(4\l \�I UNCHS �� The United Nations Centre September/December 1996 for Human Settlements Vol. 2 No. 3/4
Habitat II Spells out Road Map to the Future In the early hours of 15 June 1996, the world's Governments finally let the gavel fall to usher in the era of the Habitat Agenda.
he Second. United Nations T Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat 11) ended in Istanbul at 3.20 on Contents the morning of Saturday 15 June 1996 after consensus was finally reached on Editorial 2 several outstanding issues under negotiation. The Conference adopted Habitat II Spells out Road Hap to the Future by NGLS the Istanbul Declaration and the Habitat Agenda (principles, commitments and The Habitat Agenda 6 plan of action) for addressing issues and summarized by Mathias Hundsa/z problems relating to human settlements, Gender in the Agenda 9 both urban and rural, into the next by Wandia Seaforth century. Consensus Achieved on Housing Rights 11 The Conference was attended by by EdwardTorgbor over 3,000 government delegates Building Consensus in the Habitat Agenda 11 representing 171 United Nations by Daniel Biau Member States, approximately 600 Viewpoint: representatives of local authorities, over A Realistic and Satisfactory Compromise 13 2,000 accredited NGO representatives by Alberto Colella and some 3,000 journalists. In addition, To Bracket or Not To Bracket1 15 +-' representatives of trade unions, by B. Shafqat Kakakhel intergovernmental organizations, and other major groups participated in the Partners' Events: Conference proceedings. Around 180 World Assembly of Cities 16 by Andrea Connell general statements were made in the plenary sessions and the three-day High NGO Forum 17 by NGLS ns Level Segment was addressed by some I IO speakers including five Presidents, Stronger, Louder, Better Organized 18 by Felix Dodds twoVice Presidents, six Prime Ministers, one Deputy Prime Minister and scores Habitat II Dialogues 19 +-' Summarized by Rasna Warah of Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Permanent -- Secretaries and Ambassadors, as well as Best Practices 21 official representatives of local authorities and NGOs. The Secretary Experiences Gained in Committee II of the Habitat II Conference: 24 General of the Conference was Dr. Wally by Martti Lujanen N'Dow. The Committee II Process 25 by Sekou Sessay A First for Civil Society The Conference was a multi- How the Media Viewed Habitat II 26 by DP/ 1aceted event. With the intergovern mental negotiation of the Istanbul The Fourth Estate:Who Needs Controversy1 29 by Rasna Warah Declaration and the Habitat Agenda at the core, a large array' of related events National Reports and National Plans of Action: took place in the vicinity of "Conference A Regional Perspective 30 Valley" in Istanbul. These included the Publications 34 exhibition of "Best Practices", the Calendar of Events Habitat II Dialogues for the 21 st 36 Century, the Habitat University (a series of thematic seminars), and special events
United Nations Continutd on p. 4 Habitat Debate
Habitat II was a people's conference in every sense of the word, and the international system will be the ffi)� beneficiary - more effective, more UNCHS (Habitat) A People's vibrant, more representative. The United Nations Centre Conference in We did not agree on for Human Settlements everything, but we reached a global Every Sense of the consensus that the status quo Word cannot stand. More importantly, we agreed to labour together to make n June 1996, Government the difference. For instance, the Vol. 2 No. 3/4 representatives from 171 agreement reached on the right to September/December 1996 countries,I mayors, representatives adequate housing may well be the of non-governmental organizations foundation on which we· build for Editor-in-Chief (NGOs), the private sector, and the future. It exemplifies the Christina Engfeldt other members of civil society met international system at its best: in Istanbul over a two-week period bringing diverse, often opposed, Editor Ellen Kitonga to address what is perhaps the most viewpoints together for the greater widely-shared concern of people in common good. Guest Editor all parts of the globe: where they The Habitat Agenda is not just RasnaWarah live and how they live. an expression of good intent, but a Designer We waved no magic wand in practical roadmap to the future of FelicityYost those two weeks. When we left the new urban world. It is a global Production Istanbul, nearly a billion people were call to action at all levels which Lucy Cherogony still homeless or living in inadequate offers "a positive vision of
Editorial Board, Vol.2, No. 3/4: and dangerous shelter; rapidly sustainable human settlements - Daniel Biau expanding cities were still ill where all have adequate shelter, a Christina Engfeldt prepared for the growing numbers healthy and safe environment, basic Mathias Hundsalz Ellen Kitonga inundating them; the urban ills of services, and productive and freely Utkatu Naiker our day poverty, crime, chosen employment". RasnaWarah disaffected youth, polluted air and Tu rning this vision into reality water, overcrowding - were not requires cooperative effort on the Published by: suddenly cured. But Habitat II spoke part of all members of society. UNCHS (Habitat) with one voice to say, loudly and Governments cannot do it alone; P.O. Box 30030 Nairobi, Kenya clearly, "Enough". The people who cities cannot do it alone. We are all Tel: (254-2) 621234; endorsed the forceful plan of action in this together. The actual job of Telex: 22996 UNHAB KE; - known as the Habitat Agenda - creating sustainable, healthy urban Cable: UNHABITAT were an extraordinary group for a centres requires a wide range of Fax: (254-2) 623080, 624266, 624267, United Nations Conference. They actors, starting with the city officials 624333 represented more than just the but cutting through various strata E-mail: [email protected] individual delegations of Member to all aspects of civil society - the World Wide Web: http://www.undp.org/un/habitat/ States of the United Nations. For private sector, women and youth the first time, as a consequence of a groups, coalitions of the elderly, decision by the United Nations foundations, labour unions, General Assembly, we included in academies of science and Opinions expressed In signed artldes are our deliberations at Istanbul the full engineering, professional and those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United spectrum of governmental and civil research groups, just to mention a Nations Centre for Human Settlements society from national few. (Habitat). All material In thisJournal may befreely quoted or reprinted, but governments to local authorities What we need is the courage acknowledgement Is required,together with a copy of thepublication containing and from the private sector to and the political will to press ahead. the quotation or reprint. NGOs in all areas and walks of life. The global community, by one
2 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 ______U _N�C�HS (Habitat) @)
estimate, currently allocates some members of the United Nations The very first words in the US$ 800 billion a year to military family, all sister agencies as well as Preamble to the Charter start with budgets. If every country on earth international lending institutions "We, the peoples... ". Habitat II has agreed to reduce its military budget and donors whose help and reaffirmed the United Nations by just five per cent over the next cooperation made Habitat II a truly belongs to them. ten years, the world community system-wide undertaking. And last, could begin to address the currently but not least, I am indebted to intractable human settlements President Demirel of Tu rkey, who problems of a world urbanizing was elected President of the faster than it can now afford. Conference, and United Nations The United Nations Centre Secretary-General Boutros for Human Settlements (Habitat), Boutros-Ghali for their constant Dr. Wally N'Dow which served as the secretariat for support and advice every step of Assistant Secretary-General the Conference, looks forward to the way. UNCHS (HabltatJ its role in implementing the Habitat Agenda. Much work remains to be done, especially in continuing the partnership we started with local authorities and in further developing the long-standing relationships we have with the NGO community around the world. We welcome the challenge posed by the Habitat Agenda and we thank the many delegations which called for the revitalization of the Centre. The job ahead is a big one, and we need the help - and guidance - of all our partners to carry it out. I am proud that Habitat II helped make the United Nations even more relevant to the people of the world, the people for whom it was created. This would not have been possible without the commitment of both Member States and our partners, including local authorities and NGOs, who played a critical role in writing this new chapter in the history of the United Nations. I am also deeply grateful to our host, the Government of Tu rkey, and to the City of Istanbul for the magnificent cooperation and support extended to us. A special thanks to the young volunteers who worked night and day without complaint to ensure Poster illustration of the UNCHS Community Development Programme's seminar on dvic engagement,'7he New Oty that the Conference ran smoothly. I WeWant", organized by UNCHS, UNDP and the Government of Ecuador. must also pay tribute to the ©Taller Garobato y Flor
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 3 Habitat Debate
Continutd from p I by partners, including the World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities, and a number of Forums held by world business, labour unions, foundations, parliamen tarians, professionals and researchers, and others. An International Tr ade Fair "Good Ideas for Better Cities" was also held, involving over 1,000 companies from 40 countries. The Conference also celebrated a Youth Day and a ceremony to mark the Decade of Indigenous Peoples. The parallel NGO Forum '96 registered 8,550 NGO participants and held over 1,700 NGO meetings and events. At the Conference itself, Committee II - dubbed the Partners' Committee - engaged in hearings and dialogue between Governments and representatives of NGOs, local authorities, trade unions, parliamentarians and other groups. (The Turkish President Demirel (centre) flanked by UN Secretary-GeneralBoutros Boutros-Ghali (second from left) and Habitat II Secretary-General Dr. Wally N'Daw (second from right). © A Grossman/UNCHS report of Committee II was presented to the plenary and was accepted as a non binding document.) overwhelmed by ever-increasing urban NGOs, on issues related to the agenda of The specific contribution of Habitat challenges, Habitat II should seek the Conference (3-1 I June), and was II stems from its focus on the sustainable imaginative, practical and effective followed (12-14 June) by a High Level management of human settlements in an measures to counter them. The Segment involving Heads of State or era of unprecedented and accelerating Conference was a strategic initiative to Governments and Ministers. The two growth of urban conglomerations, cities guide urban policies for the twenty-first Committees of the Conference worked in and mega-cities. Consequently, some of century which should be inclusive and parallel to the Plenary sessions. the more difficult and contentious issues innovative, capable of generating Committee I established two dealt with by the Conference included the sustainable economic growth, alleviating working groups. Working Group 11, chaired "right to housing", forced evictions and poverty and improving the urban by Glynn Khonje (Zambia) negotiated other matters. The Conference also environment. sections E (international cooperation) and addressed in depth a range of globally In his address, Conference Secretary F (implementation and follow-up) of the shared contemporary problems facing General Wally N'Dow said "We are here in draft Habitat Agenda. Working Group I, rural settlements and the relationships, Istanbul not merely to talk about these chaired by Kakakhel, negotiated the forces and dynamics that link urban and things. The time for talk is long past and remaining parts of the draftHabitat Agenda rural settlements around the world. the time for action is here:· He added that (Principles, Commitments and Section A to Habitat II and its preparatory process were c1t1es, with their densely packed D of the Programme of Action). Many also distinguished by the unprecedented populations, were social time bombs informal groups were convened during the role of NGOs, local authorities and other capable of setting off collisions of powerful two weeks of negotiations to deal with and major groups, in participating in the forces that might otherwise peacefully co resolve the most difficult issues. Conference deliberations and shaping its exist. This has serious implications for the For Working Group I, amongst the outcomes. stability of the international system and for most difficult issues to resolve in Istanbul the United Nations itself. included the right to housing, reproductive Spirit of Istanbul and sexual health, forced evictions, The Conference was opened on Getting Down to Business definitions of the family,vulnerable groups, Monday, 3 June 1996 by the United Nations In the business session of the the concept of gender equality, occupied Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. opening Plenary, 27Vice-Presidents and the territories, good governance and human In his opening remarks the Secretary Rapporteur-General (Ricardo Gorosito of rights issues, and the concept of sustainable General affirmed the value of the recent Uruguay) were elected. Shafqat Kakakhel development. For Working Group II the cycle of United Nations World (Pakistan) was elected to chair the most difficult issues included the role of Conferences in shaping a new agenda for negot1at1ons to be undertaken by UNCHS (Habitat) in the follow-up to the development, emphasized the innovations Committee I (Habitat Agenda) and Martti Conference, financial resources for of Habitat II with respect to including a Lujanen (Finland) was elected to chair the implementing the HabitatAgenda, overseas wide range of partners in the process, and hearings and dialogue on the role of development assistance and United urged delegates to be inspired by the partners in Committee II. Nations-agreed aid targets. "Spirit of Istanbul",a spirit of learning from Following the completion of the past, from previous United Nations procedural matters and arrangements, the The Istanbul Declaration Conferences and their programmes. Conference separated into several The Istanbul Declaration - a high President Suleyman Demirel of concurrent strands. The Plenary was level statement of political commitment Tu rkey, elected Conference President, said opened for general statements by drawn from and endorsing, the Habitat that since Governments were Governments, local authorities, and some Agenda - was proposed and negotiated
4 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 ------���----UN·CHS (Habltatl
entirely in Istanbul. The 15-paragraph descriptions of the Habitat Agenda, please The above article Is extracted from NGLS Declaration commits governments to refer to pages 6 to 15.) Roundup, prepared by the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) recommendations of the Habitat Agenda based In Geneva. and reaffirms their commitment "to better Twin Legacy standards of living in larger freedom for all Habitat II was a fitting and worthy Thetext of the Istanbul Declaration and humankind". It commits them to address end to the cycle of recent United Nations Habitat Agenda can be found on the World unsustainable consumption and production conferences. The outcomes of Habitat II Wide Web site
The Habitat Agenda The Habitat Agenda the principles, commitments and programme of action negotiated and adopted by the Conference - is a global call for action which sets out approaches and strategies towards the achievement of the sustainable development of the world's cities, towns and villages over the next 25 years. It contains a preamble, a nine-part statement of goals and principles, and a set of six commitments for Government action in support of achieving the goals of Habitat II. The fourth part of the Agenda contains the programme of action and the strategies, policies and approaches for its The Plenary Hall© Kalsi/UNCHS implementation. (For more detailed A
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 5 Habitat Debate
The Habitat Agenda Goals, Commitments and Action Plans
wenty years after the Vancouver T Conference on Human Settlements, the community of nations was prepared to review its collective v1s1on and responsibility for the future of living conditions, and agreed on a new Habitat Agenda which is expected to guide national and international action on human settlements well into the twenty-first century. Tw enty years afterHabitat I, it had become evident to the world community that comprehensive and far-reaching action was urgently needed to secure a healthy, safe and equitable living environment for The main Conference building where the Habitat Agenda was adopted. ©A Kalsi/UNCHS which a commitment of all interested parties on a sustained basis is required. Tw enty years after the Vancouver world. They also agreed on enablement rationale of the Habitat Agenda as the Declaration and Plan of Action, a new and participation, on gender equality, on global prospect for the safety, health and global policy and international standard for financing of shelter and human settlements, well-being of people, and a view of human settlements was needed which on international cooperation and on solutions to global environment and social would no longer rely on Governments and assessing progress. problems. While recognizing the serious the public sector of national economies as Owing to the nature of the problems of and tremendous opportunities the sole providers of adequate shelter and preparatory process which included the for cities and towns as the basis for a call environmentally-sustainable infrastructure participation of local government to action, the preamble states that rural and services. The growing worldwide representatives and NGOs involved in settlements represent a challenge and perception of Government as the enabler human settlements, the resulting Habitat opportunity for renewed developmental and coordinator of a discussed effort by all Agenda is a reflection of the very broad initiatives at all levels which can contribute interested parties, as well as a new vision of based concerns of all interested parties. A to reducing pressures on urban growth. It partnership in a revitalized civil society, main principle of seeking consensus in the stresses further that secure living were the foundations upon which the new various action areas was explicit inclusion conditions are needed to tackle the wide Habitat Agenda was discussed and drafted of the specific issues and concerns of all range of social and environmental over a preparatory period of more than major groups whose contributions to the problems associated with development. two years, negotiated and finally adopted in Habitat Agenda are outlined and whose Poverty, homelessness, unemployment, the Istanbul. The process of preparations and commitments are detailed within the impacts of natural and human-made negotiations also benefitted from the framework of partnership and active civil disasters, the special needs of children, experience of countries which expressed society. As a consequence, the Habitat youth and the elderly, and of persons with their collective views and commitments on Agenda offers references to a wide range disabilities, as well as the particular matters of global development concerns of human development issues which are constraints of women, are some of the through (at times compromise) consensus affected by the quality of living conditions reference points for human development language, built up through a series of world in urban and rural areas. However, this which a positive vision for sustainable conferences during the past several years. vision of a humane, healthy and equitable human settlements is expected to address. After protracted and sometimes society, supported by adequate shelter, The Preamble confirms that tedious negotiations, the result was finally infrastructure and services, and "everyone has the right to an adequate adopted by consensus in the early hours of conditioned by a sustainable environment, standard of living for themselves and their 15 June 1996, allowing the Second United may well turn out to be a conventional families, including adequate food, clothing, Nations Conference on Human planner's nightmare, because of the Habitat housing, water and sanitation, and to the Settlements (Habitat 11) to come to a Agenda's- far-reaching structural complexity continuous improvement of living successful conclusion. The delegates to this and topical diversity. The challenges to its conditions:· The concept of sustainable memorable conference needed a total of implementation go well beyond our development is defined therein as 238 paragraphs to outline a Global Plan of current instruments of planning for consisting of interdependent and mutually Action (preceded by a preamble), express investments and coordinating action in reinforcing components of economic IO goals and principles, and set out given spatial contexts. development, social development and commitments by the community of nations environmental protection, which can be on the two substantive themes: adequate Preamble realized "through solidarity and shelter for all, and sustainable human The Preamble extends over 21 cooperation within and between countries settlements development in an urbanizing paragraphs, making statements on the and through effective partnerships at all
6 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2. No. 3/4 UNCNSINabltatJ
levels". It furthermore confirms that further commit themselves to the within the context of transparent and "human beings are at the centre of concern objectives of equal access to land, to safe accountable forms of government. To meet for sustainable development" and people drinking water and sanitation,to the use of the goal of gender equality, States pledge are "entitled to a healthy and productive environmentally-sound construction themselves to integrating gender life in harmony with nature". methods and to providing legal protection perspectives in human-settlements from forced evictions that are contrary to legislation, policies and programmes. On Goals and Principles the law. On sustainable human the financing of shelter and human The Preamble is followed by a settlements, States found consensus on settlements, commitments are expressed chapter on Goals and Principles which commitments to the adoption of on developing innovative approaches for covers the topics of (i) equitable human integrated planning methods, to making the mobilization of additional resources settlements, (ii) the eradication of poverty, efficient use of resources within the from the private, public, multilateral and (iii) sustainable development, (iv) physical carrying capacity of ecosystems and bilateral sectors. States also commit conditions and spatial characteristics of through application of the precautionary themselves to enable markets to work and human settlements, (v) the family as the principle approach, to providing adequate to encourage wide-ranging partnerships basic unit of society, (vi) people's rights and environmental infrastructure facilities, to for the financing of shelter and human responsibilities, (vii) solidarity with those promoting changes in unsustainable settlements development. belonging to vulnerable and disadvantaged consumption and production patterns, to Commitments on international groups, (ix) the need for new and additional promoting more effective and cooperation relate to multilateral, regional financial resources, and (x) human health environmentally-sound transportation and bilateral cooperation programmes on and quality of life as the centre of the effort systems and to promoting energy-efficient technical and financial assistance, to the to develop sustainable human settlements. technologies for human settlements. They promotion of exchange of appropriate The goals and principles are further commit themselves to the technology and to international preceded by a statement that the promotion of optimal land-use forms, the networking for the dissemination of objectives of the Habitat Agenda are in full protection of cultural, historic and natural information. Consistent with the action conformity with the purposes and heritage, to maintaining and strengthening plans of previous international principles of the Charter of the United rural settlements, and to preventing man conferences, Governments re-confirm the Nations. Its implementation is understood made disasters. target of 0. 7 per cent gross national to be the "sovereign right and Commitments are also expressed to product of developed countries as a responsibility of each State in conformity enable and promote the participation of all target to strive for in official with all human rights and fundamental key actors to play an active role in human development assistance. On assessing freedoms". In this chapter, States reaffirm settlements and shelter development, progress in implementing the Habitat their commitment to ensure the full realization of human rights and in particular the right to adequate housing. The chapter further confirms such goals and principles as equal access to economic resources, including the right to inheritance, equal opportunity to participate in public klAA,DO decision-making, and calls for the promotion of tolerance, non-violence, and �L.L -,-HE.Sf. the diminution of foreign occupation, WOl!D5 ? organized crime, terrorism and corruption Mf=A,J as being destructive to human settlements.
