What Global Forum On Human Settlements does

The Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) is an international non-governmental organization established in 2005 that operates in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The organization convenes annual global forums, maintains the proprietary International Green Model City (IGMC) Initiative, and runs the long-standing Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards (SCAHSA/New SCAHSA). Its primary audiences are city and municipal governments, UN agencies and multilateral bodies, urban planners and sustainability experts, and sustainability-oriented private-sector entities across more than 40 countries. Day-to-day operations are led by Chairman Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury (former UN Under-Secretary-General), Co-Founder and Secretary-General Lyu Haifeng, and Co-Chairman/Treasurer Fnu Oudom of the Global Human Settlements Foundation.

GFHS's core offerings sit on three pillars: (1) the annual forum session — held in rotating global venues such as UN Headquarters in New York and WMO headquarters in Geneva — which at the 20th anniversary in November 2025 drew 300+ delegates from 40 countries, co-organized by 22 international organizations including 10 major UN agencies (WMO, UNCTAD, FAO, UNESCAP, UNECA, UNDP, UNDRR, UNIDO, UNCRD), the World Economic Forum, IUCN, WWF, and C40; (2) the IGMC Initiative and its proprietary IGMC Standards 3.0 — a 12-principle, 8-resilience-indicator planning and assessment framework for net-zero, zero-waste sustainable cities, with an online assessment system adopted by 41 cities and businesses; and (3) the SCAHSA awards program, upgraded in 2024 to "New SCAHSA" with prize money of USD 5,000–10,000 per winner and a Nobel-style ambition. Supporting products include GFHS proceedings, the Collection of GFHS viewpoints and models publications, training programs, and forum video archives distributed via the website and live streaming.

As a nonprofit convening body, GFHS does not publicly disclose product pricing. Revenue mechanics appear to combine annual forum and awards sponsorship (drawn from co-organizer networks such as WMO, UNEP, UNDP, AfDB, and ADB), financial backing from the Global Human Settlements Foundation, and engagement revenue from the IGMC partner network. Distribution is global — live-streamed events reaching 100,000+ online viewers per session, free downloadable publications, and a website (gfhsforum.org) supplemented by Twitter (@gfhsforum), Weibo, and WeChat — with named customer/member cities spanning Vancouver, Vienna, Heidelberg, Yokohama, Glasgow, Braga, Oeiras, San Jose, Beijing's Chaoyang District, and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City.

Name

Global Forum On Human Settlements

Legal name

Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS)

Website

https://gfhsforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) is a UN ECOSOC-status international NGO that convenes annual forums on sustainable cities, operates the IGMC Initiative with proprietary planning standards adopted by 41 cities, and runs the SCAHSA/New SCAHSA awards program for city governments, UN agencies, and sustainability practitioners across 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Sustainable Development Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable urban development
• Human settlements policy
• Green city standards
• International sustainability forums
• Sustainable cities awards

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. SCAHSA Awards Program: Annual awards ceremony recognizing outstanding innovation and leadership in sustainable cities and human settlements. The upgraded New SCAHSA (2024) awards prize money of USD 5,000 to USD 10,000 per winner across 8 categories, with 13 winners in 2024.
2. Annual Forum Participation and Sponsorship: Revenue generated from annual forum sessions, conferences, and events focused on sustainable cities and human settlements, with co-organizers including leading UN agencies and international organizations. GFHS 2022 had 24 leading organizations as co-organizers.
3. IGMC Initiative Membership and Adoption: The IGMC Initiative, with 41 cities and businesses as partners, generates engagement through the adoption of IGMC standards and participation in the network for exchanges, sharing, interaction and cooperation among sustainable city practitioners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) is an international non-governmental organization with Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that convenes annual global forums, administers the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards (SCAHSA/New SCAHSA), and operates the International Green Model City (IGMC) Initiative with its proprietary IGMC Standards framework for sustainable urban development. The organization facilitates high-level dialogue among UN agencies, city governments, civil society, and experts to advance SDG 11, the New Urban Agenda, and the Paris Agreement at the city level.

