Contents

Introduction 2 Take part in World Habitat Day 2004 3 Previous World Habitat Day Celebrations 5 Scroll of Honour Award - Previous Winners 6 World Habitat Day 2003 Report 9 • Introduction • Secretary-General’s message • Executive Director’s message • Habitat Scroll of Honour Winners for 2003 • Celebrations around the world

Introduction Every year, since 1985, when it was designated by the General Assembly, World Habitat Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in . This day has been set aside by the for the world to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter and to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

The theme of this year’s World Habitat Day will be – engines of rural development. It underlines the importance of mutually beneficial linkages that are essential for the development of both cities and rural areas. In this reciprocal relationship, urban markets provide a powerful incentive for increased rural production and income, while expanding rural markets create increased demand for production of goods manufactured in urban areas. In the long run, cities drive secondary and tertiary investment of capital derived from primary production in rural areas.

This year, the global ceremonies will be coordinated from the Kenyan capital, , on Monday, 4 October 2004. The choice of Nairobi, , for the global celebration of the World Habitat Day this year, is to highlight the phenomenal rate and social-economic significance of the in the developing world, of which Kenya is representative, mirroring the experience of many other developing countries.

Cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America have the fastest urban growth in the world. This is why, in choosing the theme, Cities – engines of rural development, we want to underline the importance of treating urban and rural issues holistically because they form part of a dynamic system in which the linkages have to be strengthened. We also draw on lessons learnt and best practices from the highly industrialized cities of Europe and North America where 80 per cent of the total population now live in urban areas.

The theme Cities – engines of rural development thus seeks to generate ideas on integrated approaches which reinforce the beneficial interrelationships rural and urban areas as it is only by considering cities and urban areas as part of a continuous dynamic system that we can truly create sustainable development both cities and rural areas.

Organize a World Habitat Day 2004 event

2 Organize a World Habitat Day 2004 Event

World Habitat Day provides an excellent opportunity to highlight key human settlements issues. We would like to thank all our partners who in the past years have organized awareness raising activities on World Habitat Day. In 2003, for instance, World Habitat Day was celebrated in over 50 countries. The celebrations were widely reported by the media around the world and this helped immensely to highlight the problems of Water and Sanitation in the World’s Cities.

This year, we call again on our partners in central government, local government, civil society and the private sector to take part in organizing activities to raise awareness and stimulate debate on the theme of Cities - engines of rural development.

Guidelines As a guide, here are some of the activities that you can help organize: 1. Governments may use the mass media, particularly newspapers, radio and television, to draw attention to World Habitat Day celebrations through press releases, press conferences, video and audio spots. Posters can also be used. 2. Partners may draw attention to the problems and issues relating to rural- urban migration, the significance of linkages between urban and rural areas, through press articles, radio and television documentaries and panel programmes with policy makers, government officials, academics, journalists, other professionals, and community representatives. Public information campaigns, and use of popular theatre can also help to create awareness of the problems and issues. 3. Governments, local authorities, NGOs and CBOs may use the Day to publicise, reward and demonstrate tangible improvements resulting from reinforced mutual relationships between rural and urban areas, such as improvements in the living conditions of urban and rural poor populations. 4. Universities could organize competitions to find solutions to the problems, while essay and painting competitions could be organized in schools on the theme to create awareness and a sense of belonging in institutions of learning as well as seek solutions. 5. The Day could be marked by fund raising, recreational and entertainment activities like football matches, concerts, etc., and the proceeds used to upgrade and extend services for the poor communities. 6. Postal authorities could issue special stamps to mark the Day. 7. Educational authorities could, in collaboration with appropriate ministries, introduce rural-urban development issues into school curricular.

3 Support from UN-HABITAT As the lead agency for the World Habitat Day celebrations, and to support the country-level activities, UN-HABITAT is developing information material on the theme and will provide an information kit including a poster, and a short video on the theme, which can be used by national world Habitat Day focal points, national Habitat II focal points, all relevant government institutions, NGOs, CBOs, private sector companies, the media, educational institutions, and other interest groups. Information kits will be mailed to partners including Embassies and High Commissions, Inter-governmental Organizations, United Nations Information Centre offices, UNDP country offices and other UN agencies.

Let us know about your event Please let us know if you wish to organize a local awareness-raising event by sending an Email to [email protected]. We would greatly appreciate it, if you could include in your Email, as many details as possible about your planned event. Also, when World Habitat Day is over, please send us a report on your event, with details of media coverage and photographs if possible, and we will post these on the World Habitat Day pages of our website so that all our partners and the public can get a global view of the World Habitat Day celebrations around the world.

Thank you for your continued support.