Commitments In chapter Ill on Commitments, States outline six commitments to implementing the Habitat Agenda through national, local and regional action and in cooperation with all interested parties, giving special attention to the needs of people living in poverty, people who are homeless, women, older people, indigenous people, refugees, displaced persons, persons with disabilities and those belonging to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. With reference to achieving adequate shelter for all, Governments commit themselves to the full and progressive realization of the right to - ---=-= -·-- adequate housing. They recognize their obligation to enable people to obtain shelter and to protect and improve their dwellings and neighbourhoods. They ©Shelter Forum
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 7 Habitat Debate
Agenda, Governments are committed to particula'rly in areas affected by war, sustainableland use, (2) social development monitor progress through the application natural, industrial or technological in the form of eradication of poverty, of quantitative and qualitative indicators at disasters. creation of productive employment and national and local levels, which should Strategies on the theme of social integration, (3) population and include a disaggregation into age- and Sustainable human settlements sustainable human settlements gender-sensitive data. development in an urbanizing world development, (4) environmentally- are presented in section C of Chapter IV. It sustainable, healthy and livable human Strategies for Implementing the recognizes that urban settlements hold a settlements, (5) sustainable energy use, (6) Habitat Agenda promise for human development and for sustainable transport and communication Strategies for implementing the the protection of the world's natural systems, (7) conservation and rehabilitation Habitat Agenda are presented in Chapter resources by their ability to support large of the historical and cultural heritage, (8) IV, which covers the global plan of action in numbers of people while limiting their improving urban economics, (9) balanced the proper sense of the term, stretching impact on the natural environment. On development of settlements in rural over more than 150 paragraphs with the other hand, many cities are currently regions, and ( I 0) disaster prevention, detailed requests for action by witnessing harmful patterns of growth, of mitigation, preparedness and post-disaster Governments, at the appropriate levels, production and consumption, of land use rehabilitation capabilities. International usually in cooperation with local and of their physical structures. cooperation, including city-to-city authorities and other interested parties. Consistent with the significance of cooperation, is considered necessary in The overriding principles for the action enablement as the core strategic principle promoting sustainable human settlements plans are referred to in Section A. for the action plan of the Habitat Agenda, a development. Introduction as enablement, transparency separate section D of Chapter IV is and participation, with action to focus at devoted to outlining needed action areas the local level. on Capacity-building and institutional Action on the first theme of development. The 16 paragraphs of its Adequate shelter for all is outlined in section defines required action on (I) Section B of Chapter IV. In its introduction, decentralization and the strengthening of the section calls on governments to take local authorities and their appropriate action in order to promote, associations/networks, (2) popular protect and ensure the full and progressive participation and civic engagement, (3) realization of the right to adequate housing human settlements management, (4) whose basis is recognized as emanating metropolitan planning and management, (5) from the Universal Declaration of Human domestic financial resources and economic Rights in 1948. Within the framework of an instruments, and (6) information and enabling approach, such actions are communications. The sections calls for expected to include protection from increased support for appropriate training discrimination in the housing sphere, programmes in these action areas and the providing legal security of tenure and equal promotion of comprehensive human access to land, effective protection from resource development policies which are forced evictions that are contrary to the gender sensitive. Capacity-building is to be law, and adopting policies aimed at making particularly directed towards supporting housing accessible, affordable and the decentralization and participatory habitable. urban management process. All interested Related strategies have two parties, particularly local authorities, the fundamental objectives: to integrate shelter private sector, the cooperative sector, policies with policies that will guide trade unions, non-governmental macroeconomic and s9cial development organizations and community-based and sound environmental management, and organizations need to be empowered to to enable markets as the primary housing play an effectiverole in shelter and human delivery mechanisms to perform their settlements development. functions with efficiency. Further The municipal level is singled out as a objectives and recommended actions potentially effective partner in making address the components of shelter delivery human settlements viable, equitable and systems, such as land, finance, infrastructure sustainable. Policies and programmes for and services, construction, building sustainable development are seen as materials, maintenance and rehabilitation, in requiring strong public-sector institutions the private, public and community sectors. at the subnational level in partnership with The chapter on strategies to achieve the all interested parties. The importance of goal of adequate shelter for all gives special keeping the diversity of types of human attention to those groups of people who settlements is underlined as a key are at considerable risk because they lack component for the creation of just and security of tenure or find it difficult to sustainable societies. participate in housing markets. For the sustainable development and International cooperation is considered management of cities, towns and rural Summarized by Mathias Hundsalz, Officer both necessary and beneficial in pursuing settlements in a geographically balanced in-Charge, Research and Development strategies on adequate shelter for all, manner, ten action areas are identified: (I) Divlsfon, UNCHS (Habitat).
8 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 ______U --=--N_C__:_HS CHabitat, ffl)
full and equal participation of women in Gender in the Agenda human-settlement planning and decision making. The right to adequate housing, By Wandis Seaforth one of the most hotly contested points, he Habitat Agenda contains 30 methodologies for incorporating gender in was of great interest to women and to T references to "gender", and no fewer human-settlements planning, development gender activists, as it provides an additional than 110 to "women/girls". Mention of and evaluation including the development basis for gender equality in housing. Some gender is in reference to gender equality, of indicators; specific gender concerns addressed in this gender perspective, gender specificity, • Collecting, analyzing and dissem area were: gender sensitivity, gender needs, inating gender-disaggregated data and disaggregation of data etc. The references to women and girls deal with, among other things, the need to address the current disadvantage of women (that starts with the girl child) and the special needs of women, and to recognize and support the contribution of women in the human settlements development process. This is the glossy picture of the visibility of gender in the Agenda. More fundamentally, there are several basic rights and principles that have been recognized and incorporated in the Agenda that have a direct bearing on gender. Some of these are:
• equality • gender equality • sustainability • recognition of various forms of family • solidarity with disadvantaged and vulnerable groups • recognition of the right to adequate housing
The principles of equality and sustainability assume that genuine development should not and cannot exclude any group/s. The Agenda therefore calls for measures to ensure that women's expertise and knowledge be recognized, utilized and rewarded at all levels of the human settlements development process, and that women benefit equally from all development. This theme is picked up under numerous sub-sections of the Agenda. A woman bathing her child: Women fought hard to ensure that gender issues were addressed in the Habitat Agenda. Gender equality should naturally ©UNEP be assumed to be contained in the principle of equality. However, this assumption has in the past led to women information on human-settlements issues, "provision of legal security of tenure and being leftout either by discrimination or by including statistical means which recognize equal access to land to all people including design. Therefore, there was an expressed the unremunerated work of women for women ... legislative and administrative need to have it spelled out as a separate use in policy and programme planning and reforms to give women full and equal access area. Section D of Chapter Ill implementation; to economic resources, including the right to (Commitments), obliges Governments to • Integrating a gender perspective in inheritance and to ownership of land and other pursue the goal of gender equality in the design and implementation of property, credit, natural resources and human-settlements development through: environmentally-sound and sustainable appropriate technologies." • Integrating gender perspectives in resource-management mechanisms, Recognition of different forms human settlement-related legislation, production techniques and infrastructure of the family was another controversial policies, programmes and projects through development in rural and urban areas; issue, especially with certain religious the application of gender-sensitive analysis; • The formulation and strengthening groups. However, the language that was • Developing conceptual and practical of policies and practices to promote the finally adopted does recognize the diversity of family types,among them those that are
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 9 Habitat Debate
female-headed (often the poorest in many the vulnerable, but also, more fundamen regional and international levels. If Habitat communities). tally, addressing inequalities from a rights II was about partnerships, the follow-up Vulnerability is an area that was perspective. needs to be equally about partnerships. viewed with concern by those trying to put No international conference no This is particularly true with respect to a gender perspective into the Habitat matter how successful, and no international social exclusion in general, and gender in Agenda. There had been a tendency to agenda, however comprehensive, can solve particular, especially with regard to lump women with vulnerable groups such the problems of poverty, inequality and monitoring. as the elderly, the disabled, and children. development in general. The Habitat The Agenda now recognizes that not all Agenda will have its weaknesses, and like women are vulnerable, and more any negotiated text, it will not be perfect in Wandis Seaforth was Networking importantly,that vulnerability is most often every area for every interest group but it is Coordinator In the Women In Human caused by exclusion from the socio a very good starting point. However, it will Settlements Development Programme of economic mainstream, and from the only be as good as its implementation, and UNCHS (Habitat} during the period decision-making process. Measures to that will depend a lot on national-level leading up to the CitySummit. At the address vulnerability include at one level action as well as solidarity-building, Conference, she was Involved In the special programmes such as safety nets for exchange and monitoring at local, national, Women's Caucus.
