Isabel Rodríguez calls at the UN for housing and urban policies to be placed "at the heart" of the global agenda
News - 2026.7.15
The Minister for Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez,, during her participation in the meeting 'Advancing SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda: Local Action for Global Acceleration', at the UN headquarters in New York
The Minister for Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, called for the expansion of the stock of public and affordable housing, the promotion of regeneration, the improvement of accessibility and the guarantee of high-quality urban environments as fundamental milestones in making progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The minister made these remarks at the forum 'Advancing SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda: Local Action for Global Acceleration', held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.
During her speech at this Special Event organised by the Local2030 Coalition, which was also attended by the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Anacláudia Rossbach, Rodríguez warned that the housing crisis "is today one of the greatest urban and social challenges in many regions of the world", and therefore called on the international community to "put housing at the heart" of the New Urban Agenda with the aim of promoting "more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and territories".
"In Spain, the Housing Act, the Architectural Quality Act, the creation of CASA 47, the roll-out of the PRTR Funds and the 2026-2030 State Housing Plan all reflect this priority", said the minister, who also emphasised the importance of national urban policies as key tools for "the global economy, the fight against climate change, the efficient use of natural resources, innovation, social cohesion and equality".
In this regard, Rodríguez highlighted the progress made through the National Urban Policy launched in Spain in 2019: the Spanish Urban Agenda. This is a "strategic framework aligned with the 2030 Agenda", designed to translate major global commitments into concrete action plans tailored to the country's specific territorial realities.
"Today we can say that the implementation of the Spanish Urban Agenda, and with it the localisation of the urban targets within the Sustainable Development Goals, is a success story in Spain"; SDGs which, she noted, "are not achieved solely through national strategies or global commitments, but also when they succeed in transforming the daily lives of people in their cities, towns, neighbourhoods and regions".
In conclusion, Rodríguez called for the creation of a network for collaboration and knowledge-sharing at national level in the run-up to 2030, with a view to strengthening the New Urban Agenda. "We need less fragmentation and more cooperation, fewer isolated assessments and more action, and a narrower gap between global agendas and people's everyday lives. Spain will remain committed to the United Nations "to work towards more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and regions".
About the Special Event organised by the Local2030 Coalition
The Local2030 Coalition is the United Nations system's platform dedicated to promoting the localisation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals through global commitments, as well as through concrete policies in cities, regions, towns and local communities.
The Local2030 Coalition brings together United Nations agencies, governments, associations, civil society and other stakeholders to share solutions and accelerate local action that contributes to the achievement of the SDGs.
Non official translation