The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
UN-Habitat is the coordinating agency within the United Nations System for human settlement activities and in collaboration with governments is responsible for promoting and consolidating collaboration with all partners, including local authorities, private and non-governmental organizations in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, Goal 11 of “Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, as well as the task manager of the human settlements chapter of Agenda 21 and focal point for the monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the New Urban Agenda adopted during the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III),held in Quito, Ecuador, in 2016.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. The Events and Outreach Unit is located within External Relations Strategy Knowledge and Innovation Division (ERSKI) of UN-Habitat. One of the Division’s key mandates is to promote strategic alliances to support achievement of the goals of adequate shelter for all, and sustainable urbanization and human settlements development. The World Urban Forum (WUF) provides a flagship platform for UN-Habitat’s key stakeholders as well as its corporate programme and priorities.

The WUF is a non-legislative technical forum convened by the UN-Habitat biannually since 2002. The forum gathers a wide range of experts from every walk of life. Participants of the forum include but are not limited to national, regional and local governments, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, professional, research institutions and academia, professional, private sector, development finance institutions, foundations, media, United Nations organizations and other international agencies. The WUF is recognized as the foremost global arena for interaction among policymakers, local government leaders, non-governmental organizations and expert practitioners in the field of sustainable urban development and human settlements. The WUF has been identified as a key platform to support implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) adopted at the Habitat III conference. The WUF provides opportunities for stakeholder organizations of all kinds to come together to share the latest in innovative advances in sustainable urban development and projects showcasing the implementation of the NUA.

This UN Volunteer assignment contributes to UN-Habitat’s flagship events, including the World Urban Forum, World Cities Day, World Habitat Day, and the Global Events Management System (GEMS), which serves as the core registration and coordination platform. These events play a key role in advancing the implementation of UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2020–2023.

A central flagship event is the United Nations Habitat Assembly, which seeks to promote urban regeneration, sustainable urbanisation, foster inclusivity in urban settings, and improve overall quality of life. By strengthening event systems, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and supporting cross-unit coordination, this assignment directly contributes to achieving these strategic goals.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Events and Outreach unit, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Website & Content Management:
• Support event websites (Urban October, World Habitat Day, World Cities Day, and WUF13) to ensure content is accurate, timely, and user-friendly.
• Moderate and review uploaded content to ensure relevance, accessibility, and quality control.

GEMS (Global Event Management System):
• Support in posting and maintaining programme-related information in GEMS, ensuring schedules, event details, and participant data are up to date.
• Support in collection and analysing user feedback on GEMS functionality, propose improvements, and contribute to enhancing user experience.
• Supporting in providing timely responses and guidance to event organizers and participants using GEMS.

Digital Engagement & Outreach:
• Supporting in monitoring and tracking user interaction with digital platforms, compiling analytics on web traffic, engagement, and participation.

Information Systems & ICT Support:
• Assist with integration of online registration, accreditation, and feedback tools into event workflows.
• Supporting the testing of new digital features, tools, or dashboards to enhance event reporting and data analysis.

Knowledge Management & Capacity Building:
• Document lessons learned from digital systems deployment and share recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day).
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.