4 Previous World Habitat Day Celebrations Year Themes WHD Venue Chief guest

1986 Shelter is my Right Nairobi USG, UNCHS (Habitat)

1987 Shelter for the Homeless New York SG, UN

1988 Shelter and Community Archbishop of Canterbury

1989 Shelter, Health and the Family President of 1990 Shelter and Urbanization London Hon. Sir Geoffrey Shelter and the Living 1991 Mayor of Hiroshima Environment 1992 Shelter and Sustainable UN, New York SG, UN Development Women and Shelter 1993 UN, New York SG, UN Development 1994 Home and the Family Dakar President of

1995 Our Neighbourhood Curitiba Mayor of Curitiba Urbanization, Citizenship and 1996 Minister of the Interior, Human Solidarity Federal Minister for Regional Planning, 1997 Future Cities Building and Urban Development, 1998 Safer Cities Dubai Director General Dubai Municipality, UAE 1999 Cities for All Dalian Minister of Construction, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of 2000 Women in Urban Governance Land and Environment 2001 Cities without Slums Fukuoka Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture

2002 -to-City Cooperation H.R.H. Prince Philippe

2003 Water and Sanitation for Cities Mayor of Rio De Janeiro,

5 Scroll of Honour Award - Previous Winners

2003 Mrs. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Canada Weihai Municipal Government, China Mr. German Garcia Duran, Colombia Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, India Ms. Nasreen Mustafa Sideek, Iraq Pamoja Trust, Kenya Mrs. Sankie D. Mthembi-Mahanyele, South Africa Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative, Council (WASH), Switzerland Ms. Zena Daysh, Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC), UK Ms. Teolinda Bolivar - Venezuela

2002 C2C between Nakuru and Leuven, Brazilian Institute of Municipal, Administration (IBAM), Brazil Baotou Municipal Government, China CITYNET based in Yokohama, Dutch Habitat Platform, Mayor Joan Clos, Spain ENDA Tiers Monde Dakar, Sénégal René Frank USA John Hodges (Special Citation)

2001 Hangzhou Municipal Government, China Ms. Pastora Nuñez Gonzalez, Cuba Bremer Beginenhof Modell, Germany Fukuoka City, Japan Father Pedro Opeka, Madagascar Centre on Housing Rights and Eviction, Switzerland Television Trust for The Environment (TVE), UK Asiaweek, Hong Kong Chairperson and The Cooperating Committee for Japan Habitat Fukuoka Office (Special Citation)Japan

6 2000 Ms. Ana Vasilache, Romania Ms. Caroline Pezzullo, U.S.A. Mrs. Jacqueline daCosta, Jamaica Women and Peace Network, Costa Rica Ms. Mary Jane Ortega, Philippines International Union of Local Authorities, based in the Netherlands Ms. Sheela Patel, India Mr. Charles Keenja, Tanzania Ms. Mmatshilo Motsei, South Africa

1999 Ms. Habiba Eid, Egypt Mr. Bo Xilai – Mayor of Dalian, China National Slum Dwellers Federation, India Mr. Alvaro Villota Bernal, Colombia President Rudolf Schuster, Slovak Republic Mr. Pierre Laconte, Belgium Mr. Millard Fuller, USA Hon. Kwamena Ahwoi, Ghana Operation Firimbi, Kenya

1998 Programa de Mobilizacão de Comunidades, Brazil Fu-Nan River Comprehensive Revitalization Project Chendu, China Mayor Mu Suixin, Mayor of Shenyang, China Forum Européen pour la Sécurité Urbaine, France Prof. Akin L. Mabogunje, Nigeria Vladimir A. Kudryavtsev, Russia Association des Habitants d’el Mourouj 2, Tunisia

7 1997

Sen. Oscar López Velarde Vega, Mexico Mother Center Stuttgart, West Germany South African Homeless People’s Federation, South Africa Mayor Huang Ziqiang, China Reinhard Goethert and Nabeel Hamdi, USA/United Kingdom Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Canada Mr. Peter Elderfield (Special Citation), United Kingdom Mr. Radinal Moochtar, Minister of Public Works (Special Citation) Indonesia

1996 Hou Jie, Minister of Construction (Special Citation), China Peter Kimm (Special Citation)

8

Water and Sanitation for Cities – Report on World Habitat Day 2003

The global observances for World Habitat Day 2003 were marked in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the theme “Water and Sanitation for Cities”. At the same time, equally important commemorations were held in different countries around the world highlighting the urgent need to improve water and sanitation conditions amongst the urban poor living in slums across the major cities of the world.

In his message on the occasion, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reminded governments that by agreeing to the Millennium Development Goals, they had pledged to halve the number of people without clean water and decent sanitation by 2015, and to improve the living conditions of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020.