The Road From Beijing To Istanbul
C CGenderizin1" the Agenda was no mean The challenge now is to maintain this commitment, accomplishment.It involved many months of strategizing by energy and spirit of partnership that was in Istanbul to many women and women's organizations, coalitions and implement the agenda. alliances. It also involved the support of many committed men in Government delegations and in the NGO movement. It received the continuous moral and strategic support of Dr. Wally N'Dow. Long before Istanbul, the Habitat·International Coalition (HIC) Women and Shelter Network had been working to get a gender perspective into the work of HIC, and to influence UNCHS (Habitat);the Super Coalition on Women, Homes and Community was formed.This Coalition contributed significantly to getting human settlements on the Beijing agenda, and for moving forward the achievements of Beijing to Istanbul. At Beijing, Dr. N'Dow declared that the road to Istanbul must go through Beijing, and launched the Huairou Commission, made up of representatives from grassroots organizations, NGOs, Governments, United Nations agencies and individual professional women, with an interest in, and in a position to influence, the Habitat II process with respect to gender; women organized around women's and human-settlements issues and started strategizing on how to make gender visible in the Habitat II process, and the HabitatAgenda. At UNCHS (Habitat), the Women in Human Settlements Development Programme was keeping in touch with national, regional and global efforts on gender, and working with other programmes of the Centre, for example, with the Indicators Programme to take gender into account, with Best Practices for gendered best practices, and with In-Country Preparations to monitor national preparatory processes. In Istanbul, the Super Coalition.Women's Environment and ©Mariela!Van Ge/derma/sen Development Organization (WEDO) and other women's organizations met every morning and every evening to brief and de-brief. Women were trained to lobby and to presA!nt their issues and to use their national delegations to ensure a gender perspective in the Habitat Agenda. Some of th.e most controversial issues depended on ensuring that ground gained For more information, please contact: in Cairo, Copenhagen and Beijing was not lost in Istanbul.The Women in Human Settlements Development Programme fact that a large and diverse group of people had been UNCHS (Habitat}, P.O. Box 30030 systematically working together over a period of time on issues Nairobi, Kenya to which they were committed was responsible for the Fax: (254-2}624266/617 gendering of the HabitatAgenda. E-mail:cats/lna.tru/ll/ollunchs.org
10 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 UNCHS CHabitat) {t)
Consensus Achieved on Housing Rights ,,,...,.,,.,._, he achie¥8ment of the Istanbul instruments. in the housing sector which Includes: TCot� on theright to adequate The c:tOnNl1SUS so achieved on this housing is a success story of the subjectuamplffies the expression clthe I. providing leplprotecdon apinst eonr.r,nce for ac:IYoc:ams of human political will of the intemulonal discriminationin housing, rights and propona,ts of housing rights communityto confrontthe challenge of 2. providing lepl securityof tanure global homelassnea, inadequate sheker in particular. The debatll on houlina and equal access toland and rights had stalbd all staps of the conditions, inequities in ho�s�ni preparau,ryprocess rf&ht up to Istanbul. availability and diltribudon in our global efliictive protectionagainst Those whoknow the kq roadnvelled settlements, insecurity of tanure and forced evictions and by housing rWwts activists will recall the illepl evictions and me need tocombat 3. adopting enabling policies that profound dilfnl1 felt by all concerned theH problemswith a sense of urpncy. wouldfacHitate access to when the third and final prwparatory But it is also a maniflstation cl the habitable and affordable housing. meeting in New York f&llecl to rNCh common concern for the homelw and consensus on the status of the right to diadvantaged members in our midst, The consensus so achieved at adequate haullneas an qerKla item. and a� of the need to cr-.te Istanbul represents a major step in The impuslonecf � of thole c. 1ihat wm enable .,.., moving forward the Global Shelter man, woman and child to live concerned aroupl, aminent penonaaes Strategy and it is fitting that the Istanbul and ordinary cit:mlns around the world IOl'MWhwe in pw:e. security, comfbn, forthe indullon of the ri&ht to� hlppinea and with cfi&r1'ly. Declaradon devotes a �eparate and housing in the HabitatApnda haw not In specific t:llrrTia-;the Conr.mice complete paragraph to the right to been in vain r,ow that the lntm'Mtional expressly recopind the universal adequate housing in its declaratory c�,throuah1ihis c:onr.rwe.hu existence of the filht to adequate provisions apart from the contextual affirmatively and unequlWlc:ally housing and coe.-.mad Iha comrnitnwtt rer.r.nces to it in the Habitat Agenda commlmd ltlelftlDthe rwlbwdon of wl of all cauncrt.pranoea, to prolaCt wl itself. human nahls W1C1, in this partlcular � ·tfie.:pqt-'" rellladon of wure the� 111111liwd!>n cl1flls the rV1t u:- adiql... lioulq as Nt rl&ht, It Is a comrnlanlnt 1Mt ,...,_ forth 1111d � tor in ii� UMl'11fflllGto ...... aian-
supposed to constitute the most delicate and transfer of technology. The Building part of the negotiation, due to its international community is invited to institutional implications. mobilize additional national and Consensus on the In Section(international E cooperation international financial resources for shelter and coordination), Governments recognize prov1s1on and human settlements Habitat Agenda: that the formulation and implementation of development and to promote the abilityof International human settlements development strategies local authorities to access global capital are the primary responsibility of each markets. This will require inter alia1 Cooperation and country at the national and local levels. "striving to fulfil the agreed target of 0.7 However, they acknowledge the need for per cent of the GNP of the developed Follow-up international cooperation, which "assumes countries for ODA as soon as possible" added significance and importance in the and to increase the share of funding for by Daniel Blau wake of recent trends in the globalization adequate shelter and human settlements of the world economy". They call for development programmes. ections E and F fall under chapter IV of innovative approaches and frameworks for In reference to technical Sthe Habitat Agenda which deals with international cooperation which should cooperation, the international community strategies for implementation. Section E is include the active participation of all levels is expected to facilitate the tran"sfer of on international cooperation and co of government,the private and cooperative knowledge and experience and disseminate ordination; Section F is on implementation sectors, non-governmental and best practices on sustainable human and follow-up. community-based organizations (NGOs settlements development. UNCHS Sections E and F of the Habitat and CBOs), in decision-making, policy (Habitat) should "act as a catalyst in the Agenda had to be negotiated entirely in formulation and resource allocation, mobilization of technical cooperation", Istanbul. This was done in Working Group implementation and evaluation. This particularly for enhancing the capabilities of II of Committee I, which met from 5 to 13 implies recognition of complementary national and local authorities to identify June under the chairmanship of Dr. Khonje forms of decentralized cooperation and analyze critical issues, to formulate and (Zambia). Given that Sections E and F were between local authorities. implement policies and programmes in closely related, particularly with respect to Section E calls upon the international response to them, and to manage efficiently the role of UNCHS (Habitat),finalization of community to promote the establishment the process of human settlements E became possible only after an agreement of an enabling international environment, development. Global information was reached on F. At the start of the through positive actions on the issues of networks containing updated information Conference, Section F was indeed finance, external debt, international trade on the Habitat Agenda and on best
TheUnited Nations Centre forHuman Settlements II practices, as well as progress reports on Commission on Human Settlements and to development have been heard on many the implementation of national plans of assess the functions of UNCHS (Habitat) occasions. Learning from this experience, action, should be established. with a view to its revitalization. the delegations at Istanbul took the issue of United Nations organizations, Habitat, whose primary function is to international cooperation and follow-up including the Bretton Woods institutions, provide substantive servicing to the very seriously. They designed mechanisms are requested to strengthen cooperative Commission, will be a focal point for the which should allow the United Nations mechanisms to integrate commitments and implementation of the Habitat Agenda. It system, including the Commission on actions contained in the Habitat Agenda should focus on well-defined objectives and Human Settlements and its secretariat, to into their policies, programmes and strategic issues, including coordination of promote, monitor and evaluate adequately operations. They should establish adequate shelter for all and human the implementation of the HabitatAgenda. partnerships with internal associations of settlements development programmes local authorities and NGOs and encourage carried out by the United Nations system, public-private partnerships in shelter and exchange of information on best practices, human settlements programmes. public information activities, analysis and Section F (implementation and monitoring of major urbanization trends, follow-up of the Habitat Agenda) gave rise execution of operational programmes and to in-depth discussions between the projects, development of monitoring Organisation for Economic Co-operation indicators and promotion of transparent, and Development (OECD) countries and representative and accountable governance the Group of 77 and China, particularly on through institutional development, the mandate of the Commission on Human capacity-building and partnership. Settlements and the functions of UNCHS All relevant agencies of the United (Habitat). Four night sessions were Nations system are invited to strengthen necessary to reach a consensus. and adjust their activities, programmes and Section F states that the main strategies to take into account the follow intergovernmental fora at the global level up to Habitat II, particularly at the field for the implementation and follow-up of level, while the World Bank, the the Habitat Agenda will be the United International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Nations General Assembly (GA), the regional and sub-regional development Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) banks and funds and all other financial and in particular the Commission on organizations are invited to give higher Human Settlements. priority to the goals of adequate shelter for The General Assembly is invited to all and sustainable human settlements consider the follow-up to the Conference development in their lending programmes. at its 51st session (autumn 1996), to review Section F also states that effective the effectiveness of the steps taken to implementation of the Habitat Agenda implement the outcome of the Conference requires strengthening local authorities, at its 52nd session (autumn 1997) and to community organizations and NGOs hold a special session in 200 I for an overall through the establishment of legislative and review of the implementation of the regulatory frameworks and capacity HabitatAgenda. building programmes. ECOSOC is invited to review the The last sub-section of the Habitat follow-up of the Habitat Agenda at its Agenda is devoted to performance substantive session of 1997, based on the evaluation, indicators and best practices. recommendations made by the All partners are invited to regularly Commission on Human Settlements at its monitor and evaluate their performance in next session (28 April-7 May 1997). the implementation of the HabitatAgenda The Commission on Human through application of comparable Settlements will promote, monitor and indicators and documentation of best evaluate the implementation of the Habitat practices. UNCHS (Habitat) should Agenda. As the governing body of UNCHS . provide assistance t� establish guidelines (Habitat), it will review its work for national and local monitoring and to programme in order to ensure an effective strengthen data collection and analysis follow-up and implementation of the capabilities at all levels. Governments will outcome of the Conference. It will also assess the implementation of national plans review its working methods in order to of action by using key policy-oriented involve in its work representatives of local indicators, augmented by indicators specific authorities, the private sector and NGOs. to the different regions, and provide this The GA and ECOSOC are invited to information to the United Nations. review and strengthen the mandate of the One major shortcoming of previous United Nations conferences has been their insufficient elaboration of follow-up mechanisms. Criticisms from the media, 'Paragraph 20 I, on finandal resources, contains not less NGOs and Governments themselves of Daniel Blau Is Acting Chief, Technical than 30 bullets indicating actions to be undertaken. their limited impact on human Cooperation Division, UNCHS (Habitat).
12 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 UNCHS CHabltatl
VIEWPOINT
Sections E & F: A Realistic and Satisfactory Compromise
By Alberto Colella
ven before the Istanbul Conference E started, everyone knew that the most difficult negotiations would be those on Chapters E and F of the Habitat Agenda: the chapters of the Plan of Action devoted to the practical implementation of the documents adopted at Istanbul, and the financial resources for implementation. The discussions centered on who was going to realize the goals of the Conference, how the objectives of development concerned proposals on the implementation is at the national level, adequate shelter for all and sustainable role of local authorities and NGOs. The complemented by international human settlement would be achieved and European Union proposed or supported cooperation. This will require coordinated above all, where to find the money and the language on local-authority access to efforts at every level, especially the local, people to do so. international financial markets, and the full involvement of all the actors. The negotiations were long and not strengthening decentralized development easy, as expected, but very civilized and not assistance programmes and cooperation b. Another completely new aspect without moments of fun. I think we all with local-authority associations and of the implementation process is the enjoyed them. networks. NGO-proposed language on degree of participation of the local ensuring compliance with national laws by authorities and civil society. The Istanbul Chapter E. International the private sector, including transnational Conference was the first instance of new cooperation and coordination corporations, was also accepted. An partners joining in the United Nations As is usually the case in United important commitment was also made to negotiating process, and it was a success. A Nations discussions of financial resources, promote decentralized cooperation number of provisions in the final document the debate on chapter E split along the between local authorities and highlight the participation of local lines of "developed" versus "developing" communities. authorities, the private sector, foundations, countries. The text ultimately adopted NGOs, and research centers in the uses the language agreed on at previous Chapter F. Institutional follow-up implementation of the Agenda. To major United Nations Conferences - a I think that all the delegations at underline the importance of partnership, classic United Nations compromise - Istanbul shared a common goal: the need the European Union supported the idea particularly for the most controversial for effective and integrated follow-up and that the Commission on Human issue: the challenges of globalized implementation of the Global Plan of Settlements should find ways to involve the economies, official development assistance Action. There was a long discussion, representatives of local authorities and the and agreed targets, innovative approaches however, on how to ensure this goal. relevant actors of civil society fully in its to cooperation using new forms of While the implementation schema work in the field of sustainable human partnership, and international migration. adopted at Istanbul follows the broad settlements. Particularly noteworthy is the part outlines of previous United Nations Another crucial issue discussed was related to the mobilization of financial Conferences (actions of the United the role and future of the Commission on resources, which contains a shopping list of Nations General Assembly, ECOSOC, Human Settlements and UNCHS. ways and means to find the money needed other United Nations bodies, etc.), it still From the beginning it was clear that to realize the commitments of the Habitat contains some innovative solutions: a number of developing countries sought Agenda. The list could be considered a strong reassurances that the Centre "would global compendium of the United Nations a. The primary responsibility for not suffer a fate similar to UNEP, which has state-of-the-art thinking on the issue of implementing the Habitat Agenda belongs waned in clout and cash since Rio", as international financial cooperation. to national governments, who should be representatives of the G77 and China The most innovative aspect of the the main actors in the implementation of pointed out during the negotiations. A discussion on inter-national cooperation the documents adopted. Therefore the political confrontation between developed for sustainable human settlements Conference's main venue of and developing countries on this issue was
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 13 Habitat Debate
a danger to be avoided; such a clash could UNCHS. The ECOSOC substantive have jeopardized the success of the session of 1997, in Geneva, will oversee the Conference. system-wide United Nations coordination This is why at the negotiating table in the implementation of the Habitat the European Union, acting as a mediator; Agenda, and will make recommendations. presented a full set of proposals on the The hope is that the Habitat II objectives, functions and responsibilities of Conference is not the conclusion of a long both the Centre and the Commission. and fruitful discussion but the starting These proposals strove to take into point of a process for the effective and account the legitimate concerns of the G77 efficient implementation of the Istanbul and China. Among other things, they: commitments. A plethora of United Nations bodies • invited the General Assembly and are involved in this process: I already ECOSOC to review and strengthen the mentioned the General Assembly and mandate of the Commission on Human ECOSOC, the Commission and UNCHS, Settlements, thereby showing proper but dozens of other United Nations organs respect for the competence of the United and forums are mentioned in the final text. Nations bodies involved; The way chapter F is designed assures that at least at the United Nations level, human • recognized the Commission's settlements issues will be one of the major central role in monitoring implementation; topics for discussion in the next years. Hopefully all States, United • defined the primary role of the Nations organs, international and United Nations Centre for Human national institutions will demonstrate Settlements, located in Nairobi, Kenya, as strong political will for the fullest providing substantive service to the implementation of the Istanbul Commission; documents. The European Union is Alberto Cole/la Is the Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Italy ready to play its part, as it showed during to the United Nations. The views • drew up a list of tasks to be the negotiations. expressed In the article are his own. performed by the Commission and the Centre, focusing on areas where they could have a comparative advantage and - especially for the Centre - where specific abilities have already been proved.
The final result is a realistic and satisfactory compromise: the text recognizes the role of the Commission in promoting, reviewing, monitoring and assessing progress in the implementation of the goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development. The UNCHS will continue its service to the Commission; it should be a focal point for human settlements issues within the United Nations system, and have a major role in the implementation of the Plan of Action. Finally, the Secretary General is requested to ensure a more effective functioning of the Centre by providing, within the limits of the current financial crisis of the United Nations, sufficient human and financial resources. What's nexd First comes the presentation of the report from Habitat II to the 51st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The General Assembly will consider the report and adopt one or more resolutions recommending the general outline of the review of the work programme of the Commission on Human Settlements (which will hold its next session in April/May 1997), which, in turn, will recommend to ECOSOC ways to review and strengthen the mandate of the
14 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 governmental negotiations. As in Rio and To Bracket Or Not To Bracket? elsewhere, while official delegates were holding briefs aimed at protecting "national Negotiating the Habitat Agenda interests", the NGOs were motivated by the objectives. They were uninhibited and by B. Shafqat Kakakhel unequivocal, and greatly enriched the debate and the negotiation process. I was hen Committee I - assigned to sought by developing countries which struck by their purposefulness and W negotiate the Habitat Agenda suspected that sustainable development commitment. The NGOs were also began its work, I was worried but not could be misconstrued to justify slowing remarkably disciplined. without hope. The sheer volume of work down their economic development. More Drafting is a tedious exercise in the involved in removing scores of brackets importantly, while the OECD countries best of circumstances. Composing readable from a text comprising nearly 200 assented that all actions for achieving the texts in meetings attended by some 300 paragraphs appeared daunting. Quite a few goals of shelter provision for all and women and men can be a hopeless effort. differences had emerged during the last sustainable human settlements could and Luckily, this difficulty was widely recognized meeting of the Preparatory Committee ought to be taken by actors within national and the major groups - G77 and China, (PrepCom Ill, held in New York in February frontiers, The Group of 77 (G77) and European Union, later OECD 1996), which was unable to even consider China argued that in order to succeed, negotiated through single spokespersons some parts of the draft document. The those actions required a conducive global with some countries adding invaluable North/South polarization had become economic context and deliberate inputs. This quickened the speed of pronounced. But I did not despair because affirmative actions by the developed adopting existing texts and crafting new informal consultations among nations in a framework of improved and ones. representatives of various countries and enhanced international cooperation. A significant redeeming feature of the groups since February in New York and Perhaps the most ticklish question work in our Committee was the presence elsewhere had indicated that their resolve facing the negotiators in Istanbul was the of scores of delegates who had to see their points of view accommodated contribution of international cooperation participated in the PrepCom meetings and/ in the Agenda was matched in equal and the roles and mandates of multilateral or served in Missions in Nairobi and New measure by a willingness to make mechanisms within and outside the UN York. Personal friendships ensured that necessary compromises to facilitate the system in translating the recommendations exchanges of views were invariably polite adoption of a document they could live contained in the Agenda into tangible and non-polemical. I am personally with. actions. OECD countries did not want indebted to my friends in the Committee The main difficulties encountered by Habitat II to preempt the outcome of the and the delegates I met forthe first time in us bear recapitulation. The comprehensive on-going debate on the reform and Istanbul who frequently reacted to my nature of the major themes of Habitat 11 - restructuring of the UN system. G77 and angry outbursts with disarming humour. I "adequate shelter for all" and "sustainable China were keen to see the Agenda was disappointed once, and only once, on human settlements development in an broadly define the parameters of activities the last day when we spent nearly seven urbanizing world" - warranted a to be undertaken by the UN agencies and hours in deciding whether sustainable reiteration of the recommendations made other multilateral organizations. settlements "promote" or "should by nearly all the preceding global Habitat II was not a North/South promote" human rights. We surely could arena in all matters. There was at least one conferences i.e. the World Children's have done better! Summit, the United Nations Conference major issue which transcended the Our Committee did eventually on Environment and Development North/South schism. This was the right to produce a 238-paragraph document which (UNCED), the World Conference on housing, on which differences existed contains many awkward formulations but Human Rights, the International within both the major groups. Most comprehensively addresses the myriad Conference on Population and developing countries - which considered problems of human settlements and how Development and the Fourth World a recognition of the right to housing they can and must be addressed through Conference on Women. The objectives of essentially as a moral and political efforts at national and international levels. the City Summit had to be viewed, defined obligation to serve as a catalyst for greater Now that the chat is over and the essay has and integrated with the landmark attention to the problem of shelterlessness been written, we should try to turn recommendations of the earlier - and the European Union Member States platitudes into plans and plans into actions. international meetings. This meant an favoured a categorical reference to the inevitably bulky document. It also meant right to housing. The United States of rekindling the controversies engendered America and some developing countries during the past. It is perhaps only natural looked at the issue in the light of its that delegates representing different socio possible legal implications. Eventually, this economic situations and priorities should subject (which had prompted a spirited view the subjects through their respective debate at PrepCom II) was resolved with prisms and seek reflection of their points relative ease thanks to the significant of view in the docum_ent adopted by the evolution on the subject in the USA and meeting. other countries as well as the willingness of Hence, the fundamentalist insistence the ardent advocates of the right to by the OECD countries on reiterating the housing to moderate their position. goal of sustainable development as defined Habitat II will be recalled as the first 5. Shafqat Kakakhel was the Chal;person by UNCED in contrast with the marked global conference at which NGOs of Committee I at Habitat II and Is the emphasis on sustained economic growth effectively contributed to the official inter- Pakistan High Commissioner to Kenya.
