The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), created in 1978, is mandated to “promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.” The Programme plays a key role in helping countries manage urbanization to maximize a city’s capacity to generate wealth and higher living standards for its citizens. Until 1997, UN-Habitat received little support from the UN and struggled to help developing countries deal with problems stemming from massive urban growth. By 2002, when half the world’s population resided in urban areas, the organization had completed a major revitalization, with an increased budget and a more focused mandate. The Programme became central to the work on achieving the seventh Millennium Development Goal to “ensure environmental sustainability” through efficient habitat development and reduction of poverty. Today, UN-Habitat’s work spans may of the current Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Sports have a long history of bringing states and diverse groups of people together over a shared enthusiasm for friendly competition. International sporting groups, including the International Olympic Committee and the International Federation of Association Football, often host their events in host cities worldwide. The fame of the events has been shown to overshadow the millions impacted by both the preparation and the competitions. The pressure to host successful, world-class events also leads to significant challenges in balancing development needs with the rights and well-being of local communities. City construction on event infrastructure, such as stadiums, displaces thousands and has major environmental and atmospheric impacts. Another contributing factor to displacement is using cheap or forced labor to construct sports venues and infrastructure. These practices involve migrant workers who are then subjected to unsafe working conditions, long hours, and inadequate pay. This further impacts residents, often of lower economic status. As the international community continues to host bigger and more costly sporting events, there should be a push for eco-friendly venue construction, further cooperation between sporting officials and city planners, and methods to avoid displacement. Delegates in UN-Habitat must analyze the sustainability, consider the local impacts, and weigh the positives and negatives of these large-scale sporting events.

As populations grow, creating new sustainable and environmentally friendly construction techniques has become even more important. However, these building techniques are rarely used in many parts of the world and need a large push to become widespread. Concern is also rising among urban populations and the global community regarding the damage that the construction of the world’s new cities, roads, and more is doing to the environment and citizens. In 2023, the building sector was responsible for 38 percent of global carbon emissions, underscoring the critical need for zero-emissions buildings. Sustainable construction reduces these environmental impacts by promoting energy-efficient designs, renewable materials, and waste minimization. It also has economic benefits, as it lowers operational costs and enhances property values while creating green jobs. Efficient resource management is also crucial to maintaining these goals. Using sustainable materials and innovative technologies that drive these changes emphasizes the industry’s responsibility to adopt sustainable practices to mitigate climate change and promote long-term resilience. Delegates in UN-Habitat should seek to implement new standards, enforce a greater concern for the environment, and develop new building codes to ensure sustainable practices.