Audiences in many Rio neighbourhoods heard first-hand of water and sanitation problems in a rapidly urbanising world, because at least 1 billion people world- wide suffer from the dangers and indignities associated with the lack of clean water and adequate sanitation. Delegates in Rio de Janeiro took time to visit the Cajú neighbourhood, a favela or slum that is home to almost 800 families, and typical of the slums where almost 20 per cent of the city’s 1.1 million residents live.

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Johannesburg, South Africa; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Tbilisi, Georgia; and scores of other countries around the world, World Habitat Day was celebrated with fanfare, pomp, ceremony and warnings from local and world leaders of worsening conditions in urban slums.

UN-HABITAT used the occasion to launch its flagship biennial publication The Global Report on Human Settlements, which focuses on The Challenge of Slums. In Rio de Janeiro, UN-HABITAT also unveiled the Spanish version of the publication Water and Sanitation in the World’s Cities: Local Action for Global Goals, and a commemorative musical CD called Rivers of Rio. Also launched were the Brazilian Campaign on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and the Brazilian Campaigns on Security of Tenure and Urban Governance.

9 The Secretary-General, Kofi Annan’s message on World Habitat Day 2003

WATER AND SANITATION FOR CITIES, 6 October 2003

The theme of World Habitat Day 2003 — “Water and Sanitation for Cities” — highlights the need to provide the urban poor with clean water and decent sanitation. In a rapidly urbanizing world, where already half of the world’s population lives in cities and , at least 1 billion people suffer from the dangers and indignities associated with the lack of clean water and adequate sanitation. In Africa, as many as 150 million residents, or 50 per cent of the urban population, do not have adequate supplies of water, while 180 million lack adequate sanitation. In urban Asia, 700 million people, again half the urban population, lack clean water, and 800 million are without adequate sanitation. In Latin America, the figures are 120 million and 150 million respectively. Everywhere, poor people tend to pay much more than the rich for water. Moreover, many governments, international financial institutions and aid agencies have concentrated their efforts on rural areas, assuming that the poor in cities are comparatively privileged when it comes to the provision of water and sanitation, whereas it is becoming increasingly clear that the number of inadequately served urban dwellers is much higher than officially acknowledged. Increased investment is critical, whether small-scale projects at the local level or national efforts to build up essential infrastructure. Community participation, good governance and public-private partnerships are equally important. And since as much as 50 per cent of a developing country’s urban water supply can be wasted through leakage or poor administration, greater emphasis must be placed on management strategies, which can increase efficiency, improve maintenance and, through better billing systems, raise the income of local authorities. To be truly equitable, water management strategies and practices must extend to the national and regional levels, and encompass all water users, including agriculture, which accounts for more than three-quarters of all freshwater consumption. Cities and towns have always been centres of opportunity, but without adequate shelter and basic services, urban environments can be among the most life threatening on Earth. In agreeing on the Millennium Development Goals, Governments pledged to halve the number of people without clean water and decent sanitation by 2015, and to improve the living conditions of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. On World Habitat Day, let us all pledge to do our part to ensure adequate sanitation and clean water for all the inhabitants of the world’s cities.

10 UN-HABITAT Executive Director and Under-Secretary General Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka’s message on World Habitat Day 2003

The theme this year of World Habitat Day on 6 October spearheaded by the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro is water and sanitation. Never before has there been such clear international consensus that sustainable development starts with health and dignity. These fundamental conditions of human development cannot be met without sustained investment in safe water and basic sanitation.

According to UN-HABITAT estimates, 60 per cent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas by 2015, the year set by world leaders to achieve the water and sanitation related Millennium Development Goals. It is further estimated that 90 per cent of the population increase between now and 2015 will be in urban areas. And most of that increase will be in the inner-city slums and squatter settlements of developing countries. In the slums of Nairobi, the bustees of Kolkata or the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, providing safe water and basic sanitation to the urban poor is a critical challenge facing the world today.

Recognizing this challenge, the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT has called for concerted action by the international community to help developing countries achieve the targets Millennium Development Goals related to water and sanitation. The Commission on Sustainable Development will also focus on water, sanitation and human settlements during the first cycle of its deliberations (2004-2005).

A strong political commitment at both the national and local levels will be crucial to achieving success. This was underscored by this year’s G8 Summit, which adopted an Action Plan for Water, committing leaders of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful countries to give priority assistance to poorer nations that make a political commitment to place safe drinking water and basic sanitation at the top of their eradication and sustainable development agendas.

The urban water crisis must be recognized for what it really is a crisis of governance -weak policies and poor management, rather than a crisis of scarcity. Cities need sound policies and the political will to back them up; strengthened institutions and trained managers to run them; a responsible private sector and an enlightened public sector to work hand in hand; and finally, informed public opinion and active participation of communities to draw upon the vast resources of the civil society. In short, cities need an enabling environment in which all stakeholders can pool their resources to meet their needs.

