Slovakia will host a new regional United Nations Center for Human Settlements as part of the global SURGe (Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation) initiative. The center will coordinate efforts across Europe to address urbanization and climate change and will strengthen cooperation between UN bodies, the European Union, and other international partners. This marks a major opportunity for Slovakia to enhance its role in global climate policy and support collaboration among experts, academia, and the private sector.

A new regional United Nations (UN) Center for Human Settlements will be established as part of the Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation (SURGe) project. For the Slovak Republic, this initiative presents an opportunity to take on a coordinating role at the UN level and to create new avenues for collaboration across academia, business, and the expert community.

According to a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, the center’s main role will be to coordinate activities in Europe. It will work closely with the UN headquarters in Vienna, other UN bodies, the European Union and its institutions, EU member states, and various regional partners. These include the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Danube Commission, and others.

The center will host both national and international meetings focused on strengthening cooperation and partnerships to address climate change challenges.

Under the SURGe project, countries will be able to request technical consulting services. Ministerial-level meetings on urbanization and climate change will be organized during global UN climate conferences. Additionally, a dedicated online portal will be launched to facilitate knowledge sharing across projects and sectors.