Product overview

Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) is a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with ECOSOC, offering a portfolio of programs focused on sustainable cities and human settlements. The core offerings include annual forum sessions (the 21st held in 2025), the SCAHSA Awards program celebrating outstanding sustainable development practices, and the International Green Model City (IGMC) Initiative with its associated IGMC Standards for urban planning and assessment. Supporting offerings include publications (GFHS Collections and Proceedings), training programs, and forum videos documenting outcomes and best practices. The organization serves as a platform for high-level dialogue among UN agencies, governments, civil society, and experts on urban sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCAHSA (Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards): Annual awards program recognizing outstanding practices and innovations in sustainable cities and human settlements. Upgraded in 2024 to 'New SCAHSA' with prize money.
• International Green Model City Initiative (IGMC)

Products and services

• Annual Forum Sessions Annual global forum meetings bringing together UN agencies, diplomats, city governments, civil society, private sector, and academic experts to discuss sustainable cities and human settlements topics. Held at prestigious venues such as UN Headquarters in New York and WMO Headquarters in Geneva, with live streaming reaching over 100,000 professional audiences per event.
• SCAHSA / New SCAHSA Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing outstanding innovation and leadership in sustainable cities and human settlements worldwide. The 2024 New SCAHSA recognized 13 winners in 8 categories with prize money of USD 5,000 to USD 10,000 per winner. Designed in the tradition of the Nobel Prize to become a global top prize for sustainable development.
• International Green Model City (IGMC) Initiative Global partnership initiative for building zero-waste and zero-emission oriented green cities, based on six principles: safety, sustainability, equity, identity, prosperity, and happiness. The initiative currently includes 41 cities and businesses forming a network for exchanges, sharing, interaction, and cooperation on sustainable city practices.
• IGMC Standards 3.0 Comprehensive set of planning standards, criteria, and indicators (including 8 Key Resilience Indicators) for building sustainable cities and human settlements. Provides cities with a planning framework, assessment monitoring system, and indicators covering areas such as disaster prediction systems, seismic compliance, runoff control, and healthcare capacity per capita.
• Publications and Forum Proceedings Published works including The Collection of GFHS volumes (Viewpoints and Models), annual GFHS Proceedings, and outcome declarations from forum sessions. These publications are distributed as free downloadable PDFs from the GFHS website, serving as thought leadership content for sustainability professionals and academics worldwide.
• Training Programs Educational and training initiatives on sustainable urban development, climate action, and environmental topics, designed for urban planners, architects, sustainability experts, and city government officials.