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements IS Partners' Events
The World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities by Andrea Connell
he dramatic opening of the World T Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities (WACLA) with the Harbiye Museum Band performing a set of rousing fanfares was most appropriate for such a historic occasion. This was the first time ever that such a widely representative they need to work closely with locally leadership, the value of developing group of local authority leaders from all accountable leaders, who are the key partnership approaches with all vital local regions of the world had convened. Their facilitators of change and development in forces, the transformational power of purpose, as Tayyip Erdogan, Mayor of their communities. The World Assembly technology, and the mutual benefits to be Istanbul, put it in his welcoming speech, was had the honour of being addressed by top obtained from decentralized cooperation representatives from the international and international exchanges of experience. "to underline the fact that we, as the community, including Dr. N'Dow of The Assembly Declaration called for representatives of the /eve/ of government Habitat, Mr. Serageldin, Vice-President of a close working partnership in the closest to the people, have a crucial role to play the World Bank and Mr. Mayor, Director implementation of the Global Plan of in any and all efforts to solve the global General of the United Nations Educational, Action of the Habitat Agenda, both through problemsthat impact so heavily and intimately Scientific and Cultural Organization the continuation of National Habitat II on the people of this planet" (UNESCO). Senior representatives from Committees and through the widening of the United Nations Development the Commission on Human Settlements to Over 500 local government leaders Programme (UNDP), United Nations include representation of local government from 95 different countries attended the Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations and other sectors of civil society. World Assembly on 30 and 31 May 1996, Industrial Development Organization Many enthusiastic interventions coming together to discuss the concrete, (UNIDO) and United Nations Office for came from the floor and a number of key on-the-ground contributions that local Project Services (UNOPS) also embraced amendments were introduced, including authorities can make to the sustainable the new spirit of partnership in their the call for a worldwide Charter for local development of human settlements, and presentations and invited closer working self-government to guide national committing themselves to work in close relationships with local government and governments and international agencies on partnership with UNCHS and other joint efforts to address the increasingly the basic principles which should underlie United Nations agencies in the complex problems of human settlements any democratic local-government system; implementation of the Habitat Agenda. development. an appeal for those countries without They were joined by around 70 observers, The second day of the Assembly democratically-elected local authorities to mainly from United Nations organizations, focused mainly on the adoption of the be encouraged to introduce the necessary and at least as many representatives of the Declaration, which would provide a changes to allow citizens to freely elect press. mandate and clear policy guidelines for the their local representatives, and a clause Such was the interest in the meeting, local authorities' delegation participating in seeking to strengthen the role of women in that the organizers were forced to turn the main Habitat II Conference. The municipal decision-making. people away at the door due to lack of Declaration analyzed the situation of urban One of the most important decisions space. and rural settlements in the light of global of the World Assembly was the call for the The speeches and debate of the trends, set out a series of commitments on group of international and regional World Assembly covered not only the behalf of the world's cities and local associations of local authorities known as capacities of local authorities to tackle authorities, and called upon the States, the the G4+ Local Authorities Habitat II global issues and to mobilize a wide range private sector and the international Steering Committee, which had of local actors from all sectors, but also community to take various measures to collaborated on the organization of the addressed the new relationship between facilitate the governance and sustainable World Assembly and the local government local government and the international development of local communities. input into Habitat 11, to ensure an ongoing community. Key points in the Declaration coordination of the movement of cities and There has been an important referred to the importance of local authorities, which would serve as the realization on the part of many decentralization and democratization, the united voice of local government in the international organizations and institutions, need to combat social exclusion, the negotiation of United Nations policies and that to be effective in their programmes, creativity and innovative capacity of local programmes addressing urban
16 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2,No. 3/4 development and human settlements computers, e-mail connections, and management. The NGO Forum printing and photocopying facilities. In Unable to attend the World constant use by NGOs drafting Assembly himself, the United Nations eld appropriately in the once grand documents and sending articles, up Secretary-General, Dr. Boutros but now somewhat dilapidated dates and messages back home, the Boutros-Ghali, sent a message of support H Taskisla building of the lst;anbulTechnical centre also offered training sessions on and congratulations via Dr. N'Dow. It University and organized on a shoe electronic communications and the emphasized the vital leading role the string budget amidst a great deal of Internet. United Nations now sees local authorities uncertainty,the parallel NGO Forum'96 Not unlike the Beijing NGO taking in responding to the urgent surpassed most expectations. Creditfor Forum, tensions did arise between the challenge of human settlements and this must go to the Turkish NGO Host Forum's leadership and local authorities indicated that the special status granted to Committee, the International NGO with regard to shared NGO perceptions the local authorities' delegation at Habitat Facilitating Group (IFG) and to the of an overbearing police presence both II through Rule 62 of the Rules of Forum's director, Jan Birket-Smith, inside the grounds of the Forum and Procedure, was a historic and irreversible whose role as the director of the NGO around outside NGO activities. Despite milestone in the development of a close Forum '95, held in parallel to the World this, the warmth and hospitality of the working partnership between the United Summit for Social Development in Turkish people were constantly referred Nations and local government. Copenhagen in March 1995, brought to by NGO participants from different much needed experience and expertise parts of the world, and Conference "This indeed is a seminal development to the organization of the event. participants seemed favorably impressed and clearly indicates the importance that the According to the organizers, the by the facilities and supporting United Nations attaches to the role of local parallel NGO Forum '96 registered a arrangements organized by the host governments in today's ever changing total of 8,550 NGO participants of country. world... This rule change, I should emphasize, which 2,565 (30 per cent) were from Whatever its impact in the was not intended to be a brief alteration in Turkey and 5,985 (70 per cent) were different regions of the world in United Nations procedures, but to from other countries. Of the 2,598 strengthening thework of NGOs and in institutionalize a relationship of cooperation organizations registered at the Forum, defining their collective follow-up between local authorities and the United 634 (25 per cent) were fromTurkey and strategies for Habitat II, the Forum's Nations for the future." 1,956 (75 per cent) were from other impact upon local Turkish society is likely countries. A total of 23,478 day passes to be one of its most important and The World Assembly of Cities and were also issued, largely to residents of Local Author:ities was undoubtedly a great enduring legacies. One of the issues on Istanbul. the minds of NGO representatives as success. It has been praised as a very Over the 16 days of the Forum, effective and focused contribution to the they left Istanbul concerned how to NGOs organized over 1,700 meetings maintain their international cooperation Habitat II Conference by those inside and and events on many of the topics on the outside the world of local government in the absence of conference-led and Habitat II Agenda and beyond. Topics alike. Not only had a wide geographical induced international NGO Forums and discussed ranged from revitalization of balance and a high level of debate been opportunities now that the cycle of traditional health practices to women in achieved, but significant progress had also L,lnited NationsWorld Conferences has been made towards ensuring the existence local government, illness and healing, come to an end. of a permanent unified voice of local architecture, global pressures and forces, government to act as interlocutor of the redefining security, urban agriculture, United Nations and other inter towards violence-free cities, and governmental organizations on behalf of all sustainable transport. The Forum's Source: United Nations Non local authorities. computer centre was equipped with 40 GovemmentalUalson Service (NGLS). This excellent start was the ideal springboard for the local authorities' delegation at Habitat II. It ensured them a high profile and won the respect and confidence of many of the national delegations. The joint efforts of the delegation were rewarded in that many of the concerns of the World Assembly Declaration were taken up in the Habitat Agenda and the Istanbul Declaration.
Andrea Connell wrote the above article on behalf of the G4+ Local Authorities Habitat IISteering Committee, now known as the World Associations of Cities and Local Authorities Co-ordinating Structure (WACLACS}
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 17 Habitat Debate
neglected and urgent problems of our time, NGOs: Stronger, Louder, one that goes to the very heart of our everyday lives how we live, where we live, and above all, Better Organized if we live at all." by Felix Dodds The NGO input to both Committee I and Committee II were facilitated by the NGO International Facilitating Group (IFG). They also had overall responsibility for the NGO Forum. NGOs were better organized than they had been for any of the recent United Nations Conferences. Perhaps they had learnt from the way women's caucuses had operated at previous Summits. NGOs put together a composite of their amendments by 24 April 1996 and sent it to all the key Governments before the Governments met to agree on their positions. This resulted in some very significant amendments finding their way into governmental positions and into the Habitat Agenda. A real breakthrough for the NGOs was when the United Nations agreed to bring out the NGO Composite Te xt as an Women making themselves heard at an NGO Forum Event ©Wandia Seaforth official United Nations document (A/Conf.165/INF/8). This was the first time NGO amendments had been given official his was my second visit to Istanbul.The guns.A different form of souvenir, I guess! recognition. In addition, they were allowed T two visits were split by 20 years. In The city preparations for the to take the floor and speak to their 1976 I spent a month on my way to Conference were finished just about on amendments from a microphone. This Thailand. I have fond memories of the time. In fact,the final few weeks before the enabled Governments to listen and Pudding Shop, the Blue Mosque, the bazaar Conference were very reminiscent of my, respond to NGO proposals. and other haunts of that era. This visit was and I am sure many other readers', If a Government sponsored an NGO to attend the United Nations Habitat II approach to end-of-term exams. No work amendment, the Conference was allowed Conference. My experience in Rio at the until the last moment and then cram it in. to debate it. Earth Summit told me that I was unlikely to Well two weeks before the Conference The key players in the negotiations see much of Istanbul, other than on the started most people were betting on this were the European Union, the United way from and to the airport. being the Conference that nearly States of America, Canada, the Group of 77 What happened in Istanbul depends happened. In the end the only thing that (the group of developing countries now much on where your focus as an individual wasn't finished was the new underground. 134-strong) and China. or organization was.The fact is there were Over 2,500 NGO representatives Within that block the African many Istanbul Conferences happening at were accredited to the main Conference. countries played a key role as they were the same time. There was the official Less than IO per cent were actually worried about the future role of the negotiations in Committee I, the days of involved in the negotiations for the Habitat United Nations Centre for Human presentations by different stakeholders in II Agenda. Settlements - one of the few United Committee II, the speeches in the Plenary, Writing a full analysis immediately Nations bodies with headquarters in a the Dialogues on different issues such as after a conference has finished is always a developing country. The real story about transport, water, economy and health in the dangerous thing to do! It is easier to wait a international implementation and follow-up Marmaris Hotel, the NGO Forum, the few months to be able to take a more is tied to the United Nations General other stakeholder meetings and the Best critical review. But I will attempt to assess Assembly Committee on United Nations Practices exhibition at the Docks. So one's the impact of Istanbul. Reform. Countries which wanted to see perspective on Istanbul depended very Habitat II . was after all about two the Centre closed and the Commission on much on what one's interest or role there main· aims: adequate shelter for all and Human Settlements downgraded to a Sub was. creating sustainable human settlements in Commission of the Commission on What certainly was true was that an urbanizing world. Sustainable Development (CSD) reserved most of the Tu rkish people opened their As the Secretary-General of the their arguments for another day. arms to welcome their guests. There were Conference,Wally N'Dow, said: problems with the police, so some NGO representatives found themselves arrested "Habitat II is more than a conference. It Felix Dodds is co-ordinator of the United for demonstrating with Tu rkish people over is a recognition by the international community Nations Environment and Development UK Committee. The above articleIs an extract domestic political issues. One of the that time is running out that if we want to ...... from an article published In Urban Nature memqries I will takewith me from Istanbul save the future, we have no choice other than (September 1996}. It is reproduced here is the shop in the Hilton Hotel which sold to �nd answers today to one of the most with the author's permission.
18 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 ____91.....-. _ __ NC=H:..:.::S�(H�ab:..:.:'.it=at:!.) {t) ______:U=-::..:... :.::: _j
community with a reasonable optimism to Dialogue concluded that there needs to be Habitat II create a better quality of human habitat, a major effort to educate financial and therefore,a better future for cities:· institutions about the fact that banking on Dialogues for the Dialogue 2: Finance and Cities in the poor could be a viable business. On 21st Century the 21st Century focused on how the financial sector generally, the Dialogue unprecedented urban development needs stressed development and liberalization, he Habitat II series of thematic can be financed, particularly when urban stating that if domestic and foreign private T Dialogues promoted by UNCHS finance itself is undergoing transformation. capital was to be mobilized, laws (Habitat) brought together eminent Financial markets have been liberalized and establishing private rights, enforceability of thinkers, public personalities, business international financial flows have rapidly contracts, clarity of roles between levels of leaders, practitioners and professionals to expanded in recent years. On the other government and between the public and discuss and exchange ideas on trends for hand, protected sources of funding for private sector were required. the future of human settlements with a urban finance, such as directed credits, are Dialogue 3: Water for Thirsty wide audience. Each Dialogue was designed dwindling. However, the Dialogue Cities noted that the increasing to capture attention and raise awareness concluded, as many more cities are now competition for limited water resources on crucial issues which will affect how we shall live on an urbanized planet. Although it was a Habitat II parallel activity, it was linked to the Conference through the presentation of its findings to Committee II - the innovative "hearings committee" dealing with contributions of all partners. The Dialogues were sponsored and organized by various United Nations . agencies and by the private sector. The reports from the Dialogues were presented to the plenary and accepted as a non-binding document. Following are short summaries of each Dialogue and the conclusions they reached. In Dialogue I: How Cities Will Look in the 21st Century over 550 participants from all regions and continents spent a day examining trends in the development of cities and proposed means to generate equitable and environmentally friendly cities for the future. Their discussion confirmed that most urban growth in the future would be in the developing countries and that the majority of that growing population would be poor. A boy quenching his thirst:Water resource monogement is critical.© United Nations They further noted that the environmental systems of the cities were showing signs of stress. In the developing world this was more often a consequence of poverty and participating in the newly-emerging global between different usersand uses, as well as a lack of resources whilst in the developed environment. they could tap into new between urban and rural settlements, may world it was attributable to over sources of finance, such as market-based be a potential source of conflicts between consumption. It was noted that these financing istruments. nations. The Beijing Declaration, which trends and the underlying competition for The Dialogue noted that "as citizens came out of the International Conference resources had to be reversed; otherwise gain more influence over the services that on Managing Urban Water Resources held they would lead to civil and international they receive (from local governments) and in Beijing in March 1996, was used as a conflict. get better value for the taxes and user background document for the Dialogue. The Dialogue stressed the need for charges they pay, they typically become The Dialogue stressed the need fora reformulating the planning process to willing to pay a greater part of their costs:' more holistic and integrated approach become more dynamic, innovative, Participants strongly argued for the towards water resource management and multisectoral, multidisciplinary, responsive, increased involvement of the private sector recommended that water councils or strategic, realistic, and, above all, in infrastructure finance and management. water parliaments with the participation of participatory from the beginning. The need They also recommended that the United all actors (governments, municipalities, to mobilize additional resources from all Nations and other international bodies water basin authorities, the private sector, partners was emphasized. take the initiative to encourage and NGOs and communities) be created. The Although the present urban situation facilitate global partnerships among all Dialogue further recommended that land presented a bleak picture, Dialogue stakeholders at different levels and that use and water rights be regularized and participants believed that "futureprospects additional resources be mobilized from all that appropriate tariff structures which of economic opportunities and advances in partners. encourage conservation and discourage science and technology provide the world Regarding the urban poor, the wastage be applied. Governments should
