The Latin American and Caribbean Regional Plan of Action on Human Settlements was agreed at the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in 1995. It was considered that the Plan seems to remain fully valid in its aim of achieving sustainable progress in human settlements by integrating a variety of development dimensions. It was, though, felt that the plans effectiveness was limited due to inherent vagueness. The current text elaborates and attempts to clarify the 5 main thematic areas that the Regional Plan of Action identified. Those 5 areas can be summarised as follows: obstacles posed by poverty; the necessity for human settlements to become more productive; concern for the urban environment and vulnerability; the need to consolidate governance; and the need to enhance the efficiency of housing sector policies