UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award
UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award was created by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements in 1989 to encourage and recognize the countries, governments, organizations, and individuals who have made great contributions to the development of housing. It is the most prestigious human settlements award in the world by the United Nations, given by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, and has recognized 192 initiatives since its launch in 1989.
The aim of the award is to honour and acknowledge initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in the field of human settlements, provision of housing, highlighting the plight of people living in poverty or who have been displaced, developing, and improving human settlements and the quality of urban life to leave no one behind echoing the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 with emphasis on Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The award, a plaque engraved with the name of the winner, is handed over at the Global Observance of the World Habitat Day, the day the United Nations has set aside to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to reflect on the state of our cities and towns and to shape the future. World Habitat Day was established in 1985 by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 40/202 and was first celebrated in 1986.
Eligibility
Individuals, organizations, the private sector, government, non-governmental, bilateral and multi-lateral aid agencies dealing with sustainable projects which have had great impact in society, and any Habitat Agenda partner who has improved the lives of people can be nominated for the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour.Evaluation criteria
A Committee comprising from UN-Habitat experts and senior management makes the initial assessment of the nominations and submissions of the candidates and verify that the submission conforms to the standards outlined in the guidelines. After strict reviewing and screening materials of all the candidates, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme chooses the winners. In the past, every year the number of awards by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme depends, generally below 10. Since 2018 only 5 winners, ideally from each Region of the world, are selected. Past winners are outstanding in the international, regional or national level of human living and have extensive influences. On every World Habitat Day, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme will hold the award ceremony in a prior selected city.Winners
Each year, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme receives a large number of projects nominated by governments after selection. Recommended candidates can be government organizations or agencies, individuals, or projects, and initiatives can address any aspects of human settlements, such as housing, infrastructure, urban renewal, sustainable human settlements development, or post-disaster reconstruction.2018
Awards were given to the following:| Winner | Awarded For | Country |
| Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province | "Promoting holistic and broad-based approaches to ecological restoration through intelligent waste-management" | China |
| National Action Plan for the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Cuba 2017-2036: Institute of Physical Planning | "Implementing positive urban and territorial change through the integration and implementation of the principles of the New Urban Agenda" | Cuba |
| Tri Rismaharini, Mayor of Surabaya City | "Implementing people-centred and inclusive city regeneration and development initiatives prioritizing low income residents to ensure they are not left behind" | Indonesia |
| Isaac ‘Kaka’ Muasa, Chairman of Mathare Environmental Conservation Youth Group | "Harnessing the potential of disadvantaged youth and inspiring community-wide involvement in solid waste management" | Kenya |
| Presented Posthumously in Memory of Dr. Mona A. Serageldin, Vice President: Institute for International Urban Development | "Promoting practical research-based approaches to address a broad spectrum of development challenges in a wide range of settings" | United States |
2013
Awards were given to the following:| Winner | Awarded For | Country |
| UPP Social Programme | "Advancing the promotion of urban, social and economic development in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro" | Brazil |
| People’s Government of Shouguang | "Improvements in infrastructure, transport and traffic systems" | China |
| Ministry of Urban Development and Construction of Ethiopia | "Its groundbreaking Cobblestone - Youth Job Creation Initiative" | Ethiopia |
| Suwon | "Its citizen-initiated governance and participatory urban planning and budgeting" | Korea |
| Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility | "Enabling organizations of the urban poor to access greater resources" | United Kingdom |
2012
Awards were given to the following:| Winner | Awarded For | Country |
| The São Paulo Slum Upgrading Programme of the Municipal Housing Secretariat | "Implementing one of the largest slum upgrading project in Brazil" | Brazil |
| The Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance | "Assisting municipalities in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, including efforts on clean water, access to education and health facilities" | Cameroon |
| Anji County | "Transforming Anji city into one of the world’s greenest cities" | China |
| Olusegun Mimiko, Governor of Ondo State | "The drive to reduce urban poverty and make Ondo the best-run State in the country." | Nigeria |
| Muchadeyi Masunda, Mayor of Harare | "10 years charismatic leadership and courageous promotion of ethical governance in a city stressed by socio-economic, political and service delivery problems" | Zimbabwe |
2011
Awards was given to following:| Winner | Country |
| Wintringham Specialist Aged Care | Australia |
| Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Estructuras y Materiales i | Cuba |
| Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel by MMC-Gamuda | Malaysia |
| Edith Mbanga of the Shack Dwellers Federation for Namibia | Namibia |
| Yakutsk City Administration | Russia |
| Austin Energy Green Building | United States |
2010
| Winner | Country |
| Vienna 's Sustainable Urban Renewal Programme | Austria |
| Kunshan Municipal People's Government | China |
| City of Medellin | Colombia |
| Ministry of Housing and Urban Development of Morocco and the Al Omrane Group | Morocco |
| Housing and Development Board | Singapore |
| Johannesburg Social Housing Company | South Africa |
2009
In this year, the award recipients come from diverse backgrounds and contents.| Winner | Country |
| Peter Oberlander | Canada |
| Un Techo Para Mi Pais | Chile |
| Rizhao Municipal Government | China |
| CEMEX | Mexico |
| The city of Grozny | Russia |
| The Saudi Al-Medina Al Munawarah Local Urban Observatory | Saudi Arabia |
| The Seoul Metropolitan Government | Republic of Korea |
| Jan Peterson of Huairou Commission | United States of America |
| The Alexandra Renewal Project | South Africa |
| The City of Malmö | Sweden |
| Uganda Women’s Efforts to Save Children | Uganda |
| Neal Peirce, Journalist | United States of America |