 UN-HABITAT and the International Union of Architects (UIA) have embarked on a five-year cooperation plan to ensure sustainable urban development and liveable, inclusive cities now that the global urban population has for the first time surpassed that of people living in the countryside. The agreement was announced in the Italian city of Turin last week at the 23rd World Congress of the International Union of Architects. The meeting, which drew more than 10,000 particpants, examined the theme of 'Transmitting Architecture'. The collaboration between the two organizations focuses on policy debate and formulation, advocacy and campaign work, as well as operational delivery. The Union will actively engage in gathering, developing and disseminating knowledge and information on architecture in order to support UN-HABITAT’s Global Campaign for Sustainable Urbanization and other activities. It will have a particular focus on architectural design and adaptation to climate change, urban design and public space, as well as response to the slum challenge. The Union has also agreed to contribute to projects on the ground by providing technical architectural expertise proposals. With a membership of more than 1,300,000 architects worldwide, the International Union of Architects is one of the biggest networks of professionals working on human settlements. It was founded in Lausanne in 1948 to unite the architects of the world without regard to nationality, race, religion, or architectural doctrine, and to federate their national organisations. From the 27 delegations present at the founding assembly, the Union has grown to encompass the key professional organisations of architects in 116 countries and territories. Over time, the it has become an accomplished non-governmental organization, and incomparable professional network of architects that reaches all continents.
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