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 19 also adopt legal and other measures to Century explored the evolution of land The three most important messages control water pollution such as the policies and land management in human of the Dialogue were: integrated energy "polluter pays principle". settlements of all sizes, in conjunction with planning should not be an afterthought but Dialogue 4:The Future of Urban the changing nature of urban/rural linkages a priority for local authorities when Employment brought a diversity of in an urbanizing world. The Dialogue initiating any form of development; actors to debate and identify future recognized the strong linkages between successful implementation of clean, energy strategies and actions for alleviating urban and rural development and the need efficient systems depends on the unemployment and poverty in a world that · for balanced development whereby rural involvement of citizens and business with is undergoing profound changes resulting populations benefit from the same all parties treated as valuable, contributing from economic globalization and economic and social development as that partners; and sustainable energy is the technological development. Despite experienced by those living in urban areas. cornerstone of sustainable communities. divergent viewpoints, it was agreed that There was consensus at the Dialogue Dialogue 8: Democracy and unemployment will be one of the primary that management of land was a key issue Citizenship in the City of the 21st causes of urban crises in the future. Hence, for the sustainable development of cities Century explored the issue of how the creation and protection of employment and of rural areas. Land was needed not democracy can be consolidated to is the most direct and the most effective only for production and shelter but also for promote solidarity among citizens and to means of alleviating urban crises. social and economic functions. While shape a new social contract. The Dialogue The Dialogue suggested that the fundamental aspects of land policy and noted that solidarity is not simply a feature right conditions for employment-oriented strategic planning have to take place at of democracy; it is a constituent element of growth and productivity be created. At the national or sub-national levels of its long-term existence. It further noted same time, Governments need to take government, it was acknowledged that a that citizenship can only be fully exercised action to ameliorate the harsh large number of responsibilities can be in a city that has been "humanized", i.e. consequences of competition and to decentralized to local and municipal levels. where all inhabitants are free to enjoy improve equity for all segments of society New and innovative planning and liberty and creativity without the fear of that are presently excluded. To achieve management tools and procedures need to violence these enormously difficult tasks, policies be developed, particularly where informal Participants stressed the rights of for employment growth and productivity land settlement is prevalent. To undertake young people and women in the struggle would have to be pursued, and investments these reforms, a new type of land for equality and for building the democratic in re-training and labour-intensive management has to emerge. city of the 21st century. They emphasized technologies would be necessary. The Dialogue suggested that a review the need for public space which allows Dialogue 5: Transport in the of existing legislation and practices people the pleasures of urban life. The Cities of Tomorrow concentrated on worldwide with regard to women's access Dialogue noted that the right to housing identifying strategic instruments to create to land be done and that laws protecting and the right to the city are prerequisites , more sustainable transport conditions and women's rights to land and property be for citizenship and urged that on the policy context necessary for the enforced and monitored. The Dialogue public/private/citizen partnerships be best use of those instruments. The further urged Governments to remember forgedto promote civic culture. Dialogue noted that the imbalance their responsibility to respect the right to Dialogue 9: Cities, Commun between the rates of growth in demand for, housing, including access to land as ications and the Media in the and supply of, road space leads to expressed in the Universal Declaration of Information Society looked at how increasing road congestion, increasing air Human Rights adopted by the General exponential growth and development in pollution, noise and accidents and Assembly in 1948. the telecommunications industry had led undesirable social impacts as the poor Dialogue 7: Sustainable Energy to the liberalization and deregulation of suffer disproportionately from the in Human Settlementsnoted that while communications policies around the globe. deterioration of public transport. industrialized countries need to urgently Because the telecommunications industry Participants suggested a number of develop and deploy cleaner, more efficient is currently belng managed by developed strategic instruments that can be used to technologies and appliances, developing countries and business, there is fear among address these problems: land-use countries - which have much lower per people from developing countries that they densification; cleaner technologies and capita energy use - need to harness new, will be left out of the process used to set fuels; improved public transport and; efficient energy sources to meet growing communications policy and will be promotion of environmentally-friendly energy demands. The Dialogue concluded negatively affectedby the changes it brings transport such as bicycling and walking. that while access to sustainable energy to their societies. The Dialogue concluded However, these instruments need an services is a basic right for everyone, that the power of technology and the appropriate policy context. For instance,if energy is often produced, distributed and information revolution had the potential to these systems are not economically and used in ways which are harmful and increase democracy and equality around financially sustainable, they will collapse. unsustainable. Participants suggested that the world and that this power should be Above all, priorities must be established. viable technologies to improve energy used to promote peace and civility. One of the highest priorities set by the efficiency and to harness renewable energy Participants stressed that the key premise Dialogue was the elimination of lead from sources be promoted everywhere. to universal access to information is for transport fuels, as advocated by the World However, removing barriers to meeting nations to make it a basic human right. Bank. Another priority was to reduce energy expectations without harming The Dialogue recommended that the urban road deaths and injuries, particularly human health or the environment is not United Nations play a leadership role in the in developing countries. only a technological issue; it is a question of establishment of a Web site to facilitate Dialogue 6: Land and political will, based on awareness and broad access to legal instruments Rural/Urban Linkages in the 21st consent. pertaining to telecommunications and mass
20 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 media. The United Nations should also connected to the outside world through an help to institutionalize the concept of Best Practices ongoing conference on the Internet. sharing "best practices" and should foster The enthusiasm and imagination the development of information standards Take Centre Stage evident at Habitat II has helped secure the and formats to enhance global access to at Istanbul continuation of the Best Practices Initiative information.The Dialogue concluded that as a permanent programme of UNCHS "there is a moral obligation on the part of (Habitat). Conceived as a "virtual the United Nations, national and local hile international conferences institute", the Best Practices and Local government, corporations and those Wusually focus on problems, Habitat Leadership Programme (BLP) will be a organizations with power, to ensure that II broke new ground by also highlighting global network of regional and thematic the technological capacity for two-way solutions. Through a specially-convened resource centres, each sharing its own communications empowers those whose award ceremony and an enormous particular area or field of expertise with voices are marginalized through the exhibition, the concept of Best Practices the other members of the Programme and absence of power:' was brought to centre stage in Istanbul. with the world at large. The core of the As partnerships between central and BLP will be the Best Practices database. local governments, NGOs/CBOs, the With a search engine capable of accessing private sector, professional and labour any of several hundred initiatives contained organizations that have resulted in tangible on it, this database represents a valuable and sustainable initiatives, Best Practices tool forgovernment officials, policy-makers provide inspiration and solutions to some and academics seeking tested solutions to of the most pressing challenges facing our problems which may well be similar to urbanizing world. Tw elve such initiatives their own. received Awards for Excellence in Some immediate applications of the Improving the Living Environment at a database are to be found in local leadership special award ceremony, convened in development and capacity-building. plenary, on 4 June 1996. Trainers, capacity-building institutions and HEALTHY CITIES Describing the award ceremony as policy advisors could use the database to "one of the most important events at respond to demand for case-study material Habitat II," United Nations Secretary on various issue areas, problems and General, Dr. Boutros-Boutros Ghali, solutions. Real-world experience can be FOR BETTER LIFE emphasized the innovation inherent in Best easily identified and brought into the Practices. "All twelve share one common learning process by inviting those directly Dialogue I 0: Creating Healthy feature, whether they be from developed involved in best and good practices to Cities in the 21st Century agreed that or developing coun�ries. They represent share their experiences with others. More "there is no development without health" change: change in the way we define advanced applications could include and that health is· integral to city problems and search for solutions in true organized study tours and staffexchanges. management. The Dialogue noted that partnerships between civil society and Presently, the BLP is preparing a much needs to be done to improve urban public and private enterprise; change in revised version of the submission health, especially among low-income attitudes and behaviour; change in guidelines in anticipation of the second call groups and vulnerable groups such as governance and management systems. for submissions. Many lessons were women, children, the elderly and the They represent the spirit of invention, learned from the initial round and these disabled. It stressed the very high returns innovation, courage and commitment." will be incorporated into future guidelines, that can be achieved from appropriate It was also announced during plenary selection processes and the next edition of health investments, not only in improved that a second call for best practices would the database. The constantly evolving and health but also in economic and health be made, with a second award ceremony improving nature of the database will costs avoided. It noted that rapid to coincide with World Habitat Day ensure that it remains a timely and user environmental changes, including those celebrations in October 1998. friendly source of information on associated with urbanization, lay behind This year's recipients,as well as many sustainable human settlement the emergence or re-emergence of other deserving initiatives, were on display development. diseases and the spread of infectious at the Best Practices and United Nations The search for inspiration, lessons diseases. Habitat Exhibition. The largest single and solutions will continue. As The Dialogue recommended that theme exhibition in United Nations Chattanooga, USA, Councilman David health become a part of the culture of history, the exhibition demonstrated the Crockett declared in Istanbul,"In every city every city, not only among health commitment of the full range of actors to there is a best practice. You just have to professionals but among employers, the concept of sharing and exchanging find it." municipal agencies, NGOs, and community experiences. From the smallest two-metre organizations. It recommended that NGO photo display, to national and Governments and international agencies regional exhibitions, the displays focused For Information, please contact: re-allocate resources to health, especially attention not only on the immediate Szilard Frlcka, for countries and cities with the weakest concerns of human-settlements issues, but Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme economies. also gave voice to the social and cultural E-mail: [email protected] expression of entire communities. The UNCHS (Habitat) Summarized by Rasna Warah, Editor and exhibition space also served as an P.O. Box 30030 Information Officer, UNCHS (Habitat). important meeting and networking arena, Nairobi, Kenya
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 21 Habitat Debate
Chattanooga, USA: A Living [a6otatory THE 12 BES� for Sustainable Development PR�CTICE AWARD WINNERS
I . Project on Sites and Services for Family Groups with Low-Income Living in the North of Gran, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Integration Council in the Favelas' Rehabilitation Process, Fortaleza, Brazil
3. Metro Toronto's Changing Communities: Innovative Responses, Metro Toronto, Canada
4. Post-Calamity Reconstruction of Anhui Province's RuralAreas, China
5. Successful Institutionalization of Community-based Development in the Commune of Adjame, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
6. A Women's Self-help Organization for Poverty Alleviation in n 1969, Chattanooga was declared the Crockett is also an ardent lndia:T he SEWA Bank, India "worst polluted city" in the United proponent of sustainable development, a States.I By 1990, however, the mid-sized concept he describes as ensuring that 7. Shelter Upgrading, Agadir, city on thebanks of theTe nnessee River "the prosperity of one generation builds Morocco was recognized by the United States on the prosperity of the last so that each Environmental Protection Agency as one successive generation adds to the 8. City Management in Tilburg, The of the nation's best tum-around stories. prosperity of the last without Netherlands Chattanooga's initial success was compromising anyone's future:• only the first chapter in a story that is The need for sustainable 9. Local Initiative Programme: still being written. Cleaning the air development, Crockett feels, is Community Planning Process and served to galvanize the community applicable to all nations, both developed City/Neighbourhood Partnership in behind a broader vision t-0 become an and developing. "We can identify with Lublin, Poland "Environmental City" where just about every issue facinga developing environmental protection is integrated country:' he states. I 0. Community Information with economic development. "Short-term economic success is Resource Centre (CIRC), Alexandra, Numerous collaborative efforts important for any country:' he observes. South Africa between manufacturers, government "There is tremendous pressure to agencies, and citizens have generated the produce jobs, to produce growth and to I I. City of Chattanooga,Te nnessee, capital resources, the political produce them now. Chattanooga's USA commitment and the civic momentum experience says [that] if we do this to tackle complex issues such as without regard for the environment, the affordable housing, transportation 12. "Don't Move, Improve", natural resource base and the Community-owned-and-governed alternatives such as electric buses, community, we will have temporary Urban Revitalization Project, South recycling and job-training initiatives, economic prosperity followed by a Bronx.New York City,USA river-front development and period where we will need to reinvest neighbourhood revitalization. perhaps more than we initially gained to City Councilman David Crockett rehabilitate our cities:' is one of the most outspokenchampions "Developing countries:' he adds, Each of the next five lauffof Habitat of the new Chattanooga. Describing "have the advantage of seeing how Debate will feature twoof theAWllrd Chattanooga as a "living laboratory", something worked before and how it wlnnlng Initiatives. The fulldatabNe Is Crockett explains that "People come to didn't work. They have the opportunity ailllilllble through the Beat PractJces Chattanoogato see a river being cleaned to leapfrog,to not repeat themistakes of lntM'net Web site: up, to ride an electric bus, to visit a the industrialized nations, mistakes http://www.,-.tpractlae&org neighbourhood that is coming back to which will cost these countries millions on CD-ROMand on computer diskettes. life:• of dollars to fix:'
22 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 UNCHS CHabltatJ @)
many cases, the CDQs are able to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire: "The people mobilize up to 30 per cent of infrastructureproject costs. have to participate" The reason? It is their project. The �e decide on what service they need, they approach the government a n Adjame, a municipality of Cl>te receives the monthly rent, but the as community, they obtain the d'lvoire's capital of Abidjan, shrinking stadium also reverts to the CDQ's government's approval and some start budgetsI and growing popular discontent control once the lease expires. up financing, and, they provide the with the quality of local service delivery In the meantime, the CDQ uses labour. In essence, the communitytakes coalesced to create an innovative form the money to fund other less lucrath,e responsibility for the success of its of community-based organization, projects such as garbage collection. Even project. Neighbourhood Development here, however, the principle of self. States Seydou, "The people have Committees, commonly known as sufficiency is strictly adhered to. Initially. become more responsible for their CDQs. explains Seydou, "the municipality community's destiny. They have realized Explains Coulibaly Seydou, provided the brooms and the shovels, they are responsible for the Permanent Secretary to Adjame's the uniforms, and three months' salary. development, or underdevelopment, of CDQs, "People always said that the After that,the people were responsible:· their community because they are municipality was responsible for the "The people have to participate in the involved in all the projects of the failure of past projects:for thefailure of upgrading of their community, and they municipality:' waste management; for the failure of must participate financially also." In health care; for the failure of security. The municipalitywanted people to agree on what to do and how to do it." When the municipal budget was slashed in the wake of structural adjustment programmes, Adjame established a network of 19 CDQs to help provide basic services. The CDQs have emerged as the focal points for new development initiatives in Adjame's neighbourhoods. "The CDQs respond to the aspirations of the people:' states CDQ communication officer Diabate Zoumana. "They respond to the problems of the community. Each neighbourhood has its own speeific needs and each neighbourhood goes to the municipality with its specific needs. The municipality and the CDQ get together, agree on a solution and implement it together:' Adjame adopted a strategy that is flexible enough to respond to a variety of service requests ranging from health care to street sweeping, yet is firmly committed to ensuring that each project become self-sustaining as quickly as possible. In some cases, control of income-generating assets were assigned to aCDQ, which in turn leased the asset to an entrepreneur. The asset is then run as a business with the CDQ using the surplus revenue to fund other local initiatives. "For example:' explains Seydou, "In Adjame we haw a sports stadium that needed repair. The entrepreneur rebuilt the stadium, with shops on the loMr floor. But he also had to finance the oonstrUction ofa health centre in thebuiklng." Granteda 10-yearlease by the municipality, the CDQ not only
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 23 Experiences Gained in Committee II of the Habitat II Conference
Partners' "Hearings" Set Precedent for Future United Nations Deliberations by Martt/Lujanen
he Committee II experience was issues central to each partner. All the construction industry, which is a major T remarkable formore than one reason. participants were able to ask questions on stimulus for economic growth and As the United Nations is an inter matters of special interest to them, and employment, was emphasized. governmental organization, it has differing views were tolerated in the The presentations by different traditionally relied on Governments to discussions. This open dialogue was a United Nations agencies were heard in take care of problems: in earlier major addition to earlier conference thematic clusters, which proved that there conferences the significance of other procedures. is already a lot of cooperation between partners was not ignored, but neither was The following brief outline gives agencies operating in the same or similar it underlined. Habitat II, and especially some examples of the outcome of fields. However, more cooperation could Committee II, turned a new page in the individual hearings. still be achieved to make the best possible history of United Nations conferences, The representatives of local use of resources. with its recognition of the role and authorities stated their determination to In the NGOs' hearing, the question potential of partnership in implementing institutionalize their coordination of representativeness was raised. It was the Habitat Agenda and solving the major mechanisms, established in preparation for pointed out that no NGO can speak forall, problems facing human settlements all over the HabitatII Conference. This means that and that there is a real diversity of opinions the world. the existing international local authorities' and interests in the NGO field - this Habitat II was the first United and cities' associations will join forces to being their real strength. The joining of Nations conference where the full be able to speak with one voice. They will forces by forming caucuses - i.e. of spectrum of partners could voice their also continue their efforts in pursuing the women and youth - has proved useful. concerns and engage directly in a dialogue goal of a global charter for local self The NGOs often represent the best with the delegates. In Habitat II, the government. expertise in different fields of human partners involved were also more Private-sector representatives settlements development. numerous than at earlier United Nations pointed out that it is very much in the The experiences gained in conferences. For the first time, they could interest of business that cities and the basic Committee II were positive and set the agenda and have the floor first in infrastructure are well managed since this encouraging, not only because of the spirit front of the delegations. After their ensures better operating and competitive of cooperation and enthusiasm expressed introductory statements, the floor was conditions for them. For example, the by the partners, but also because the open to discussion. Another major representative of the Business Forum said Governments showed their readiness and difference was that previously the local that it was impossible to do business in willingness for an open dialogue with the authorities acted as a part of the NGOs, cities that are broken down. One major different partners. The new method was whereas in Habitat II they acted as a outcome of the �siness Forum was the thus welcomed by all. The Committee II distinct partner. endorsement of the concept of Industrial experience ushers in a new era of Committee II heard presentations by Agenda 21, inspired by the experiences cooperation between all components of all major partner groups gained from Local Agenda 21 s. civil society, setting a ' new and high parliamentarians, local authorities, NGOs, The Foundations' hearing showed standardfor civil-society participation. This the private sector and foundations, trade that even if foundations are very different kind of cooperation will, without doubt, unions, the scientific community, in nature, they are highly relevant in many continue in future United Nations professionals and researchers, as well as countries because they operate in many procedures. United Nations agencies. The Committee fields which directly concern the also heard the outcome of the IO thematic development of human settlements. dialogues that took place during the The Parliamentarians' hearing Conference. showed that even though there is a lot of In the presentations, the partners international cooperation between described the results of their preparatory parliamentarians from different countries, process and forums. They stated their there is still a lack of substantial commitments and described the actions cooperation in the field of human they intend to undertake in order to settlements. For example, it would be contribute to the implementation of the useful for parliamentarians to know more Habitat Agenda, and identified the about legislation on housing in other constraints that need to be overcome for countries. them to be able to do so. The Committee The importance of trade unions in not only heard presentations, it also implementing the Habitat Agenda was allowed a real dialogue between the unanimously recognized. The Habitat Martt/Lujanen was the Chairperson of delegations and the partners, with process was seen to be relevant for the Committee II at the Habitat II Conference interventions that skillfully covered the well-being of the workers. The potential of In Istanbul.
