20/07/2026
SIERRA LEONE CALLS FOR ACCELERATED GLOBAL ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Government of Sierra Leone has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable urban development, affordable housing, climate resilience, and inclusive land governance at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 16th July 2026.
The meeting brought together Heads of State and Government, Ministers, senior UN officials, development partners, local government leaders, and urban development experts to assess global progress and identify actions needed to accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda 2036.
The national statement of Sierra Leone was delivered on behalf of the Hon. Dr. Turad Senesie, Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, by Dr. Alphajoh Cham, Director of Planning, Policy and Project Development, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning.
Speaking during the plenary session, Sierra Leone welcomed the Midterm Review as a timely opportunity to renew global commitment to sustainable urbanization and called for stronger international cooperation to address the growing challenges of rapid urbanization, inadequate housing, climate change, and limited access to urban finance.
The statement highlighted that rapid urban growth in Freetown, the Western Area and secondary cities is increasing demand for land, housing, infrastructure and basic services, while exposing communities to floods, landslides and coastal erosion. Sierra Leone emphasized that these challenges require integrated planning, resilient infrastructure, secure land tenure and inclusive urban development.
The Government underscored significant reforms undertaken under the leadership of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, including:
• The enactment of the Customary Land Rights Act, 2022, strengthening equitable access to land and protecting the rights of women and local communities;
• The National Land Commission Act, 2022, establishing decentralized land administration and laying the foundation for biometric land title registration;
• The National Country Planning Act, 2025, providing a modern legal framework for integrated spatial planning, climate resilience, stronger development control and decentralized planning; and
• Ongoing implementation of the Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project, including preparation of the Western Area Regional Spatial Plan, spatial plans for six secondary cities, enhanced municipal geospatial systems, and strengthened planning institutions.
Sierra Leone also informed the General Assembly that it is advancing a comprehensive National Housing Policy focused on affordable housing, secure tenure, community-led upgrading, local building materials and expanded access to basic urban services.
During the statement, Sierra Leone announced four strategic national commitments to accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda:
First, translating policies and legislation into practical delivery of serviced land, affordable housing, secure tenure and basic services, particularly for low-income and vulnerable households.
Second, strengthening local councils, municipal finance, development control systems and citizen participation to improve urban governance, particularly in rapidly growing secondary cities.
Third, integrating climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, nature-based solutions and digital geospatial technologies into land use planning, housing and infrastructure development.
Fourth, operationalizing Sierra Leone’s partnership with UN-Habitat and other development partners through technical cooperation, capacity development, knowledge exchange, project preparation and resource mobilization.
The Government emphasized that effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda requires stronger collaboration among national governments, local authorities, development banks, civil society, academia and responsible private sector investors.
Sierra Leone also called upon the international community to provide greater support for Least Developed Countries through:
• Increased access to concessional and blended finance;
• Expanded climate adaptation financing;
• Stronger project preparation facilities;
• Risk-sharing mechanisms for affordable housing and resilient infrastructure;
• Greater investment in secondary cities; and
• Enhanced support for community-led upgrading of informal settlements.
The statement further called for increased and predictable support to UN-Habitat and improved coordination across the United Nations system and international financial institutions to accelerate delivery of sustainable urban development globally.
On the margins of the High-Level Meeting, Sierra Leone reaffirmed its strategic partnership with UN-Habitat, building on the existing Memorandum of Understanding covering urban planning, housing, land administration, sustainable human settlements and institutional capacity development. Both parties expressed commitment to translating this partnership into concrete technical assistance, investment opportunities and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
The High-Level Meeting, held under the theme “Delivering Sustainable Urbanization for All: Accelerating and Scaling Implementation of the New Urban Agenda to 2036 Together,” reviewed global progress since adoption of the New Urban Agenda in Quito in 2016. The meeting also considered the findings of the United Nations Secretary-General’s 2026 Progress Report and is expected to adopt a concise political declaration renewing international commitment to sustainable urban development.
Concluding Sierra Leone’s statement, Dr. Cham reaffirmed the country’s readiness to work with the international community to ensure that the period leading to 2036 becomes “a decade of implementation,” delivering secure land rights, affordable housing, resilient settlements, reliable urban services and inclusive opportunities for all citizens, leaving no one and no place behind.