11 Sanitation and hygiene promotion should receive priority in their own right. In fact, the focus of the international community on water in the past has often masked the growing problem of poor sanitation. This is the most dehumanising aspect of the daily battle for survival of the urban poor. In countries around the world, a publicly stated government policy on sanitation and hygiene is long overdue. There is an alarming decline in per capita investment in both water and sanitation in the cities of most developing countries. The annual flow of resources to the sector will have to increase all round if the Millennium Development Goal related to water and sanitation is to be reached. In fact, these resources will have to be doubled, at a minimum.

Systematic tracking and review of progress towards water and sanitation targets will be equally important. Monitoring and assessment will also help to more effectively target international cooperation for the poor.

World Habitat Day this year is an opportunity to build on the global consensus to meet this critical challenge.

12 Habitat Scroll of Honour Winners for 2003

National Association of Municipal Sanitation (ASSEMAE) - Brazil For promoting water and sanitation services in Brazilian Municipalities. Founded in 1984 in Brasilia, ASSEMAE is a non-profit entity that represents more than 1,700 Brazilian municipalities that manage the operations of water and sanitation services.

Mrs. Margaret Catley-Carlson - Canada For her outstanding contribution to placing water and sanitation issues high on the global political agenda.

Weihai Municipal Government - China This award was for outstanding improvements in shelter and urban environment. Since 1987, Weihai Municipal Government has been working on a comprehensive management project to improve the living conditions, strengthening infrastructure, greening the environment, and managing pollution and sanitation. The city has been honoured as the “National Hygienic City”, “National Garden City”, “National Model City of Environmental Protection” and “China Human Settlements and Environment Demonstration Award”.

Mr. German Garcia Duran - Colombia This award was for defending the cause of sustainable human settlements in key international negotiations.

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak - India For developing and helping to build twin pit pour flush toilets all over India. Commonly known as Salabh Shauchalaya, the cost of each unit ranges from US$10 to 1000. Salabh has so far constructed over 1.2 million individual toilets, liberating about 60,000 scavengers who have been provided with vocational training and rehabilitation.

Ms. Nasreen Mustafa Sideek - Iraq For her outstanding commitment to the welfare of the displaced and vulnerable persons in Northern Iraq.

Pamoja Trust - Kenya For playing a key role in upgrading informal settlements in Nairobi, which includes providing slum dwellers with clean water and decent sanitation.

13 Ms. Senkie Mthembi-Mahanyele - South Africa For spearheading the South African Government’s strategy to ensure the delivery of 1.45 million housing units over 8 years, housing 6 million poor people. This strategy included transferring 400,000 old council homes, worth R32 billion, to the people who had been previously renting them. This has benefitted about 2 million people.

Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council WASH) - Switzerland For their contribution towards sanitation and hygiene for the urban poor. The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is at the forefront of contributing to global human settlements developing and improving the quality of life in cities and communities around the world. The WASH campaign has been instrumental in raising water, sanitation and hygiene issues onto the political platform - acting as a catalyst to increase both national and local political awareness to enhance the quality of life for million below the poverty line in cities throughout the world.

Ms. Zena Daysh - United Kingdom Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC) – United Kingdom This award was for setting up ComHabitat, the Commonwealth Habitat Committee, which is committed to raising the profile of Habitat and to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda within the Commonwealth.

Ms. Teolinda Bolivar - Venezuela For her distinguished career in support of the urban poor. Ms. Bolivar has worked on social and physical problems in low-income settlements, including the legalization of land tenure in low-income urban neighbourhoods.

SPECIAL CITATION His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, The King of Thailand In Recognition of his Majesty’s outstanding contribution to sustaining habitats and improving the quality of life of the people in cities and communities in Thailand.

14 World Habitat Day 2003 – Celebrations around the world

We would like to thank our partners for making World Habitat Day 2003 a truly global occasion for highlighting the problem of Water and Sanitation in Cities and other key human settlements issues. Below are some of the activities that took place around the world:

Afghanistan UN-HABITAT together with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Kabul Municipality held a meeting on water and sanitation in cities.

Australia It was a World Habitat Day with a difference in Perth, Australia, this year. As Western Australia struggles with its rising homeless rate and a lack of affordable housing, one organization is taking a simple approach to providing people in the region with a roof over their heads and the skills to get back on their feet and off the welfare system.