24 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2,No. 314 @) ______U _N_C_H--=l�Hab....;...;...;;,lt----=-•---=-tJ___,J
regarding the implementation of the The Committee II HabitatAgenda. The chairpersons' summaries and Process written submissions, as annexes, that is, the by Shekou M. Sesay written submissions of the various partners, were tabled in Plenary and he Committee II Hearings were a adopted as part of the Habitat II T proactive innovation of the Conference Report. This represents a Conference that allowed parliamentarians, major innovation at a United Nations local authorities and other non Conference. governmental partners non It is now of critical importance to governmental organizations (NGOs), the build upon the innovative break-through of private sector, foundations, scientists, bringing in partners and establishing professionals, researchers and eminent partnership as a principle for the personalities - to inform the Conference implementation of the Habitat Agenda. It of their statement of mission and strategy would, for instance, be advisable for the regarding their visions "of human Commission on Human Settlements, in its settlements, including the implementation review of its work as required by the of the Habitat Agenda. The decision Conference, to integrate the partners satisfied the felt need to hear the voice of (local authorities, NGOs and the private civil society in a specially-created sector) in the work of the Commission. committee focusing on the role of partners The immediate challenge is to structure in the implementation of the Habitat innovative modalities that will engage the Agenda. This process was seen as a logical energies, resources and goodwill of these sequence in that these stakeholders, who partners, as well as parliamentarians, in the had been very active in the preparatory vigorous implementation of the Habitat Shekou M. Sesay was Senior Coordinator activities of the Conference, or "the Road Agenda, at the national, regional and global of the Habitat II Secretariat, based at to Istanbul", were now involved fully in the levels. UNCHS (Habitat), Nairobi. Conference itself. The various partners were requested to prepare and present a concise synthesis of their visions of the two themes of the HabitatII Conference. These presentations were taken to Committee II, in the form of "Hearings". They were also asked to state their commitments to, and implementation strategy for, the Habitat Agenda, including the constraints which should be removed by Governments, in order to make participation of all partners holistic and beneficial to the Agenda. Each presentation by a partner was followed by a robust dialogue between the partner and the delegates in Committee II. Delegates discussed the visions and strategies for implementation of the partners and this process produced the material that was used to prepare, on a daily basis, the Chairperson's summaries of the proceedings. These summaries were not made a subject of negotiation in Committee II for formal adoption. They were, however, informally circulated to delegates and the concerned partners, for review before finalization. This way, some consensus was achieved among protagonists regarding the contents of the summaries. The several partners' submissions were treated in a similar manner except for the United Nations system presentations, which did not involve the formal submission of written statements. These involved verbal presentations of Dr. N'Dow samples a "Building Partnerships"T-shirt, presented ta him by a group of NG s at stan u . their statements of mission and strategies ©?__A Ka/si/UNCHS
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 25 Habitat Debate
the United Nations by the likes of Senator How the Media Viewed Habitat II Helms was heard from the delegates who had followed the United Nations leader to ost of the ingredients for a major numerous news reports, analyses and the podium to lay out their agendas for M public relations headache appeared to commentaries devoted to the Conference. Habitat. For its part, the Italian daily be there: critics continued to cast The Secretary-General's inaugural address L·Unita argued that although the final aspersions at the United Nations for its in Istanbul and his speech at the high-level declarations adopted at United Nations allegedly "extravagant" conferences amid segment of the Conference made big summits often happened to be "banal", well-publicized financial woes of the headlines around the world and were United Nations conferences gave Organization; ideological disagreements widely quoted and excerpted. thousands of institutions and political persisted, "bracketing" sizeable portions of By meeting head-on the criticisms of parties a stimulus for change. the draft final document; and sundry such "mammoth conferences" as too As in many countries, media tangential controversies and sensations expensive and ineffective, the Secretary coverage of HabitatII in Brazil intensifiedin surfaced regularly to lure the media's General helped to define the terms of the the 18 months preceding the Istanbul attention away from progress on debate and to inform it with a set of cogent Conference, with mention of events both substantive issues. Yet, on the whole, arguments which were promptly picked up in the country itself and internationally. At Habitat II seemed to have weathered by reporters and commentators covering Istanbul the prestigious daily O Estado Istanbul's media storms surprisingly well, the summit. Sao Paulo took the lead in covering the although the coverage was not without its Significantly, the idea of UN Conference, while all newspapers sent share of sensationalism, controversy conferences as a useful exercise received reporters and sometimes published two or mongering and carping. an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the three pages with photos each day. Here Among many promising signs of the editorial board qf The Times of London. again, coverage ranged from international Habitat II coverage, a discernible turning In "Towards a habitable habitat", the paper items to those of national and local back of the "UN summit-slamming" tide stressed that the United Nations was most interest. seemed to be the most positive result. effective when it operated by persuasion With the majority of headlines and Widely reported as the "last" in a series of and consensus. Moreover, the British daily leads portraying Habitat II - and thus "the United Nations "mega-conferences" of the observed that among the United Nations' United Nations" - as trying to address twentieth century, Habitat II prompted the "most durable achievements" in the past crucial global problems the coverage media to look beyond the specific had been its conferences on the themes managed to convey an overall impression problems of mass urbanization and to try that "lie at the heart of global order: the of a "useful'' gathering concerned with real to view the issues of human settlements in environment, human rights, population, issues. "Boutros-Ghali opens city summit the broader context of the gains and goals poverty and the position of women". in Istanbul - urban crises affect of the preceding UN conferences. The With the United Nations turning its everybody", declared the Portuguese theme of the United Nations at work as a attention to housing, The Times wrote that Diorio de Noticias; "Urban woes global consensus-builder and agenda-setter Habitat II promised to be "as contentious infectious, United Nations leader warns thus became a prominent motif in the and as productive as Rio or Cairo". meet", added Bangkok's The Nation;"UN press coverage, helping to set the record However, the paper was not troubled by conference warns of looming water straight on some of the rote criticisms of the inevitability of arguments, differences shortages", proclaimed a headline in The the United Nations being "summitted out" and disagreements, believing that they Mainchl Daily News; "The UN HABITAT and to highlight the multiple benefits of the should be aired even if they could not be II Conference must tackle overpopulation", exercise. resolved. The world was not looking for"a chimed in The ChristianScience Monitor. packaged UN declaration", it argued, in an The Eurof>ean highlighted the United UN Conference Defined as Key to apparent challenge to the No-Practical Nations leader's comment that national the Fulfillment of UN Mandate Results school of United Nations borders could no longer block the troubles "Boutros-Ghali stresses need for UN detractors. Instead, stressed the daily, the bred in one country's inner-city slums, and conferences; opens HABITAT II with a world sought fresh ideas on how cities quoted him as saying that the crises of bang", pronounced a headline in The could remain habitable, safe and dynamic in urban development were crises of all States- rich and poor. Washington Times. leading off its story the future. Positive references to the goings-on with an account of the UN leader's spirited An op-ed piece in The Buenos Aires at the Conference cropped up frequently in defence of UN conferences as a Herald also drew attention to the mechanism central to the work of the Secretary-General's words that United the text of news reports andanalyses, with Organization. Nations conferences were crucial for the some papers sounding almost surprised The Washington daily was far from future life on our planet. As for US that something interesting could indeed alone in taking note of the UN Secretary Republican Senator Jesse Helms' attacks on happen at such gatherings. The General's advocacy of conferences as such assemblies, the article quoted Melinda Independent, for instance, wrote that ess�ntial to the fulfillment of the Kimble, US Deputy Secretary of State for while the British as a rule did not think Organization's mandate and his vision of Global Affairs, who argued that United much about cities, there was, by contrast, development as a cooperative venture Nations conferences were not a waste of "big and exciting talk" about the urban pushed forward with the help of a cycle of time, and concluded with activist Bella future in Istanbul. summits, action programmes and agendas. Abzug's comment that Mr. Helms simply Many papers stressed the relevance The message was obviously not lost on the did not like the issues addressed by the of Habitat ll's agenda for their countries' media. As a result an emphasis on the various United Nations conferences. needs. Ty pically, Kompas argued editorially that for Indonesia the spirit of Habitat II broader implications of the summit Meanwhile, The Washington Times noted resurfaced, directly or indirectly, in that very little of the criticism levelled at was very pertinent since the Conference
26 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No.3/4 UNCHS (Habitat) @)
was intended to set a standard fora better living forpeople today, as well as for future generations. It provided a momentum to develop healthy human settlements including basic public services, health and education facilities. The German Die Zeit noted that the United Nations seemed to have understood the message to "think globally, act locally", and it drew attention to Habitat II Secretary-General Wally N'Dow's call for practical follow-up steps. Echoing another common theme, Germany's DerTagesspiegel stressed in its editorial that while United Nations "mammoth" conferences might not be able to solve such problems as "the right to housing" since that required implementation by local law and administrative authorities, such summits nevertheless focused attention on those problems, clarified different political positions and demonstrated that a great deal of diversity existed in what was regarded as common problems. Frankfurter Rundschau agreed, pointing out in an editorial that even though urban problems would continue to exist long after the Conference, participating Governments would be more conscious of the vital role of cities to respond to global challenges.
Habitat II as Innovation: New Strides in Partnership and Pragmatism When the Swiss Basler Zeitung wrote that the Secretary-General's call to solve the problems of urbanization in a spirit of partnership set the tone for the Conference, it reflected a widely shared conclusion in the press that Habitat II represented a new departure for the Organization. The Christian Science Monitor emphasized that the conference marked a major shift in the United Nation's overall approach to global problems: it was the first United Nations conference ever, noted the paper, to invite local authorities, community groups, NGOs and private companies to contribute directly to deliberations, along with the usual government officials. In a story headlined "UN tries new tack at summit on cities", the Monitor noted that the shift reflected the realization that many urban problems were suitable for commercial development. In an upbeat-sounding article previewing the conference, "Hope and pragmatism for UN cities conference",The New York Times wrote that compared with the first Habitat conference 20 years ago, the atmosphere surrounding the Istanbul meeting was "markedly different", and delegates sounded "more pragmatic,
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 27 r Habitat Debate
businesslike and sober in their hopes of the chief innovation to come out of the in its general tone, the coverage was not what could be achieved". For the first Conference was a kind of "greatest hits" without negative overtones. An op-ed time, experienced city mayors played a list of urban planning. The paper quoted an piece in The Washington Times described more prominent role in discussions than American expert who praised the effort as the Conference as "the United Nations national government officials, observed the "a very fine way of coming at the problem latest instalment in its ongoing series of paper. It also quoted the Republican Mayor of making cities more liveable". international shindigs in exotic locales". of Columbus, Ohio, a member of the US From a public information point of The European wrote that critics who saw delegation, who welcomed the United view, the Conference performed another the Conference as "the biggest UN circus Nations decision to hold a conference that important task by prompting the press to to date" warned that there remained a real brought together mayors, academics and run scores of materials - background danger that the key message would be lost business people, and stressed that there articles, analyses, statistical charts, tables, in the mountains of documents and were many things the participants could etc. - thus bringing into the public domain arguments and millions of words produced talk about and learn from one another. a wealth of information that otherwise by so many interest groups gathered The Washington Post, too, drew might have remained limited to specialized together in one place at one time. A attention to the fact that the Istanbul publications. London Times news item led off by gathering was "markedly different from its Some of this information was striking asserting that "the only real fun at predecessors", giving prominence to enough to make its way into headlines, international jamborees is found in the private, local and non-governmental news-story leads or commentators' unofficial bit", and scattered throughout organizations. The paper pointed out that columns. A good deal of it sounded like the text were a few references to "the UN the emphasis on local government and the prime material for a Guiness Book of circus" and "sybaritic-sounding outings". private sector was reflected by the World Records or Harper's Index. And That kind of language, however, presence of a number of mayors in the US almost invariably, the "United Nations" was appeared to be an infrequent exception delegation. cited as the "source" of this fascinating rather than an iron-dad rule. The main Similarly, in "UN plans for world of data. "For the first time in human history thrust of a majority of reports tended to the megacity", the London Times reported there soon will be more of us living in cities focus on substantive issues addressed at that for the first time the Conference laid than in rural areas, the United Nations says the meeting, leaving negative aspects in the less emphasis on State intervention and in a report on global population trends", background. urged Governments to form partnerships read the lead paragraph in a Toronto Even in criticism there appeared to with the private sector. "Private sector key Globe & Mail news story. "UN sees huge be a growing understanding and to tackling urbanization problems", urban growth", announced The appreciation of the difficulttasks facing the proclaimed a headline in The Financial InternationalHerald Tribune. Organization. The German Allgemeine Times over an article previewing the The New York Times news story Zeitung. for example, stressed that while Conference and its agenda in a very neutral mentioned earlier was a good case in point UN reports and analyses presented a clear and businesslike fashion. For its part, a data-filled chart, "The turn to an urban diagnosis of the increasing problems of Tokyo Shimbun underscored that Habitat world", pointed to the United Nations as urbanization, the international community II was characterized by the wide the "source"; meanwhile, sprinkled seemed to lack the essential enthusiasm to participation of NGOs from all over the throughout the text were attention tackle those problems with determination. world. Asashi Shimbun agreed, grabbing facts and figures, such as "UN Similarly, NRC Handelsblatt noted a underscoring that for the first time in UN projections" that the New York curious dilemma "the developing countries history, NGOs were received as partners. metropolitan area, the world's largest in versus the developed over funding. NGOs The Bangkok Post, too, saluted the fact 1950, would drop to eleventh place by versus Governments on the question of that grass-roots activists and mayors were 2015. human rights". The paper complained that sitting alongside official Government A story in The Washington Times, these conflicts had gained more than their delegations, instead of standing outside "Rapid urbanization a global concern", was share of the limelight and eclipsed the real lobbying. similarly enthused about the figures problem because in part they were being Among other notable features, the reported by the United Nations Population played up by "news-hungry media which release on the eve of Habitat II of the Fund: while it took 123 years for world thrive on disputes". In Spain, fl Mundo United Nations report on the State of the population to increase from I billion to 2 and Vanguard/a also expressed concern World Population and the accompanying billion, succeeding billions took 33 years, 14 that the differences of opinion among statement by Secretary-General Boutros years and I 3 years respectively, to reach countries might endanger the results of the Ghali received wide and overwhelmingly the level of 5 billion in 1987. meeting as a whole. positive publicity. Reporting that Boutros All of this seems to point to a The controversy surrounding the Ghali was calling for efforts to control the potentially very promising direction in question of shelter as a human right inevitable march of the city, The United Nations image-enhancing efforts: produced big headlines and numerous Independent noted that the United the theme of the United Nations as the stories, many of which stressed that the Nations was pushing for the development source - a repository of valuable scientific issue had been viewed as potentially so of a number of manageable, medium-sized information and scholarly projections - embarrassing for the US Government that cities rather than a few, uncontrollable can become a vital component of various Washington had decided not to send Vice super-cities. United Nations public information and President Al Gore as it had originally The question of "good examples" media outreach projects. intended. Reports highlighted the received wide play, with many papers difference in the position between the running stories about, including special Much Wrangling and Sniping, but United States and its European allies, and features on, some of the selected no Megacrises at Megacities noted that Washington's proposed examples. Characteristically, The Christian Summit language of "adequate shelter for all" was Science Monito r reported that perhaps Although predominandy favourable criticized by UN representatives and
28 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2,No. 3 ------UNCHS CHabitat) @)
NGOs as an attack against a basic human right. Meanwhile reflecting some of the acrimony accompanying the debate, the The Fourth Estate: Who Needs Venezuelan El Mundo editorialized that the idea to declare housing as a universal Controversy? right was "utopian and demagogical" since byRasna Wanrh it was unthinkable for any State to fully support housing for each poor family. hen the media � at UNCHS (Habitat) began preparing for the Habltat II In coverage of the conclusion of the Conference early last year. it became acutely aware of the fact that, unlike the Conference, the press made it a point to WCairo and Beijing Conferences, Habitat II lacked controversy. We suspected that the underscore that the fireworks at the issues addressed by Habitat II were so mundane that the media would just tune oUt, closing ceremonies had been preceded by or worse still, not attend. After all, what is so exciting or controversial about water far less festive fireworks at the negotiating supply, transportation and sanitationl This worried us because, as we all know, table over the text of the final documents. controversy is the bread-and-butter of journalists. Unavoidably, last-minute debates over such Conversely, we realized that lack of controversy could also mean that journalists seemingly distant issues as the Middle East would focus more on the issues of the Conference i.e. shelter and urbanization. We and reproductive rights gave the press therefore, began a targeted Information campaign to bring critical issues to the ample material to write about "hours of attention of media around the world. bickering", "down-to-the-wire haggling" This strategy paid off. We were pleased to see that not only did the Conference and "linguistic nitpicking". receive unprecedented and unexpected media coverage (some 3000 journalists On balance, however, the positive attended the Conference) but that the journalists who were there were genuinely outlook appeared to have prevailed. As interested in the issues as well. Major news agencies such as Reuters and Agence France Presse (AFP) brought the issue of urbanization centrestage as did major The WashingtonTimes noted, the Istanbul Conference might have indeed "never broadcasting stations such as CNN and BBC, both of which carried special achieved the high profile of previous UN programmes on the Conference and on the issues. The Tu rkish media was not only gatherings, and attracted relatively fewer well-informed about the issues, but devoted whole pages to the Conference. In leaders", but at the same time it had addition, dedicated reporters fromfive news agencies worked night and day to put out attracted much less wholesale bashing and daily Conference newspapers every morning. These newspapers - the City SummitA mechanical ridiculing than some of its Genderby the AfricanWomen and Child Feature Service, HabttatWatch by the Women's predecessors. And it generated an Feature Service, Terra V-wa by the Inter Press Service (IPS), Vivre Autrement and E.arth impressive volume of balanced and Timesby their respective teams - wereoften the main source of information for many interested coverage that focused on delegates who could not attend the many parallel events. substantive issues and depicted the United This is not to say that the Conference lacked excitement. Fidel Castro's arrival, Nations and its various agencies grappling for example, led to a flutter of activity not only among the journalists but among the with vital global issues. delegates as well, who tripped over themselves to catch a glimpse of the man who has Most importantly, Habitat II appeared become a legend in his own lifetime. Journalists were not so lucky: Energised by Castro's presence, I decided to join a group of journalists in a stake-out at the hotel to have stemmed - and perhaps even where he was staying, only to learn that he had slipped out through a back door! reversed - the trend of unqualified media Then there were other unexpected events which caught the journalists' attacks on the idea and practice of United attention, such as the disbanding of the Alternative NGO Forum - a Forum ofTurkish Nations conferences. In a rather telling NGOs who chose not to associate themselves with Habitat II. And of course, the example, an article in the Independent on inevitable protest marches which always take place at UN Conferences. Sunday, assessing the results of Habitat II Although we anticipated that the issue of housing rights would be the cause of in the context of "conference fatigue", much debate and negotiation (and hence, controversy) at Istanbul, we didn't quite stressed that previous conferences had expect the issue to be resolved as quickly and as smoothly as it did. To the relief of produced "impressive results" and that housing rights activists,a breakthrough came about at the end of the first week of the there had been "remarkable progress" in Conference with consensus agreement on text. The compromise language commits achieving specific goals. The paper Governments to "the full and progressive realization of the right to adequate housing emphasized that the conferences forced as provided for in international instruments". Governments to focus their attention on What to0k us completely by surprise was the lack of quorum on an issue we long-term issues, and it cited the Secretary thought wasmarginal to the general discussion - reproductive healthcare. A package General's view that they were the most deal finally emerged in the final hours of the Conference. In language which is effective way the United Nations had yet consistent with the International Conference on Population and Development, the found of engaging public opinion behind the Global Plan of Action calls for progra,!llmes to ensure universal access for women to "decades of hard work" needed to bring affordable health care "including those related to reproductive health care, which solutions. includes family planning arid sexual health". Istanbul- the city - also caught the imagination of several journalists who, no doubt, spent several nights sampling the many delights this lively city has to offer.Wi th history breathing through its every crevice,and the sounds ofTurkish pop music, traffic and muezzins' calls to prayer creating a perfectly harmonious mix, who could resist venturing out? . Of course, I had no time for that.I wastoo busy at the Media Centre answering die-hard journalists'queries such as, "Are you ABSOLUTELY SURE that Hillary Clinton is not coming? and "UNCHS Who?". Let's hope they know now. Source: News Distribution Section/United Nations Department of Public Information Rasna Wanrh wu Editor of theHabitat II publicationCountdown to Istanbul and I• (DPI), New York. GuestEditor of thl•lave of Habitat Debate.
