Mona Serageldin UN Habitat Award

On October 1, Mona was posthumously awarded a UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour award. The Scroll of Honour is one of the world’s most prestigious awards presented to those working on urbanization. It focuses on initiatives of outstanding contributions in the field of developing and improving urban lives, providing housing and highlighting the plight of the poor or displaced, ensuring no one is left behind. [read more at UN Habitat]



The citation reads:

Dr. Mona A. Serageldin (1938-2018), Vice President: Institute for International Urban Development, USA (2005-2018)For promoting practical research-based approaches to address a broad spectrum of development challenges in a wide range of settings.    

For 35 years, Dr. Serageldin worked in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean engaging local and global partners in local development, strategic planning, social inclusion and policy and programme assessment. Dr. Serageldin focused on action research and technical assistance in developing countries, and her fieldwork informed her teaching, conference interventions, and publications. She made a significant impact through promoting sustainable urban development on the ground, her work in academia, and in fostering policy development. She was Vice President of the Institute for International Urban Development until her death this year  

Other winners of the Award were:

Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China – For promoting holistic and broad-based approaches to ecological restoration through intelligent waste-management.

National Action Plan for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Cuba 2017-2036: The Institute of Physical Planning – For promoting holistic and broad-based approaches to ecological restoration through intelligent waste-management.

Ms Tri Rismaharini – Mayor of Surabaya City, Indonesia – For implementing people-centred and inclusive city regeneration and development initiatives prioritising low income residents to ensure they are not left behind.

Isaac ‘KakaMuasa – Chairman, Mathare Environmental Conservation Youth Group (MECYG), Kenya– For harnessing the potential of disadvantaged youth and inspiring community-wide involvement in solid waste management.
  The award was presented by President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN Habitat Executive Director and accepted by her son, Sherif Lotfi.

A short video on the award can be seen at https://unhabitat.org/press-release-un-habitat-scroll-of-honour-winners/