Using the occasion of World Habitat Day to launch its Habitat 21 programme, the president of Beyond Shelter - Australia, Mr. George Fisher, said that overcoming homelessness and ending its related counterpart poverty is what he hopes BSA will achieve. “The key to breaking participants’ dependence on the welfare system,” said Mr. Fisher “is through service enriched housing.” This method ensures that participants in BSA are given homes which they can afford to pay for in rent and should they decide to purchase the home. BSA’s unique Land Trust provides homebuyers with a 99-year renewable lease at a very low cost. “The land costs them practically nothing and houses are built to high architectural standards by mostly volunteer labour which means the cost of the homes become s very affordable,” Mr. Fisher said.

Where many organizations provide either one form of shelter or welfare, Beyond Shelter - Australia is taking a distinctive approach and going one step further. “We do not provide shelter. We are beyond shelter. When people are ready to take the next step away from shelters, away from welfare dependency, Beyond Shelter -Australia will provide them with a dignified approach to the future.” The new Habitat 21 project launched on World Habitat Day 2003 is designed to assist first-time homebuyer families with one or more dependant children and a combined family income of not more than $40,000 Australian dollars (US$29,000).

Bangladesh The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives in collaboration with UNDP and UN-HABITAT celebrated World Habitat Day 2003 at meetings in 11 towns. The meetings were attended by community development committees, local government institute engineers, elected

15 representatives, and local and national press. The purpose was to review the progress of the Urban Poverty Alleviation Project and to exchange best practices.

Belgium The European Union’s Commissioner for Research, Mr. Philippe Busquin, joined a number of his senior colleagues to celebrate World Habitat Day at the United Nations Centre in Brussels, near the EU headquarters. The Day was celebrated at the United Nations House in Brussels with participation by key partners including those from the European Commission and other international institutions. UN-HABITAT’s new Global Report on Human Settlements was launched.

Botswana The Government of the Republic of Botswana, through the Department of Housing (DOH), in collaboration with other stakeholders including United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) marked the event to raise public awareness and provide information on Habitat Agenda issues.

Brazil The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro hosted he main World Habitat Day event in 2003 in a glittering ceremony with leading personalities from many countries, governments, community organizations and individuals from around the world. (See section on main celebrations)

Canada The day was marked during the 8th World Conference of Historical Cities in Montreal.

Cameroon The Coalition de OGN et OCB du Cameroon oeuvrant dans le domaine des Etablissements Humains (CONGEH) in Yaounde made a presentation on alternative systems of potable water provision.

China The Ministry of Construction coordinated World Habitat Day celebrations in every city and presented National Human Settlements Award to selected cities.

Colombia UN-HABITAT, UNDP-Colombia, the National Federation of Self-Help Housing organizations (FEDEVIVIENDA), and COMPENSAR, a private national family welfare agency, organized celebrations in Bogotá, that were broadcast on national television. The Mayor of Bogotá, Antanus Mockus, outlined strategy and ideas in the area of human settlements and urban development. Experts and mayoral candidates held a panel discussion on municipal, public policy, pro-poor policies, democracy and other matters relating to urban development. Costa Rica The Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements (MIVAH) of Costa Rica held a

16 series of events that started on World Habitat Day, 6 October 2003, and continued through 29 October 2003. These included the launching of the National Competition on the Best Social Project in 2003, a Cultural and Democracy Plaza featuring cultural, sports activities and information, public forums on the “Quality of Life in our Human Settlements” at the auditorium of the Federal College of Engineers and Architects. There was also a meeting on “Territorial Planning in Costa Rica” in the Mini Auditorium of Social Sciences, and on the “National Urban Development Plan” with the aim of analysing the urban situation of the country. Awards were presented for the Best Social Project developed in 2003.

Cuba The Ministry of Housing of Cuba, together with UNDP-Cuba with participation of the Habitat National Committee, marked the day and presented the Habitat National Award for outstanding individuals and organizations.

Ecuador UNDP-Ecuador and the Municipality of Guayaquil, with the support from UN- HABITAT commemorated World Habitat Day at a special session of the Quito City Council during the week 6-10 October. An exhibition on the Third Regional Competition on affirmative actions to promote the participation of women in local decision-making was held at the Municipality of Quito. From 15-17 October, regional cities joined representatives from Gijon, Spain, in Quito for a meeting on gender equity.

Egypt The day was celebrated during the Global Meeting of the Sustainable Cities in Alexandria. The meeting, which ran from 29 September to 2 October 2003, was coordinated by UN-HABITAT and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Over 100 partners working in sustainable urbanisation initiatives mainly through the Sustainable Cities Programme (UNEP/ HABITAT), the Localising Agenda 21(UN-HABITAT) Programme and the GEO Cities Programme (UNEP) were participated.