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 29 Habitat Debate
National Reports and National Plans of Action: A Regional Perspective
ational Reports and National Plans of Urbanization rates in the region vary from developed. N Action constituted the main less than IO per cent to 60 per cent. The development of a balanced contribution of the Habitat II process at During the 1980s, the deterioration urban network is pointed out as an. the national level. The response at the of the urban environment could be essential factor for rural development and national level was overwhelmingly positive. explained by poor economic growth, rapid in terms of providing services to rural Most of the 124 national reports received urban growth, poor local revenue communities. by the Habitat II Secretariat were prepared collection, rural bias in government Formal housing-finance institutions involving a large spectrum of actors, priorities, and a poor system of urban have often failed to address the needs of grouped together in national preparatory governance which ignored the action and the majority, and housing is mainly financed committees or coordinating bodies.As part potential participation of civil society. through individual and informal strategies. of the consultative process, many Most countries propose to reduce Financial proposals include the workshops, seminars and the gap between the formal sector which improvement of tax recovery for meetings took place worldwide at the provides expensive credit, conventional infrastructure and services and for housing, local, provincial, national, sub-regional and employment and serviced land to high creation of secondary mortgage markets, regional levels. Many of the national reports income groups, and the so-called informal development of savings and loans through reflect the diversity and richness of these sector which incorporates more than 50 the commercial banking system or through consultations. At the national level, the per cent of urban populations in terms of a housing bank, and developing and main follow-up activity to Habitat II will be employment and provides low-standard supporting housing cooperatives. Plans of Action. services to the majority. Reviews of legal Local partnerships with the private frail'<>works, as well as specific support sector (formal and informal) and with communities are considered essential to the improvement of access to basic services. Most reports consider the effective management of human settlements as dependent upon the efficiency of local authorities. Several governments propose to increase the autonomy of local authorities and to reinforce their financial and human resource base. Many proposals deal with reducing mismanagement by local authorities to improve transparency and accountability both to central governments and to the public. More attention will be given to social and economic processes than to spatial and physical issues which have traditionally been given priority in development planning. Some reports point out civic participation, democracy and good governance as factors that need to be developed to prevent social conflicts, ethnic and civil wars and the resulting stitching in a African market:Most African propose ta gap A seamstress clothes West countries reduce the between destruction. Countries recently affected by the formal and informal sectors. civil wars emphasize programmes on reconstruction and resettlement of returnees, mainly in towns, and highlight AFRICA programmes to improve access to land the need for international financial In addition to a high national titles, c-�':'dit,training, and business sites, are assistance. demographic growth rate often exceeding recommended to ensure that the informal Though women are not legally 3 per cent per year, African cities and sector is recognized and legalized and has discriminated against in access to land, towns face urban growth rates varying security of tenure. credit, and employment, they are often from 4 per cent to IO per cent. For the development of urban areas, penalized by customary laws, especially in Nevertheless, in the last decade, many many countries propose to finance primary relation to inheritance. Women, who are cities have experienced a decrease in their infrastructure and then let the market reported to represent between IO and 25 population growth rate. This is particularly organize itself within guidelines provided per cent of heads of household in capital visible in large metropolitan areas where by land-use planning schemes. Other cities, are very often identified as key economic and population crises have services will be completed later and the economic actors in poverty reduction and worsened living conditions and resulted in cost will be recovered through taxation. in the informal sector. Many countries urban growth shifting to secondary towns. Labour-intensive projects will be propose specific action to increase
30 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/-4 ------�------UNCHS�- (Habitat)
income-generation for women. NGOs developer to that of facilitator, i.e. from countries also highlight the need to dealing with street children are also being public to private prov1s1on. Most strengthen environmental awareness and suppor.ted. Governments still report they are directly management and to ensure a more Countries recognize that domestic involved only in the provision of low stringent enforcement of regulations. financial resources are essential for the income, housing. The low-income groups Most countries in the region development of human settlements and needs are reported to be met by public acknowledge their lack of institutional that international resources must be housing and the informal sector. capacity to deal with human settlements allocated to support national processes. Reduction of poverty has been, and and urbanization problems and propose as International financial assistance is continues to be, a key priority in the less a starting point the review of existing requested to rehabilitate and improve basic developed countries. There is a growing institutional and legal frameworks related infrastructure and services, to restruc ture consensus in most countries on the to human settlements. They also unplanned urban areas and to develop significant role of urbanization in national recommend the promotion of support programmes for economic development, for example, in participatory approaches by raising public micro-enterprises. creating jobs in the non-agricultural sector, awareness and participation in Small Island States are concerned in promoting rural-urban linkages and in development issues, by strengthening the with environmental sustainability. harnessing the economic opportunities capacity of local authorities and by available in the sub-region. supporting partnerships between Housing conditions in the poorest communities, NGOs, CBOs and the private countries are often characterized by sector. sub-standard housing with poor There is a consensus that regional infrastructure and services. Slums and cooperation is an important dimension of squatter settlements have proliferated in international cooperation. International many of the large cities. The emphasis in assistance should be timely, appropriate most reports is on the provision of shelter, and responsive to the needs of the access to land and basic infrastructure and recipient country. And it should be services for low-income groups. Urban unconditional. productivity is linked to the productivity of the urban poor. Urban renewal policies CENTRAL AND EASTERN should focus not only on physical aspects EUROPE of neighborhoods but also on - the social The level of urbanization in this aspects, including employment, education region is generally about 60 per cent and and health. However, in more the population is relatively stable. The industrialized countries, the focus is on centralized system that operated decreasing housing shortages for both low previously in most countries was and middle-income groups and on characterized by low productivity and improving housing standards, particularly efficiency,overemplo yment, and a distorted the per capita floor area, to meet higher pricing system. Environmental standards. considerations were disregarded, and The importance of mobilizing polluting technologies and high-energy Bathing by the roadside in Calcutta: Urban renewal sources of finance is emphasized with consumption patterns were common. pa/ides in Asia are now focussing an bath the physical and the soda/ aspects of cities. proposals such as privatization of housing The transition period is finance institutions; encouraging characterized by restructuring, commercial banks and private developers privatization, foreign investments, trade ASIA AND THE PACIFIC to invest in the low-cost housing sector liberalization, introduction of private Asia is a vast and diversified with bank quotas, subsidized loans and tax land-ownership, mass privatization of continent with population densities varying exemption; promoting housing mortgages housing and a rise in the property market, from 700 people per sq.km. (the most and a secondary mortgage market and with the appropriate legislation already densely populated country in the world) to encouraging and supporting community adopted or under preparation. In most as low as 6.5 people per sq.km. Annual based finance systems and housing countries, more than 50 per cent of the population growth rates tend to be cooperatives. housing stock is privately-owned, although between 2 and 4 per cent, with urban The need for sustainable land-use is private land ownership is still not possible population growth rates often slightly acknowledged by all countries. Those with in some places. In some instances,the lack higher than the national average. large urban populations and megacities of individual resources has hampered Urbanization trends are also quite propose to regulate the population housing privatization and has also caused a varied in the region. The Middle East is the distribution and ensure regional decline in the maintenance and most urbanized, with some countries development by developing small and rehabilitation of existing housing. having over 70 per cent of their medium-sized towns and strengthening Implementation of economic populations living in urban areas. In the regional and inter-regional development. reforms has raised the cost of living, South-East, levels of urbanization are The more developed countries increased unemployment and led to a drop between 20 and 50 per cent, while in South propose to improve the management of in construction activities. However, the Asia, they are between 20 and 30 per cent. transportation systems through the GDP of most countries is now gradually Over the past two decades, there has development of a more diversified improving. Many countries seek to reduce been a major change in housing policies transport infrastructure which takes into poverty through the implementation of with the role of Governments in the account environmental impacts, social reforms, the promotion of provision of housing shifting from that of affordability, and energy efficiency. These sustainable economic growth, the
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 31 Habitat Debate
development of long-term and medium to address unbalanced regional housing stock. Conservation and term credit; the improvement of legal development through the establishment of rehabilitation of existing stock is a priority frameworks for the advancement of capital a network of medium and large towns and in some countries. markets and encouragement of foreign the strengthening of selected villages as Access to potable water and capital, and the use of modern rural centres. Safeguarding the rural adequate sanitation is still considered a key technologies. environment is also highlighted. problem in many countries. Countries Many countries have new housing The responsibility and autonomy of indicate that a more efficient cost-recovery policies in place, with the key objectives regio!lal and local authorities will be system for infrastructure and services being the allocation of land for private increased to deal with land, finance, could be achieved through improved tax housing construction, the provision of investment planning, urban management collection combined with progressive user urban infrastructure, and the development and housing. Some countries also intend to charges. Upgrading and regularization of of adequate financial instruments. enhance financial resources through squatter settlements and uncontrolled Additionally, there are proposals to review improved tax collection. Staff training and urban areas remains a priority, including the legal framework for rental housing, capacity-building programmes will improve legalization of land tenure, upgrading joint housing ownership, land tenure and the cost-efficiency of administration of housing through community-based housing expropriations. Governments plan to human settlements. institutions and the provision of loans. reduce their participation in housing New financing mechanisms were set finance to a minimum, while maintaining up in answer to the gradual withdrawal of their influence on the market through central governments from the direct appropriate regulations. Other proposals provision of housing. In financing public for supporting the development of housing housing, many proposals deal with the markets include ensuring the availability of encouragement of participation of the materials, technology and credit, and private sector in the provision of loans and encouraging household savings for mortgages, taking into account the low mortgages etc. demand formortgages at market rates and Many countries propose to the need to assist the very low income rehabilitate urban infrastructure through groups through new subsidy schemes and the involvement of the private sector by specific financial funds. For the poor, the ensuring that there is adequate cost promotion of non-conventional financial recovery. Some countries propose to give systems such as community loan systems responsibilities for the provision of and cooperatives is encouraged. infrastructure and basic services to local International organizations are often authorities. Improvement of water supply identified as providers of credit for urban and water treatment is recommended in programmes. many reports. The use of sustainable The deficit in basic social energy and modern energy-saving infrastructure has resulted in technologies will be promoted and the environmental deterioration affecting efficiency of heat supply systems will be major urban centres. Programmes to improved. Most countries indicate the crises have led to growing squatter settlements in urban address contamination of water resources, areas. maintenance and improvement of existing soil erosion and aquifer rehabilitation are public transportation systems is a priority. considered priorities in some countries. Many plan to improve the ecological LATIN AMERICA ANO THE Progressive introduction of standards and situation in industrial areas and in the CARIBBEAN measures is proposed to prevent and largest c1t1es. Many countries also Despite the heterogeneity of human reduce the negative impacts of urban and acknowledge that their legal frameworks settlements, urban populations stand at 50 industrial development on the for disaster mitigation need to be to 60 per cent and even reach 75 per cent environment. improved. in most developed countries. The Most countries propose to Apart from new construction, population growth rate is higher in cities rehabilitate, revitalize and/or increase the emphasis is also placed on the than in rural areas (where it can even be density in urban historical centres, taking rehabilitation of the old housing stock. negative), but it has gready decreased in the into account preservation of architectural Restoration of historical buildings and last decade, particularly in the largest heritage. Recovery of urban land in central promotion of traditional architecture are metropolitan areas. and low-density peri-central areas is often mentioned. Social crises, limited investment pointed out as one way of preventing Urban planning used to be centrally resources, demographic trends and rapid cosdy urban sprawl which damages the conducted, but is now the responsibility of urbanization have resulted in a large deficit environment and agriculture. the local authorities, and a new legal in housing, serviced land and infrastructure, In most countries, accelerated framework for urban planning has been which has led to the deterioration and urbanization has concentrated the established or is under preparation. Urban overcrowding of existing housing stock, population in major urban centres and policies will be implemented through and development of squatter and resulted in an unbalanced national and consultative processes involving key actors, unplanned settlements, which may house regional human-settlement network. and monitoring systems will ensure follow up to 60 per cent of the urban population Regional economic planning and up. in some cases. Inadequate rental housing strengthening of secondary towns are key Some countries lack a comprehensive policies have hampered private investment factors identified to address this issue. strategy for regional planning and propose in developing and maintaining the existing Informal economic activities in some
32 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 ______U _N_C_HS IHabitatl @)
countries represent more than 50 per cent restrictions, most countries have a in urban transformation; settlements will of overall employment. Income disparities developed social welfare system but they be limited to areas where this and social inequity have been on the are now experiencing financial difficulties in infrastructure is already in place so as to increase in the last 20 years. Many maintaining it. The recent recession has left reduce urban sprawl. Less-developed countries, notwithstanding, have recently most economies constrained by high rates countries focus on improving their control benefitted from improvement in social of unemployment (averaging IO to 13 per on unauthorized land development. development conditions. Most address cent). Several reports address the curb of urban poverty through national, regional Housing policies are based on the decreasing populations in rural areas. and local economic programmes and they combined principles of the market Several countries have implemented strongly link urban problems with economy and public-sector intervention strict environmental legislation affecting economic development. Overcoming which plays the major role in the provision urban planning, but global policies which poverty is the most important goal in many of social housing. Although there are no simultaneously address economic countries, and housing is pointed out as a housing shortages and there is a development, social solidarity and first step towards economic and social widespread recognition of the r1ght to environment at the metropolitan level are sustainability. Specific social programmes to housing, affordable housing for low-income not fully developed. Most countries address the needs of women, indigenous groups and the homeless is still a problem. propose to reduce their emissions into the groups, children and youth will be Inadequate policies for the integration of soil, water and air, and to improve their developed. Support to informal-sector immigrants and other disadvantaged monitoring system. activities, small-scale businesses and groups have led to social tensions in several The historical and cultural heritage industries through training programmes, countries. The problem of homelessness will be protected in major urban projects access to cooperative credit and to needs to be addressed by reactivating the through the promotion of partnerships and business sites are also proposed. whole housing chain by supporting access the use of regulatory measures, Urban violence due to social and to home ownership for middle- income interventions and financial incentives. geographic exclusion, and the growth in groups so as to free public rental housing In many countries, large metropolitan drug-dealing, increasingly affect big cities, for very low-income households. areas do not benefit from adequate breeding forms of violent repression and Integrated social-development administration. In most countries, local resulting in a large growth in private programmes will be extended in authorities are responsible for the security services. The need for security is marginalized urban areas to reduce the implementation of housing and urban felt more and more bY. the poor and some risks of social fracture and to counteract policies. The trend is to increase their countries will develop alternative methods economic, ethnic and social segregation, responsibility through continuous managed by local authorities and based on with positive discrimination mechanisms, decentralization, and coordination and partnerships (systems of justice based on extended partnerships, reinforcement of partnerships with central government. mediation and forms of community services, education, social links, public However, local initiatives need to respond policing). participation and security, promoting to national priorities and the central Democratization has increased the socially diverse neighborhoods, attracting government's involvement is essential to responsibilities and autonomy of local and developing economic activities, housing promote national unity and innovation and authorities and facilitated the participation and urban rehabilitation. Forms of new to arbitrate between contradictory local of the civil society in urban management. local justice and police coordinated by interests and contradictory values. Many Some countries propose to strengthen the municipalities have been established to countries intend to promote the autonomy of regional and local authorities address the need for new forms of social participation of women in elected and but technical and financial assistance from regulation. Networking between experts professional bodies. central institutions is seen as necessary, and the local authorities is important for Some Governments indicate that particularly in less-developed regions. The the exchange of experiences. they will pay increased attention to urban goal of many urban policies is the Employment creation is a major development in their bilateral cooperation. encouragement of citizen participation, and priority. Unemployment reduction plans Priority issues in international cooperation there are many proposals to establish aim at improving economic are poverty reduction, the feminization of community consultation mechanisms. competitiveness, supporting enterprises poverty, capacity-building and NGOs and CBOs are identified as key and job creation, and addressing poverty decentralization, environmental protection, actors in these processes. Some countries traps that keep people out of work. Some encouraging democratic governance, propose to decentralize housing policies to countries intend to expand their subsidized enabling housing strategies and the the regional and/or municipal level and, in jobs and community-management empowerment of women. There is some large metropolitan areas, to create a basic programmes which can be a means of concern, however, about the coordination urban administration subsystem employment creation for vulnerable between bilateral agencies, international (micro-urban regions) to bring groups. In some countries locally-crafted agencies and NGOs. administration closer to the population. solutions and the private sector are seen as the key to the economic success of cities. WESTERN EUROPE, NORTH The role of central governments is to AMERICA AND OTHERS support these efforts. The above Is a summary of a Habitat II In many countries, a fairly high In the less-developed countries, Conference document entitled "National percentage of the population is elderly but emphasis is placed on the improvement of Reports and National Plan of Action: the population is still slowly increasing. The city planning mechanisms, provision of Report of the Secretary-General" level of urbanization varies between 55 per water, and the rehabilitation of (AICONF.165/CRP.5). For more Information cent to 85 per cent. GNPs in the region are infrastructure and services. Easy access to on national reports, please contact your fairly high. In the context of budgetary transportation infrastructure is a key factor national focal point or UNCHS (Habitat).
