Asturias and UN-Habitat agree to implement the Urban Agenda with 60,000 euros

The Principality of Asturias and the Regional Programmes Division of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) have signed an international administrative agreement to support the implementation and monitoring of the New Urban Agenda in the autonomous community. The agreement, signed on January 30, 2026, and endowed with 60,000 euros, is now published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) number 212, dated November 3, 2026, by resolution of the Department of Territorial Planning, Urbanism, Housing and Citizen Rights dated October 20, 2026. The publication is ordered under Article 41 of Law 25/2014, of November 27, on Treaties and other International Agreements.

An agreement based on autonomous competence

The text frames the pact within the exclusive competence of the Principality over territorial planning, urbanism, and housing attributed to it by Article 10.1.3 of the Statute of Autonomy, approved by Organic Law 7/1981, of December 30, and within the competencies of the signing department according to Decree 22/2023, of July 31, on the restructuring of the departments. The chosen legal formula is that of an international administrative agreement, provided for in Article 52 of Law 25/2014 and in the State Foreign Action Law, within the scope of autonomous competence.

The agreement is based on the previous cooperation framework between Spain and the UN agency: the cooperation agreement of March 23, 2010, and the headquarters agreement of November 30, 2011. The Asturian party acts as the donor and UN-Habitat as the executor of the project, titled “Support for the implementation and monitoring of the New Urban Agenda in the Principality of Asturias,” which is part of the umbrella program for national and subnational urban agendas in Spain, active since 2018.

Sixty thousand euros in two payments and twelve months of execution

The autonomous contribution amounts to 60,000 euros, which will be paid into the UN-Habitat account at JP Morgan AG (Frankfurt, Germany) according to the following schedule:

• 10,000 euros upon signing the agreement.
• 50,000 euros four months after signing, subject to justification of activities through the report provided for in the agreement.

The budget in Annex B breaks down 53,100 euros in direct expenditure and 6,900 euros in indirect costs, with a program support rate of 13%. The main items are:

• 24,000 euros for thematic knowledge generation sessions.
• 8,000 euros for international personnel and consultancy.
• 5,000 euros for support for the Urban and Rural Agenda of Asturias.
• 4,500 euros for advocacy events on subnational urban agendas.
• 4,100 euros for service missions and 2,500 euros for evaluation.

The activity period is twelve months from the receipt of the contribution, entering into force on the date of the last signature and with the possibility of an extension, which UN-Habitat may unilaterally extend for up to six months.

Support for the Urban and Rural Agenda of Asturias

The project is organized into two expected results. The first seeks to generate specialized knowledge and strengthen the capacities of governments and stakeholders for cities that are “more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable,” through technical and institutional support for the Urban and Rural Agenda of Asturias (AURA) process, underway since 2021, and the organization of four exchange sessions. The second aims to strengthen alliances with local government networks, with an advocacy event, support for the participation of Asturian representatives in international forums, and the production of communication materials.

Monitoring, reporting, and expenditure control

The agreement creates a Joint Monitoring Commission with a maximum of three members per party, responsible for the supervision and guidance of the execution. UN-Habitat will submit descriptive reports every four months and a final report within the following 60 days, as well as a certified financial report no later than twelve months after closing. The audit is governed by the United Nations Financial Regulations, and the agreement includes anti-corruption, anti-terrorism, and data protection clauses, with the possibility of termination upon 30 days prior notice.

The relevance of the agreement is twofold. On one hand, it incorporates Asturias into the international network of subnational urban agendas supported by UN-Habitat since 2018, providing access to regulatory instruments and global forums. On the other, it provides external technical backing to AURA in a territory where the central area concentrates 80% of the population of the Principality, with three medium-sized cities—Oviedo, Gijón, and Avilés—and an especially complex governance structure, a challenge to which the regional agenda dedicates its own section.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, no. 212 of November 3, 2026, section I. Principality of Asturias — Other Provisions, page 1 (official reference: Code 2026-08766).