Ghana An inter-ministerial planning committee with representatives from the ministries of Works and Housing, Environment and Science, Local Government and Rural Development, and from UN-HABITAT led a series of World Habitat Day events. These included radio and television discussions on water issues newspaper articles, a television documentary on water supply, sanitation, drainage or waste management problems, and a clean-up exercise to demonstrate and encourage environmental cleanliness. The Water Resources Commission, the Ghana Water Company Limited, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, the Water Sector Restructuring Secretariat and the Environmental Protection Agency, also held a series of public meetings.

17 Georgia The Ministry of Urbanisation and Construction in Tbilisi, Georgia, organized a round-table discussion to mark World Habitat Day in the Caucasus nations. The talks looked into Habitat Agenda issues with reference to some UN-HABITAT’s latest best practices and policy tools.

Haiti La Fondation Haitienne pour l’Habitat et l’integration des sans-abri held a public meeting at which the World Habitat Day message of UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, was broadcast. A conference and round table was organized by the Programa de Reconstrucción Solidaria de Vivienda with participation from the Ministry of Public Works in Tegucigalpa.

Hungary Several organizations and authorities held meetings on the World Habitat Day theme of Water and Sanitation for Cities in Budapest. In addition, the UN- HABITAT information office published a series of articles in the monthly Falu Város Régió (Village, City, Region) on the theme of the World Habitat Day “Water and Sanitation for Cities”. As the theme of Water and Sanitation for Cities is linked to the requirements for membership to the European Union, EC guidelines aimed at improving the environment and the urban living conditions were also sent out to partners including secondary and higher educational institutions for insertion into their curriculum.

India In Howrah, West Bengal, the Shibpur Dinobundhoo Institution held a seminar on the theme of Water and Sanitation, attended by the Mayor of Howrah City, the Minister in charge of Urban Development, the councillor of the local municipal ward and members of the Legislative Assembly from the local area. Students, teachers and institution staff participated in this seminar, where an awareness campaign on safe water and basic sanitation for the nearby slums was launched.

The City Managers’ Association Orissa (CMAO) and National Institute of Habitat Management (NIHM) held a series of meetings on water and sanitation, water pollution and urban water supply, privatization of water and sanitation, energy conservation in water supply, solid waste management, rain water harvesting, and best practices in water and sanitation management.

The Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) hosted celebrations in Hyderabad, with the Urban Management Programme of South Asia, the Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and the All India Institute of Local Self-Government with the support of other local, national and international partners. The day’s celebrations included a half-day symposium covering four sub-themes within the overall theme “Water and Sanitation for Cities” aimed at creating awareness of Habitat Agenda issues,

18 highlighting the situation of water and sanitation in South Asian cities, and identifying lessons learned in the management of water and sanitation. It also included exchanging ideas on initiatives best practices and their replicability, and gaining agreement on an action plan to move forward decisions resulting from the symposium.

The Valley Commonwealth Public School in Kashmir coordinated celebrations involving 30 schools from Srinagar city.

The Hindu Media Resource Centre in Chennai held a media workshop 6 October on “Strategies for efficient water demand management”, covering areas like irrigation in agriculture, economy and efficiency of water use in homes and settlements, recycling of waste water and methods to meet the demand of the eco systems. The KRITYANAND UNESCO club in Jamshedpur celebrated the day at its rural working area under the theme “Water and sanitation for villages” and on 15 October 2003 at its Headquarters under the theme “Water and sanitation for cities”

Indonesia The government of Indonesia commemorated the day in collaboration with UN- HABITAT.

Japan UN-HABITAT Fukuoka Office and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City and the Japan Habitat Association, organized a symposium on “Water and International Cooperation – Community Building in the Developing Countries”. It focused on the issue of “Safe Water Supply” and “Adequate Public Sanitation”. After an introductory speech by Mr. Toshiyasu Noda, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of UN-HABITAT; Dr. Kenji Jinno of Kyushu University made a keynote speech on “Water Issues in the Developing Countries”, followed by a panel discussion by experts from academic, private and public sectors. Children in Asia and the Pacific participating in the 3rd World Habitat Day art contest, drew on the theme of “Water and Cities of Our City//Village”, and a 2004 calendar was made from these. The Fukuoka office organized a series of exhibitions throughout Japan from September 2003 through January 2004 with collaboration of its supporting organizations.

Kenya In Nairobi, Kenya, just a few kilometres from UN-HABITAT’s world headquarters, World Habitat Day was celebrated in Kiambiu slum. A few metres behind the Kiambiu grounds where government figures joined diplomats and UN officials to celebrate World Habitat Day, passageways between homes built of mud, sticks and tin, reeked from puddles of dirty waste water in conditions of overcrowding and misery.

