On May 30, 2025, at the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Assembly session held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, Malaysia was elected to chair the 2026-2029 term. Malaysia, which took over the presidency from Mexico, which had been representing the Latin America and Caribbean group, was represented by the Minister of Housing and Local Government, HE Nga Kor Ming. Malaysia will also serve on the UN-Habitat Executive Board alongside the United Arab Emirates, representing the Asia-Pacific region during the same period.

Strong Support for the New Urban Agenda

In his acceptance speech, Minister Nga Kor Ming emphasized their determination to implement the New Urban Agenda and called on member countries to advance this process through collective efforts. Noting that Malaysia supports the importance given to adequate housing in the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan for 2026-2029, Kor Ming said that this approach “plays a critical role in ensuring the provision of basic services and secure land use”.

Adequate Housing Highlighted as the Foundation of Inclusive Development

Malaysia emphasized that, in line with its vision of inclusive and sustainable urbanization, the advancement of adequate housing on a global scale is directly related to zero waste, urban transformation, and other sustainable development goals.

Malaysia, which is preparing to play an active role in the coming period, will participate in the 13th World Urban Forum to be held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, in 2026, and will host the Joint Office Meeting within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Housing and Urban Development Ministers' Conference to be held in Penang in October 2025.

Authorized by the United Nations General Assembly, UN-Habitat operates in more than 90 countries to support transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge generation, policy development, technical support, and collaborative action mechanisms.