Quantifiable outcome

• SCAHSA has been successfully held for 19 years since 2005 with awardees from different parts of the world
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMO co-organizes GFHS annual forums and hosted the 20th anniversary session at its Geneva headquarters. WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo delivered opening remarks at GFHS 2025. The partnership focuses on integrating climate science and early warning systems into sustainable urban planning.
• UN-HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN-Habitat is listed as a key partner organization, contributing to the sustainable cities and human settlements agenda aligned with SDG 11.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP co-launched the International Green Model City (IGMC) Initiative with GFHS at UN headquarters in 2011. UNEP contributes expertise on sustainable consumption, production, and urban environmental management to GFHS forums.
• World Economic Forum (WEF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEF co-organized GFHS 2022 along with 10 UN agencies and IUCN, contributing to high-level dialogue on sustainable cities and green transformation.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN co-organized GFHS 2022 and contributes expertise on biodiversity, nature-based solutions, and ecosystem restoration for sustainable urban development.
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCTAD co-organizes GFHS annual sessions, contributing perspectives on sustainable urban development, green economy, and trade aspects of urban sustainability.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWF co-organized GFHS 2021 and contributes expertise on conservation, nature-positive cities, and biodiversity integration into urban planning.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP co-organizes GFHS forums and contributes to SDG localization discussions and urban resilience programming.
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNECA co-organizes GFHS forums and contributes African urban development perspectives, including hosting the 2019 forum in Addis Ababa.
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission in Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCAP co-organizes GFHS forums and contributes Asian-Pacific perspectives on sustainable urban development and SDG implementation.
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDRR co-organizes GFHS forums, contributing expertise on urban disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, and resilience frameworks aligned with the Sendai Framework.
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIDO co-organized GFHS 2022 and contributes expertise on industrial development, clean energy, and decarbonization for sustainable cities.
• United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCRD co-organizes GFHS forums and contributes regional development perspectives, with co-organizing credit on GFHS 2021.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerC40 co-organized GFHS 2022, contributing expertise on urban climate action, carbon neutrality, and city-level climate leadership.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNC co-organized GFHS 2022 and contributes expertise on nature-based solutions, urban ecology, and biodiversity integration into city planning.
• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEI co-organized GFHS 2022 and contributes scientific expertise on climate policy, carbon neutrality strategies, and urban sustainability metrics.
• African Development Bank (AfDB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfDB co-organized GFHS 2021 and 2022, contributing African development finance perspectives and investment expertise for sustainable urban infrastructure.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADB co-organized GFHS 2021, contributing Asian development finance perspectives and sustainable urban investment expertise.
• Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGGGI co-organized GFHS 2021, contributing green growth frameworks and low-carbon urban development expertise.
• ECO CITY BUILDERScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECO CITY BUILDERS is listed as a key partner organization contributing to the sustainable cities and human settlements network.
• International Water Association (IWA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWA is listed as a partner organization contributing expertise on urban water management, integrated water resources, and water-related sustainability for cities.
• International Ocean Institute (IOI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOI contributes to GFHS forums on coastal cities, ocean sustainability, and blue economy aspects of urban development.
• World Ocean Council (WOC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOC is listed as a partner contributing to discussions on sustainable blue economy and ocean-related urban sustainability.
• Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBPN is listed as a partner contributing expertise on building energy performance and low-carbon building standards for sustainable cities.
• Habitat For Humanity International (HFHI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHFHI is listed as a partner contributing to affordable housing, inclusive human settlements, and housing rights discussions.
• ENERGIES 2050minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENERGIES 2050 is listed as a partner contributing expertise on energy transition and sustainable energy solutions for cities.
• World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWANGO is listed as a partner contributing NGO coordination and civil society engagement perspectives to GFHS forums.
• The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGBC is listed as a partner contributing expertise on LEED certification, green building standards, and sustainable construction.
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOECD is listed as a partner contributing policy analysis, urban governance frameworks, and sustainable development economics expertise.
• European Committee of the Regions (CoR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoR is listed as a partner contributing EU regional governance perspectives and local government engagement frameworks.
• Swedish Energy Agency (SEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEA is listed as a partner contributing expertise on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean energy transition for urban areas.
• International Science Council (ISC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISC is listed as a partner contributing scientific expertise and research coordination to GFHS forums.
• International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartneriiSBE is listed as a partner contributing expertise on sustainable building standards and environmental performance of buildings.
• Architecture 2030minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture 2030 is listed as a partner contributing expertise on building sector decarbonization and climate-friendly design.
• Universal Peace Federation (UPF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPF is listed as a partner contributing to peace-building and social cohesion aspects of sustainable human settlements.
• Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASS is listed as a partner contributing Chinese academic research and policy expertise on urbanization and sustainable development.
• Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China (MEE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEE is listed as a partner contributing Chinese environmental policy and ecological civilization expertise.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China (MOHURD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOHURD is listed as a partner contributing urban planning and construction standards expertise from China.
• Global Human Settlements FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Global Human Settlements Foundation co-founded GFHS and backs the New SCAHSA awards program with financial resources, including prize money for awardees. Mr. Fnu Oudom serves as Co-Chairman & Treasurer of the Foundation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Metropolis - World Association of Major Metropolises: International network of major metropolitan governments addressing urban governance, sustainability, and innovation. Comparable city-network model and similar focus on cross-city knowledge exchange.
• UN-Habitat: Designated UN agency for sustainable cities and human settlements, directly overlapping GFHS's mandate on SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda. Both convene global forums, publish frameworks, and engage city governments on urban sustainability.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of local and regional governments advancing sustainable urban development, with comparable working areas (biodiversity, resilience, climate) and city-member model similar to GFHS's IGMC partner network.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Global network of mayors leading on climate action. C40 co-organized GFHS 2022 and competes for the same audience of city governments and climate-focused convening slots on carbon-neutral and resilient cities.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: International coalition of city leaders committed to climate and energy action. Comparable scope on city-level climate governance and serves overlapping municipal-government audiences as GFHS.
• Resilient Cities Network: City-led network (formerly 100 Resilient Cities) focused on urban resilience strategy-building. It directly overlaps GFHS's IGMC resilience indicators and convening of city-chief-resilience-officer audiences.

Broad incumbents

• World Green Building Council: Global umbrella of national green-building councils advancing built environment sustainability. Closely aligned with GFHS's GBPN partner relationship and overlapping green-building-standards agenda.
• World Economic Forum - Centre for Urban Transformation: Major international forum running the Centre for Urban Transformation. WEF co-organized GFHS 2022 and competes for high-level sustainability-policy dialogue alongside GFHS's annual sessions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gfhsforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-forum-on-human-settlements

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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