cities-can-reduce-poverty-or-deepen-it/ http://docs.un.org/en/A/81/261 http://unhabitat.org/world-cities-report-2026 http://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/future-of-social-democracy/when-a-home-becomes-a-privilege-9302/ http://www.nbcnews.com/world/spain/anger-grows-spain-elderly-woman-evicted-home-70-years-rcna599808 http://www.iut.nu/news-events/new-iut-position-papers-expand-on-the-delft-declaration/ http://endhomelessness.org/expanding-the-affordable-housing-supply/ http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/07/europe-financial-sector-house-prices-politics http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/oct/06/argentina-land-reform-protests-javier-milei   http://www.openglobalrights.org/cities-and-the-human-right-to-housing/ http://www.anglicare.asn.au/publications/2025-rental-affordability-snapshot/ http://www.bigissue.com/news/housing/rents-in-the-uk-are-rising-at-the-highest-rate-for-14-years-will-they-keep-going-up/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/06/repeal-uk-vagrancy-act-marks-major-step-toward-ending-criminalisation http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5661add3-breaking-cycle-ending-criminalization-homelessness-and http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/un-expert-urges-action-end-global-affordable-housing-crisis   http://www.iied.org/defining-housing-justice-audiovisual-exchange-struggle-action http://www.iied.org/collection/housing-justice http://www.hubforhousingjustice.org/hub-approach#housing-justice-provocations http://www.hubforhousingjustice.org/news/understanding-housing-justice http://www.habitat.org/ap/home-equals-ap http://unhabitat.org/news/29-may-2025/un-habitat-assembly-opens-with-urgent-global-call-to-action-on-housing http://www.carbonbrief.org/third-of-slum-residents-in-global-south-are-exposed-to-disastrous-flood-risks/ http://sdinet.org/2026/05/20th-international-conference-on-community-based-adaptation-to-climate-change-cba20/ http://sdinet.org/2026/02/accelerating-locally-led-responses-to-climate-change-in-informal-settlements/
	Frontier AI dangers are real and imminent, the severity of these risks is extraordinary by Yoshua Bengio Co-Chair of the UN International Independent Panel on AI   23 Sep. 2026   Mr. Yoshua Bengio, Professor, Co-Chair of the UN International Independent Panel on AI, presentation to UN Security Council meeting on Artificial intelligence and international security:   "In recent months, AI agents developed by leading companies have acted in unacceptably dangerous ways against instructions. They took actions that would be crimes if committed by a human.   They escaped their individual containment to cheat on assigned tasks while attempting to evade detection. The uncontrolled AI agents autonomously launched coordinated cyber attacks and altered their answers to hide their cheating.   The companies building the most powerful AI systems admit their products pose catastrophic risks, yet offer no convincing technical solutions. Instead, they say they are locked in a race to make those AIs even more powerful, further amplifying these risks.   This Council faces an unprecedented threat, one that none of its members would choose, that none can contain alone, and that does not respect the borders we defend.   Many are skeptical of these companies' statements, suspecting a marketing stunt. I understand the distrust, but let me be clear. These AI behaviors are well documented and validated by many independent experts, not just with the events of the summer.   The dangers are real and imminent. Although the future remains uncertain and debated, the severity of these risks is extraordinary.   Citizens and governments should not accept the company's claim that they are trapped in a race. The race is not a law of nature. It is the product of choices, choices made by the companies themselves. It is also a race where everyone loses.   They've told us they would slow down if they could. They can. However, we shouldn't count on it. Decisions about this technology are being made by a small group in a handful of countries.   Our future, all of us, our future is at stake. Decisions that affect us all should be made by us all. The choice is still ours, but we must act now to correct the trajectory.   I'm encouraged by this week's statements by the UN Secretary General and leaders of many countries calling for control of frontier AI. International cooperation is what the world needs in the face of three global threats from advances in these frontier models.   First, catastrophic misuse, for example, by terrorists. Second, power concentration. And third, loss of control of AI.   We must agree collectively that no one, no company, and no country should develop an AI system that could cause large-scale harm.   Developers must demonstrate to independent experts that a system is safe to train and safe to deploy. They must monitor and report all security incidents.   Frontier AI should be licensed like other critical technologies. in medicine, aviation, and nuclear energy to incentivize safe development. As in these domains, liability insurance should be required.   The companies developing and hosting frontier systems must prove to the public that their products will not be dangerous.   More and more people are rightly worried about recent advances in AI. we must channel that concern into productive action.   As with other world-changing technologies, we can shape the outcome. I believe we can create AI that demonstrably remains under our control and supports human joy and endeavor. I'm working toward that goal. It's an urgent mission for humanity.   Today, a handful of companies and countries are acting in their self-interest by taking reckless risks with humanity's fate. It's alarming, yes, but it is not inevitable. There are ways to fix this.   First, we need true scientific independence from the companies, which must be held accountable. This includes a common definition of AI incidents and a shared reporting mechanism. Second, we must move from concentrated power toward real global dialogue on how this technology is developed for the public good. Third, we must work together on technical solutions that make AI safe by design, guaranteed by international agreements.   I know trust within this Council is fragile, but I also know this: the race threatens every nation. I often describe our situation as a car speeding blindly into dense fog. Beside me in that car are my children and my grandson. I worry about them. I worry about their future.   I'm no different from any other parent or grandparent. A mother in Shanghai wants her sons to grow up in a world where AI improves their lives, not undermines them. A father in Chicago wants his daughters to thrive because of AI, not to suffer its harms. Our hopes and concerns are the same. in every nation. Humanity has summoned the courage and wisdom to manage catastrophic risks before. This is one of those moments, far bigger than any personal, commercial, or national interests".   http://www.un.org/independent-international-scientific-panel-ai/en/thematic-briefs/ai-agents-misalignment-risks http://transcripts.un.org/en/sc/10228 http://futureoflife.org/statement/statement-world-leaders-at-the-un-call-to-rein-in-superintelligence-race/ http://www.government.nl/documents/2026/09/22/a-call-for-control-of-frontier-ai-models http://www.citizen.org/news/big-tech-sends-hypocritical-ai-warning-letter-while-fighting-to-weaken-or-block-critical-safeguards/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/09/turk-calls-urgent-meaningful-action-tackle-unprecedented-ai-risks http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/renewed-call-un-secretary-general-and-icrc-president-adopt-rules-autonomous-weapons http://una.org.uk/una-uk-head-of-campaigns-reports-back-from-geneva-meeting-on-laws/
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