The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, is a specialised agency of the UN to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. It has opened a new office in order to implement a Programme of best practices dedicated to promoting technical ccoperation among local governments

On January, the Catalan Government of Catalonia signed a framework agreement of understanding between the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and the United Nations Development Programme, through which both institutions commited to a strengthening of the relationship. This is the first agreement signed by the United Nations institution with a non-state entity.