33 The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements Habitat Debate
the world environment. The Report Governments must also ensure that rules highlights the contribution of urbanization and regulations enable rather than restrain PUBLICATIONS to national economic and social investments in housing and infrastructure. development. Urbanization is seen as an The Reportpresents a rich statistical essential part of most nations' annex with tables on various aspects of Un led Nations Centre for Human SotUcmcnts(HAD•TATI development towards more stable and human settlements for reference by productive economies. Well-managed practitioners, policy-makers and urbanization has the potential to lead to researchers. An unusually large collection improvements in the living standards of a of figures, tables and boxes throughout the An Urbanizing World considerable proportion of the world's report illustrate and offer examples on the population. topics under discussion. However, in many countries, the rates of urbanization exceed the capacity Available In booskstores, In Europe and of national and local governments to plan North America and from the UNCHS and organize this transformation. As a (Habitat) Information Office In Geneva at result, new forms of urban poverty have $US27. emerged, manifested through poor housing conditions, insecure land tenure, and homelessness. Moreover, poorly-managed Making Cities Work: c1t1es have negative impacts on The Role of Local AuthoritiesIn environmental conditions. the Urban Environment Consistent with the conclusions of An Urbanizing World: By Don Stevenson, Richard Gilbert, Herbert the 1996 Human Development Report of Global Report on Human Girardet, and Richard Stren Settlements 1996 the United Nations, An Urbanizing World Published by Earthscan Publications, concludes that progress in different fields London, 1996. Price: $US 13.95 Published by Oxford University Press of social, equitable and sustainable Cover Price: £18 (paperback), £40 development continues to lag behind This book is intended for people (hardcover) economic growth in many countries. A everywhere who are interested in local and large proportion of the world's population global environmental issues and in how he continuing economic, social and remains poor and continues to be deprived these issues are being and can be Tenvironmental transition of our planet of adequate shelter, water supply and addressed by local governments around and of humanity into societies dominated sanitation, with all the implications for the world. Given trends in urbanization by urban areas and cities permeated all the persisting poor health conditions of the and decentralization, its main argument is debates, negotiations and special events of poor. that local authorities must and should be at the City Summit. The substantive With increased social, economic and the centre of work to improve the background to this complex and global environmental impacts of urbanization, environment and the living and working process of urbanization was made available growing consumption levels and renewed conditions of people in general. It to the delegates of the Habitat II concerns for sustainable development demonstrates how this is already Conference in the form of a major since the adoption of Agenda 21, the happening in many cities, and how much publication of the United Nations, entitled necessity for planning becomes more more can be done in pursuit of sustainable evident. Environmentally-sound land-use An Urbanizing World: Global Report on urban development, particularly through planning is central to the achievement of Human Settlements 1996. This cooperation among local governments comprehensive piece of scientific work is healthy, productive and socially around the world. It provides concrete the result of a global research effort which accountable human settlements. The recommendations, from the point of view was conducted by UNCHS (Habitat) over challenge is not only how to direct and of local authorities and their associations, the course of three years and which contain urban growth, but also how to as to how the international community,and involved the contributions of eminent mobilize human, financial and technical the United Nations system in particular, scholars and practitioners in the field of resources to ensure that social, economic can facilitate the work of local authorities human settlements from all parts of the and environmental needs are adequately and their associations in achieving local world. addressed. Considering the limited sustainable development world-wide. In his foreword to the report, the effectiveness of current methods and Intended to be pragmatic and a guide Secretary-General of the United Nations, approaches to settle-nents planning, new to future public policy, the book outlines Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, noted that procedures have to be devised that can be some of the practical measures that local urban settlements will become the main adapted to each society's present authorities all over the world have places for the struggle for development conditions and future aspirations, based on initiated, and the policies that will help and social and economic progress. While in new forms of partnership and good them to take this work further. 1975 only 37 per cent of humanity lived in governance. Co-authored by a group of towns and cities, this percentage had risen The Report points out that enabling prominent. urban and environmental to 45 in 1995. At the start of the next strategies do not imply a retreat by specialists, the book is the result of an millennium, every second human being is Governments from housing and initiative of the United Nations Centre for expected to live in an urban area, and this infrastructure provision, but rather the Human Settlements (Habitat),with financial trend is likely to continue. This transition assumption of new roles. One of these support from the United Nations into an urbanized world has enormous new roles is ensuring there is a competitive Environment Programme, and was implications for the world economy, for but regulated market in land, housing produced in collaboration with the social conditions, as well as for the state of finance and building materials. International Council for Local
34 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2, No. 3/4 UNCHS (Habitat) -...... ------�------
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Published by Gala Books Ltd. Price: £10.99 This two-part, spiral-bound study United To wns Development Agency concludes with five challenges, going (UTDA), on behalf of the "G4+" umbrella beyond the obvious definitions of organization of major international employment, security, the meaning of associations of local authorities. ICLEI and belonging, sustainability and governance. UTDA also provided the bulk of the case This involves a new concept of citizenship, study material found in the book. and resolving the contradiction between the social and the political/administrative. The authors conclude by setting out The Human Settlements three principles or major objectives: the Conditions of the World's Poor right to the city, legitimacy of national/international governments and Published by the United Nations Centre for partner organizations which are city Human Settlements (Habitat). Price $US15. partners, and citizens' rights and responsibilities. This publication, prepared as an input to Habitat 11, provides recommendations on how to address the shelter problems of the poorest groups in society. WORLD RESOURCES The publication reveals that although /\ GUIDE TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT projections in many countries show a The Gaia Atlas of Cities has been reduction in overall poverty figures, they extensively revised and updated for the also suggest that the number of urban poor Habitat II conference. The new foreword TheUrban Environment will continue to grow throughout the next by Dr. Wally N'Dow, Secretary-General of decade. It stresses that although they are Habitat II, sets out the main focus of the closely-linked, there is a clear distinction Conference. between "income poverty" and "housing • How can we provide adequate poverty".While some 430 million people in shelter and livelihoods forthe world's ever developing countries are currently living in growing numbers of urban citizens? "income poverty", more than 600 million • How can we achieve sustainable are living in shelter and environmental human settlements in an urbanizing world? conditions which are insecure and. health The Gaia Atlas of Cities addresses or life-threatening. these key issues, analyzing the problems of Although circumstances vary, the expanding city populations and exploring 6-97 general picture is that the shelter sector is the possibility of healing our cities, making conspicuously under-developed in most them self-sustaining, responsible for World Resources 1996-7: A Guide developing countries. The publication notes themselves and their immediate to the Global Environment that attempts by Governments in surroundings. developing countries to address the human Herbert Girardet examines the Jointly published by the World Resources settlements conditions of the urban poor ecology of settlements, city dynamics and Institute, United Nations Environment have varied enormously. Some have made the global shiftfrom settlement to city. He Programme, United Nations Development great efforts, while others have scarcely explains how a sick city makes for a sick Programme and World Bank addressed the problem. Almost without world and just how close Earth is to her exception, such measures have failed to carrying capacity. A realistic look at people This, the seventh report in a series keep pace with the scale of the problem. and cities and how they work together, this available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, The publication also includes a vital source book identifies ways of healing German, Japanese and Spanish, covers the discussion of the agenda for future our cities and offers a wealth of ideas for Urban Environment. Published in SUP.port research and the future roles of the various recreating our own communities. of HabitatII six chapters, comprising Part I, sectors in the shelter-delivery process, examine both the positive effects of involving the public sector, the private For enquiries, contact: Lyn Hemming, urbanization and the adverse impacts on commercial sector, non-governmental Gala Books Ltd, 20 High Street, Stroud, people and the environment, concluding organizations (NGOs) and community Gloucestershire, GL5 1AS, UK with priority areas for improving the urban Tel: 01453 752985 based organizations (CBOs). environment and community-based Fax: 01453 752987 approaches. Trade Distributors: D Services 6 Euston For more information, please contact: Part II examines basic conditions, Street, Freeman's Common, Leicester, LE2 Information and Audio Visual Division trends and key issues in each of the major UK UNCHS (Habitat) 7SS, resource categories, with many of the Tel: (0116) 254 7671 P.O. Box 30030 Nairobi, Kenya chapters focusing particularly on future Fax: (0116) 254 4670 Tel: 254-2-621234 trends. This section may also be found on fax: 254-2-624333 the World Resources 1996-7 Local y Global: La gesti6n de las Database Diskette, which also has 20- ciudades en la -era de la year time series for many variables. These The Gaia Atlas of Cities: New informaci6n are available at $US99.95 plus shipping and Directions for Sustainable Urban Local and Global: Managing the handling. Details from Oxford University Living City in an Information Society Press in New York or locally. By Herbert Glrardet By Jard/ Borja and Manuel Castells
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 35 Habitat Debate UNCHS (Habitat)
NL-2596 AE, The Hague Tel: 972 3 S140000 The Netherlands Fax:972 3 S17S674/972 3 51400n Calendar of Tel: (Int.)+31-70-324 4526 Internet:[email protected] Events Fax: (int.)+31-70-328 0727 1-5 September 1997 23rd WEDC Conference on 13-16 October 1996 November, 1996 32nd International Congress of Decision Making in Municipal "Water and Sanitation for All: ISoCaRP) on Affairs Partnerships and Innovations" "Migration and the Global Organizers: INTA, in cooperation Location: Durban, South Africa Economy" with the Arab Urban Organizers: WEDC, Location: Jerusalem, Israel Development lnstitute,AUDI Loughborough University in collaboration with the Local Organizers: The International Focal Point:INTA Secretariat at Society of City and Regional Nassau Dillenburgstraat 44 Organizing Committee NL-2596 AE, The Hague Planners (ISoCaRP) The Netherlands Focal Point:WEDC, Loughborough University, Tel: (int.)+31-70-324 4S26 Leicestershire,LE I I 3TU, UK Focal Point: ISoCaRP/AIU/IGSRP Secretariat Fax:(int.)+31-70-328 0727 Tel: +44 I S09 222390 Judy van Hemen, Execut ive Secretary Fax: +44 I 509 21 I 079 Mauritskade 23 E-mail: [email protected] 2514 HD The Hague Local Focal PointWEDC 1997 Conference Netherlands 8-14 December1996 Secretariat, 18 Rapson Road. Momingson, Durban Tel:+31-70-346 2654 400I, SouthAfrica Fax:+ 31-70-361 7909 Action Planning for Cities: Neighbourhood Improvement Tel:+27 31 233494 Fax:+27 31 23240S and Community Planning - E-mail:cl@ nepwne.infolink.co.za 13-17 October 1996 Seminar INTA20 Annual Congress on Location: St.Anne's College, "New Urban Communities: Oxford,UK 12-16 October 1997 Responses to the Future of Organizers:The British Council 8th International Congress of WFPHA on Cities" Focal Point:Int ernational Seminars Department Location: Cairo,Egypt The Brit ish Council "Health in Transition: Organizers: International Urban IO Spring Gardens Opportunities and Challenges" London SWIA 28N Location: Arusha, United Republic Development Association (INTA) UK Tel:+44 (0)171 389 4264/4252/4226 ofTanzania Focal Point: INTASecretariat at Fax: +44 (0) 171 389 4154 Org�nizers:World Federation of Nassau Dillenburgstraat 44 NL-2596 AE, The Hague Public Health Associations The Netherlands (WFPHA) Tel: (int.)+ 31-70-324 4526 23-28 March 1997 Fax: (int .)+ 31-70-328 0727 The J 3th Congress of the Focal Point WFPHA Secretariat International Federation of doAPHA, 101S Fifteenth Street,N.W. Municipal Engineers (IFME) Suite 300 21-22 October 1996 Location: Jerusalem, Israel Washington,DC 20005 FiftyYears of New To wns:Today's Organizers: International USA Opportunities, Future Visions Tel:(202) 789-5696 Federation of Municipal Fax:(202) 789-5681 Conference Engineers (IFME) E-mail: [email protected] Location: London, UK Organizers: CNT Focal Point:The Secretariat P.O.Box S0006 Focal Point:INTA Secretariat at Tel Aviv 61 S00 NassauDillenburgstraat 44 Israel
36 Sept/Dec 1996 Vol. 2. No. 3/4