[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32589-32590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14035]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5879-N-01]


The Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable 
Urban Development, Solicitation of Expressions of Interest From 
Technical Experts and Organizations to Co-Lead Policy Units

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and 
Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable 
Urban Development (referred to as Habitat III) will be held in Quito, 
Ecuador, from October 17 through 20, 2016. HUD, in coordination with 
the U.S. Department of State and other Federal agencies, is leading the 
United States' preparatory efforts for Habitat III. As part of the 
preparatory process, the Secretary-General of Habitat III is seeking 
technical experts to serve as members of 10 policy units to co-lead 
those policy units. This notice seeks expressions of interest from 
technical experts who meet the criteria described in this notice, and 
from organizations wishing to co-lead policy units. Expressions of 
interest should be submitted to [email protected].

DATES: Expressions of interest will be solicited through June 11, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leo Wetula, Office of International 
and Philanthropic Innovation, Office of Policy Development and 
Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 4517th Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 402-6970 (this is not a 
toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may 
access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay 
Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The United Nations General Assembly decided to convene the Habitat 
III Conference to reinvigorate the global commitment to sustainable 
urbanization, to focus on the implementation of a ``New Urban Agenda'', 
building on the Habitat Agenda of Istanbul in 1996. Member States of 
the General Assembly decided that the objectives of the Conference are 
to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban 
development, assess accomplishments to date, address poverty, and 
identify and address new and emerging challenges. The expectation is 
that the conference will result in a concise, focused, forward-looking 
and action-oriented outcome document. Habitat III will be one of the 
first United Nations global summits after the adoption of the Post-2015 
Development Agenda and offers a unique opportunity to discuss the 
important challenge of how cities, towns, and villages are planned and 
managed, in order to fulfill their role as drivers of sustainable 
development.\1\
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    \1\ See http://unhabitat.org/habitat-iii/.
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    As noted in the Summary of this notice, HUD, in coordination with 
the U.S. Department of State and other Federal agencies, is leading the 
United States' preparatory efforts for Habitat III. Part of this 
preparatory effort is to help identify technical experts to serve as 
members of 10 policy units to co-lead those policy units. Policy units 
refer to groups of individual experts from a variety of fields, 
including academia, government, civil society and other regional and 
international bodies, and are charged with identifying challenges, 
policy priorities, and critical issues as well as develop action-
oriented recommendations for the implementation of the New Urban 
Agenda. The issues to be addressed by each policy unit will serve as 
technical inputs for Member States' consideration in the preparation of 
the outcome document of the Conference.
    For Habitat III, the Conference plans to establish 10 policy units 
that will be composed of 20 technical experts, including participants 
from academia, government, civil society and other regional and 
international bodies, ensuring diversity and geographical 
representation. Each policy unit will be co-led by two organizations. A 
list and descriptions of the policy units can be found on the Habitat 
III Web site.\2\
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    \2\ See http://unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Habitat-III-Issue-Papers-and-Policy-Units_11-April.pdf.
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II. Solicitation of Interests

A. Solicitation of Interests From Technical Experts

    On behalf of Habitat III, HUD is soliciting expressions of interest 
from qualified technical experts, whose names will be forward to 
Habitat III for consideration for appointment to one of the policy 
units. The general selection criteria, as established by Habitat III, 
cover the following three broad categories:
     Demonstrable Competence;
     Geographical Balance; and
     Gender Balance.
    More information on the selection process can be found in Habitat 
III's Annex I (Selection Process and Criteria). Other information on 
serving as a technical expert, including duties and responsibilities, 
can be found in Habitat III's Annex II (Terms of Reference for 
Experts). Requests for copies of these annexes should be sent to 
[email protected].

B. Solicitation of Organizations Seeking To Co-Lead Policy Units

    On behalf of Habitat III, HUD is also soliciting expressions of 
interest from organizations wishing to co-lead the 10 policy units. 
Each policy unit will be co-led by two organizations appointed by the 
Secretary General of the Conference. Information on selection criteria 
for co-leading organizations can be found in Habitat III's Annex I and 
Annex III (Terms of Reference for Co-leading Organizations. Again, 
requests for copies of these annexes should be sent to 
[email protected].
    All expressions of interest to serve as co-leading organizations 
should provide basic contact information, and should identify the 
policy unit or units of which the organization is interested in co-
leading.

C. Selection of Technical Experts and Co-Leading Organizations

    The Secretary General of Habitat III will make all decisions 
regarding the appointment of technical experts to policy units and the 
selection of co-leading organizations.


[[Page 32590]]


    Dated: June 3, 2015.
Salin G. Geervarghese,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Philanthropic 
Innovation.
[FR Doc. 2015-14035 Filed 6-8-15; 8:45 a.m.]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P