The Third Preparatory Committee Conference for Habitat III (PrepCom3) will take place from 25-27 July 2016 in Surabaya, Indonesia.

IDPP Program Associate Ms. Della Leonor will participate in PrepCom3 on behalf of IDPP and in support of the informal global Disability Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development Network (DIAUD).

Habitat III is the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. Held once every 20 years, this third conference of UN Habitat - the UN Human Settlements Programme - will gather stakeholders toward a path forward with a New Urban Agenda that takes into consideration dynamic urban development trends and the impact on human development, environmental changes, and global governance processes.

The multistakeholder DIAUD Network – composed of policymakers, government representatives, urban development and disability professionals, academics, disability rights advocates, and development cooperation partners – enables concerted disability-inclusive efforts to ongoing Habitat III processes and is supported by a Disability Inclusive Development Policy Collaboratory, an initiative of IDPP.

At the conference, Ms. Leonor will collaborate closely with Ms. Risnawati Utami, executive director of Ohana, a nonprofit organization based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia focused on disability policy advocacy, disability rights and policy studies. Ms. Utami will serve as a focal person for the disability caucus to PrepCom3.

Ms. Leonor will also support the Side Event “Human Rights and the Right to the City: Towards Inclusive and Equitable Cities” organized by World Vision International and co-sponsored by Ohana, World Enabled, the DIAUD Network, and others on 25 July from 1:30pm-2:30pm.

In addition to meetings with the PrepCom3 disability caucus, the conference allows for an invaluable opportunity for IDPP and the DIAUD Network to meet with key government representatives regarding the revised Zero Draft of the New Urban Agenda; build partnerships; and actively engage in PrepCom3 discussions and conference sessions around inclusive and accessible urban development and universal design.

A decision will also be reached at Surabaya regarding the disability community's application to the General Assembly of Partners (GAP) to become the 16th Partner Constituent Group (PCG) to the Habitat III process. An initiative of the World Urban Campaign, GAP aims to support stakeholder engagement and contributions to Habitat III. It currently consists of 15 PCGs with members from the United Nations Major Groups Framework and other stakeholders.

PrepCom3 is particularly significant as it is the third and final Preparatory Committee Conference before the Habitat III Conference takes place in October 2016 in Quito, Ecuador. It is one of the final opportunities for negotiations around the Zero Draft of the New Urban Agenda, as well as one of the final multistakeholder gatherings for governments, civil society and others to come together in preparation for Quito.