UN-HABITAT 24Th Session Governing Council NAIROBI, 15-19 APRIL 2013 Copyright © United Nations Human Settlements Programme, April 2013
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Cities are facing unprecedented demographic, environmental, economic, social and spatial challenges. The world is urban and urbanization is a source of development. How we develop our cities, towns and villages in the next years will have an impact in the quality of life of millions of citizens and will be the legacy for future generations UN-HABITAT 24th Session Governing Council NAIROBI, 15-19 APRIL 2013 Copyright © United Nations Human Settlements Programme, April 2013 2 UN-HABITAT UN-HABITAT 24th Session Governing Council NAIROBI, 15-19 APRIL 2013 On 5 April, the United Nations Secretary-General called for accelerated action from Governments, international organizations and civil society groups in the next 1,000 days to reach the targets of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the deadline of the end of 2015. Since the MDGs were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2000, extreme poverty has been cut by half globally, and two billion more people have gained access to safe drinking water. In addition, according to United Nations data, maternal and child mortality rates have dropped. But the world continues to fight killer diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. We also know that the sanitation target is presently far from being met, and that many people are still in need of access to clean drinking water, in spite of the good progress made. We are happy to have met the target of improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 well in advance. This is an important achievement. But this figure hides a reality. This welcome cut has been dramatically surpassed by the increased number of new arrivals to the slums. The final result is that the total numbers of people living in slums have actually not diminished. On the contrary, it has increased from 760 million to 863 million. In other words, the number of people joining slums has surpassed the numbers of those leaving them through national and international efforts. Globally, we, the international community, the Joan Clos governments, civil society, must recognize that despite Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director the great effort made, we have not reached the point of United Nations Human Settlements Programme stopping the growth of slums. (UN-Habitat) I therefore urge all Governments and Habitat Agenda partners to ensure that the MDG targets on slums, water and sanitation are firmly kept in mind during the discussions 2 UN-HABITAT and positive correlation between mobility for our citizens. Create an enabling urbanization and development. The environment for economic activity and experience of most of the BRIC and job creation. All of that in addition to the on the Post-2015 Development Agenda newly industrialized countries, including enhancing of cities’ resilience to natural and Sustainable Development Goals. It is the Asian Tigers, has demonstrated the disasters, and promotion of sustainable critical that they are included, in one way power of urbanization as an engine of energy uses. or another, in the Post-2015 Agenda. At development. the same time, we all have a responsibility At the same time, the goal of social inclusion to continue working to make the most The strategic goal of UN-Habitat for the and citizen participation must be supported. of the next thousand days and fulfill the next six years or so is to promote the role Sound regulatory frameworks and land millennium promise to the world’s poorest of urbanization in achieving sustainable management principles to deliver adequate and most vulnerable people. development. In doing so, we are building shelter for all must also be pursued. on governments’ recognition in the We all know that cities and towns in Rio+20 outcome document, “The Future It is my hope that, working together, we developing countries are facing many We Want”. If cities are well planned and can move away from the perception of serious problems. The challenges are many. developed, including through integrated urbanization as a source of problems. We Inadequate housing. Insufficient urban basic planning and management approaches, will move towards a new and more positive services; namely water, sanitation, drainage, they can promote economically, socially and view of urbanization as an opportunity and energy and transport. Unemployment, environmentally sustainable societies. a sustainable source of development. It is especially among our youth. Expansion of indeed now “Time to Think Urban”. the informal sector. Unplanned and often We hope that this thinking will continue chaotic peri-urban expansion. Social and to inform the preparatory process for the Habitat III is offering us an excellent political conflict over land. High levels of Habitat III Conference, and other global opportunity to move forward, setting vulnerability to natural disasters, partly as a processes currently taking place in parallel, a new urban and human settlements result of climate change. especially the discussions on the Post-2015 agenda for the next twenty years. This Development Agenda and Sustainable must constantly be informed by the In addition, developed countries, cities and Development Goals. shaping and implementation of post-2015 towns are facing a new range of challenges. Sustainable Development Goals. We need We see excessive energy consumption. How we develop our villages, towns your engagement in the process towards Increasing pockets of urban poverty and and cities in the near future will have a a successful Habitat III Conference, one of inequality are manifesting themselves in significant impact on the quality of life the first global conferences that will be new forms of segregation between the rich of millions of citizens. This will be an held after the definition of the Post-2015 and the poor. important legacy for future generations. We Development Agenda. need to redouble our efforts to address the Our work at UN-Habitat has shown that urbanization challenges that villages, towns On our part, we stand ready to demonstrate in developing countries, most of these and cities are experiencing right now. our expertise in the struggle against poverty, challenges are not only the result of rapid and to support Governments and Habitat urbanization, but also of the lack of proper UN-Habitat will help to ensure that the Agenda partners. urban policies to guide the process. urban centres and other human settlements of the future will be well planned and UN-Habitat is ready to play a leading role in We have to remind ourselves that designed to reduce poverty and promote guiding the urban development agenda. throughout history, urbanization has better quality of life. always been the process by which societies have been transformed to higher levels What we are asked to do together is to of development. In fact, we can say facilitate equitable access to adequate that there is a proven, powerful housing and basic services. Provide easy 24TH SESSION GOVERNING COUNCIL 3 TWO YEARS WORKING FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT June: Approval of “The Future We Want” at Rio+20 2011 with specific mention to sustainable urban development February: UN-Habitat organizational reform starts June: The Nigeria Government adopted a revised April: 23rd Session of the UN-Habitat Governing National Housing Policy and National Urban Council Development Policy May: Publication of the Global Report on Human July: UN-Habitat participates at the London 2012 Settlements – Cities and Climate Change Olympic Games Torch Relay. Julius Mwelu, torchbearer June: 1st African Youth Assembly, Lagos, Nigeria August: UN-Habitat signs the transparency commitment. October: World Habitat Day, Aguascalientes, Mexico Launch of Open UN-Habitat August: State of the Latin American and Caribbean Cities Report 2012 September: Sixth Session of the World Urban Forum, Naples, January: Launch of “I’m a City Changer” campaign Italy March: AMCHUD Conference in Nairobi, Kenya September: Launch of the State of the World Cities Report 2012-2013 May: Launch of the Regional Report of the State of the Arab Cities 2012 September: Medellin selected host city for the seventh session of the World Urban Forum June: Transitional organization structure of UN-Habitat in place September: First meeting of the Advisory Group on Gender Issues (AGGI) June: First National Urban Forum in Colombia. UN- Habitat continued to support National Urban October: World Habitat Day “Changing Cities, Building Forums in 13 countries (Burkina Faso, Cuba, Fiji, Opportunities” Ghana, Lebanon, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, and Viet Nam) 4 UN-HABITAT October: Completion of the National Urban Policy March: World mayors commit to make cities crime and Framework violence free. First Steering Committee of the Safer Cities Global Network in New York November: Launch of “Because I’m a Girl: Urban Programme”, Hanoi March: Dr. Joan Clos, UN-Habitat Executive Director, awarded with the prestigious Penn IUR Urban November: The World Urban Campaign reaches 70 Leadership Award partners April: Launch of the City Resilience Profiling December: Launch of “I’m a City Changer” Africa Programme Campaign April: 24th Session of the World Urban Campaign December: Rabat Declaration on “Making Slums History” December: APMCHUD Conference in Amman, Jordan UN-Habitat responded to humanitarian crises in the December: Global Land Tool Network increases partners up Philippines, Mozambique, El Salvador, Libya and Cuba by to 50 deploying missions in support of Humanitarian Country Teams