19 “The challenge of providing water is real,” Mr. Raila Odinga, Kenya’s Minister of Roads, Public Works and Housing, told a crowd of several thousands gathered to celebrate World Habitat Day. “Nairobi has experienced rapid population growth and this has resulted in over-stretched water supply systems. This is worsened by poor planning and congestion,” he said in a keynote speech. The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Lands and Settlements, Mr. Amos Kimunya, representatives from local authorities, and various non-governmental organisations. Mr. Odinga said that the demand for water and sanitation in urban areas would increase in response to increased growth in urban population. In Nairobi, he said only 77 per cent of the population enjoyed access to safe drinking water, while an estimated 23 per cent of the city’s population had to depend on other sources of water mostly regarded as unsafe. He deplored the fact that about 50 per cent of treated water is wasted through leaks and misuse. Slum dwellers suffer the brunt of the high cost of water, often being forced to pay 10 times more than those who get clean water piped to their homes.

Kosovo The Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Ethem Ceku hosted the World Habitat Day commemoration in Kosovo, with participation from a range of specialized Kosovo agencies, UN organizations and members of the diplomatic corps. The theme was celebrated in the context of the promulgation of the new Spatial Planning Law, by the new UNMIK SRSG, Mr. Holkeri. The Law, drafted with the assistance of the UN-HABITAT’s Urban Planning and Management Project in Kosovo, provides for new urban plans. After years of conflict, most medium and small towns in Kosovo are without clean water and proper sanitation.

Malawi The Centre for Community Organisation and Development (CCODE), a non- governmental organization, which works with housing savings schemes, based in Malawi’s urban settlements celebrated the day with involvement from the Water Aid and Lilongwe Water Board. Celebrations were held in a Lilongwe squatter settlement and featured life size models of water and sanitation facilities that the urban poor can afford.

Malaysia The Ministry of Housing and Local Government in collaboration with UNDP and UN-HABITAT commemorated World Habitat Day 2003 and showcased initiatives in the areas of sanitation and water crisis on the theme of “Water and Sanitation for Cities”. Materials to raise awareness on the provision and use of water, such as artwork, photographs and essays were also employed.

Mexico During the week of World Habitat Day, a series of events were staged. These included a workshop on legal instruments relating to human settlements. A

20 seminar highlighting the most successful Latin American experiences in the development and application of policies and instruments was also held.

Moldova The Republic of Moldova marked World Habitat Day with a series of public awareness events. These included a Mesmerising Moldova round-table conference with government, civil society and UN representatives, and a television special on human settlements problems in Moldova.

Mozambique The Government of Mozambique marked World Habitat Day with key partners.

The Netherlands The Dutch Habitat Platform celebrated World Habitat Day at a conference to discuss the economic values of Habitat in the De Reehorst centre in the city of Ede, and showcased examples on how good housing and sustainable living environments have a positive influence on the economy and vice versa. Topics included secure tenure, the informal sector in cities in developing countries, migrants and their economic ties with their home countries, migrant entrepreneurship in Dutch cities, service exchange in neighbourhoods, and local economic development projects from South Africa and Eastern European regions.

Nepal The Rural-Urban Partnership Programme of Nepal celebrated World Habitat Day in 12 municipalities around the country with a series of events ranging from a speech contest on the importance of water and sanitation to rallies, and radio programmes. The Tole/Lane Organization distributed pamphlets on sanitation as well as plastic buckets for household waste management as part of an awareness campaign marking World Habitat Day.

Nigeria The African Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), a non- governmental organization based in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, held a two- day National workshop in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria. Other activities included a national debate, broadcast by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the biggest single television network in West Africa.

Panama The Ministry of Housing of Panamá (MIVI) organized World Habitat Day 2003 celebrations.

Peru UNDP-Peru held a series of seminars/ workshops with the Ministry of Housing and non-governmental organizations involved in human settlements and urban issues. National Campaign Committee members (The Right to Adequate

21 Housing for All) held activities ranging from a journalists’ competition on the theme “The Right to Adequate Housing for All”, a forum entitled “Towards a Decentralised Housing Policy”, with participation of the mayors of Metropolitan Lima, micro-credit institutions and the social organizations. It also held a fair entitled “The Contribution of Civil Society to Housing and Neighbourhood Upgrading Schemes for the Poorest of the Poor and the Most Excluded”.

The Philippines Activities to mark World Habitat Day included a conference on status of urban governance in the world and in particular countries. An international seminar on inner city revitalization and poverty reduction in the Asia-Pacific Region brought together mayors/senior local government officials, community and business leaders to exchange experiences, insights and ideas on city revitalization and asset management as important strategies for urban poverty alleviation and environmental improvement. A National Housing Convention organized by the Government of the Philippines and UN-HABITAT was also part of activities commemorating World Habitat Day.

