UN-Habitat and international non-governmental body, Habitat for Humanity, have entered into partnership to help reduce proliferation of slums in Africa, an official said on Wednesday.

Steven Weir, vice president global housing innovation at Habitat for Humanity, told Xinhua in Nairobi that the collaboration will be in area of policy formation, awareness raising and implementation of projects.

"We are keen to partner because we serve complementary roles in ensuring that cities become free of slums," Weir on the sidelines of the UN-Habitat assembly.

The first UN-Habitat Assembly, which runs until Friday, brought together more than 3,000 delegates from UN member states to promote development of sustainable cities.

Weir noted that globally all urban areas face the same challenges of unemployment, pollution and need to maintain decent houses for their residents.

The Habitat for Humanity official noted that low income residents in urban areas often face hurdles in accessing decent housing.

"Therefore, people at the bottom of the pyramid often require both technical and financial assistance to enjoy good quality housing," he added.

Weir called on governments to partner with the private sector, academia and civil society to come up with innovative solutions to prevent the proliferation of the informal settlements.

Xinhua