Russian Federation A round-table in Gosstrory focused on the theme of Water and Sanitation for Cities. Participation included heads of the leading research institutes, dealing with the issues of water and sanitation activities, representatives of Ministry of Ecology and Water Resources, other interested organizations, representatives of cities, and civil society. Similar meetings were held in St.-Petersburg, Pskov, Astrakhan, Novosibirsk and Vladivostock, aimed at raising public awareness on water and sanitation problems and at finding effective solutions to them. Proceedings of the meetings were to be published in the Russian version of UN-HABITAT’s quarterly magazine, “Habitat Debate”.

South Africa A conference entitled, “Urbanisation and Housing challenges: Cities in the SADC region” was hosted by the Department of Housing of the Gauteng Provincial Government (GDoH) in partnership with UN-HABITAT in the Alexandra township of the city of Johannesburg. The conference was to exchange ideas and learning on the best housing practices and policies within cities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and other African cities. South Africa’s Ministry of Housing was represented and UN-HABITAT’s delegation to the conference included the Director of the Regional Office for Africa and the Arab States, Alioune Badiane.

Spain The Ministry of Public Works held a seminar to discuss good practices, including the practices that qualified among the 100 best practices of 2002. The 4th Spanish catalogue of good practices was presented.

22 Sri Lanka In the capital, Colombo, a day-long programme attended by ministerial level guests, among other participants, was held with a community forum. During the forum at which low income urban communities participating in Sri Lanka human settlements projects, including programmes of UNHABITAT, presented their success stories and good practices in accessing basic services including water and sanitation. Sri Lanka issued a special World Habitat Day Commemoration Stamp. The occasion was well covered by the press, which also carried a special newspaper supplement on the day. In addition to the National Habitat Day celebrations planned in Colombo, the ministry and human settlement groups arranged tree planting programmes and competitions in the regions during the first week of October 2003 with the participation of Divisional Secretariats, schools and local authorities.

Sudan The commemoration organized by the National Council for Physical Planning in cooperation with non-governmental organizations and other institutions was attended by the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, the Resident Representative of UNDP in Khartoum and other dignitaries. A workshop addressed the World Habitat Day theme, Water and Sanitation in Cities, and the Arabic Housing Day. The Environmentalist Society, a local nongovernmental organization, marked the day focusing on the area of environmental awareness and implementation of relevant projects.

Sweden The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) organized open houses in all eco-villages and co-housing projects to raise the awareness of politicians, housing entrepreneurs and the public on the concept of eco-villages.

Switzerland A round-table took place in Geneva with panellists from international organizations, non-governmental organisations, local government, and the private sector. In addition to discussing Water and Sanitation for Cities, security, governance and risk management are some of the other topics to be debated. Public discussions followed the round-table.

Tanzania In Dar es Salaam, the Women’s Advancement Trust, a non-governmental organization focusing on empowering women through education and training in human settlements, assessed how water as a resource has impacted housing development in informal and formal settlements of Dar es Salaam. The aim was to involve stakeholders from all walks of life, including NGOs, community based organizations, government institutions, the media and human settlements activists, to share experiences and information.

23 EcoVentures International, a nongovernmental organization, involved students in Lushoto in a brainstorming exercise on water related issues and uses in their area to solicit feedback on environmentally friendly business ideas that they have developed. The aim was that the good ideas could form the basis of actual start- up businesses.

Uganda Celebrations in Kampala included the launching of plan of action for a one-year initiative relating to safe water distribution, sanitation and waste management aimed at realizing tangible outputs.

United Kingdom The Department for International Development (DFID) marked the World Habitat Day in the United Kingdom by holding an event in its London headquarters. Minister of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, MP, delivered a speech to an invited audience to reaffirm the UK Government’s commitment to the Habitat agenda, and to the related Millennium Development Goals in particular.

CARE International UK also marked World Habitat Day.

United States of America In New York, a panel of eminent persons discussed the theme Water and Sanitation in Cities at the United Nations Headquarters. They included mayors from cities in the US, representatives from Sister Cities International, and non- governmental organizations including the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All (WASH). Ambassadors, representatives of Permanent Missions, NGOs, UN Agencies and other partners attended. Washington The National Coalition for the Homeless marked World Habitat Day as part of their annual conference on Capitol Hill. The commemoration included the launch of 2003 Global Report on Human Settlements highlighting the challenges of slums.

Venezuela The National Housing Council of Venezuela marked the day in Caracas during which two special prizes were presented: The National Habitat 2003 prize, and the National Prize for Mass Communication, Community and Settlement Development 2003. The Municipality of Maracaibo, and the University of Zulia, marked World Habitat Day with the launch of a local micro-credit system for improving housing and other urban infrastructure with local community based organizations.

Zambia The Infrastructure and Support Services Department, which deals with Water Supply and Sanitation led the celebrations for the day.

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