ELECTRONIC DATABASE ON URBAN 'BEST PRACTICES' PRESENTED IN PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR HABITAT II
Press Release
HAB/106
ELECTRONIC DATABASE ON URBAN 'BEST PRACTICES' PRESENTED IN PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR HABITAT II
19960207 An unprecedented collection of solutions to the problems confronting urban areas was now available in an electronic database, the Coordinator of Special Programmes and Projects for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) told the Conference's Preparatory Committee this afternoon.Introducing a multi-media presentation of the database, the Coordinator stated that close to 100 countries has submitted lists of best practices which covered such important issues as jobs, poverty alleviation and the social exclusion of women. He added that the database was being designed as a user- friendly tool for people and as a new and improved means of technical cooperation. A World-Wide Web site would be created on the Internet to disseminate the database.
The Preparatory Committee this afternoon also postponed action on accreditation of non-governmental organizations and local authorities for the Conference until the afternoon meeting of Friday, 9 February. The representative of Norway requested the delay in order to allow proper time to consider the final proposed listing. The representatives of India and the United States also made statements in connection with the matter.
In addition, this afternoon, four representatives of municipal governments stressed the growing roles and challenges of municipalities in an era of overall government decentralization. The mayors of Accra, Ghana, and of Kathmandu, Nepal, delivered statements as host mayors of their respective regional meetings of mayors. Representatives of the mayors of Amman, Jordan, and Quito, Ecuador, also spoke on behalf of their own regional meetings.
A statement in connection with the presentation of the best practices database was made by the representative of Spain. The representative of Kenya delivered his delegation's statement as part of the general debate.
The Preparatory Committee will meet again at a time to be announced.
Committee Work Programme
The Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) met this afternoon to take up accreditation of non- governmental organizations and local authorities, in accordance with the rules for their participation in the Conference as set out by the Committee. The Committee had before it a list of non-governmental organizations and local authorities proposed for accreditation (document A/CONF.165/PC.3/2/Add.3). It will also consider the status of preparations for the Conference in regard to best practices and exhibitions and view a multi-media presentation of the best practices database.
Accreditation of NGOs and Local Authorities
Mr. AARDAL (Norway) proposed that the discussion of the item be postponed until a later date, possibly Friday, 9 February, when full documentation would be available for study.
XARUN SINGH (India) said that his delegation had reservations about the accreditation of the non-governmental organization Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) of Greece, as listed in the documentation before the Committee during Monday's meeting.
Ms. KIMBLE (United States) also expressed reservations about actions taken on accreditation of non-governmental organizations on Monday, 5 February. If the list was re-examined, the United States would express reservations in connection with certain organizations proposed for accreditation in the available listing.
The Committee decided to postpone action on the item until Friday afternoon, 9 February.
Status of Preparations
NICHOLAS YOU, Coordinator, Special Programmes and Projects of Habitat II, said that an annotated list of best practices had been prepared by the Secretariat and was available to participants. Nearly 100 countries had submitted more than 500 examples of best practices covering all the important inter-sectoral issues identified by the Preparatory Committee, such as job creation, poverty alleviation, and the social exclusion of women. The list amounted to an unprecedented collection of solutions to global problems.
He said that today's presentation before the Preparatory Committee represented one of the means chosen for disseminating those best practices. Participants from 95 countries -- 910 representatives, in all -- attended the best practices conference held in Dubai, which was the first ever conference devoted to disseminating information on best practices. An electronic
Habitat Preparatory Committee - 3 - Press Release HAB/106 3rd Meeting (PM) 7 February 1996
database on best practices had been designed and would contain graphic material where available, including the names and addresses of those responsible for those best practices. The database was being designed as a user-friendly tool for people and as a new and improved means of technical cooperation.
Also, a World-Wide Web site would be created on the Internet to disseminate the best practices, he continued. In addition, a version of the best practices database would be disseminated on diskette, while a printed list of the best practices would be available in Istanbul. There would also be a best practices exhibition in Istanbul to allow the showing of all the best practices video films that had been submitted.
WILLIAM SIMMS, of the Together Foundation, introduced the media presentation of the best practices database. In response to a question, he said the database was being developed for use on all computer-operating systems.
Statements and Questions on Database Presentation
BORJA CARRERAS, Director-General for Housing, Urban Affairs and Architecture of Spain, expressed support for the statement of Italy on behalf of the European Union. Europe was in an excellent position to contribute its experience and its history to the Conference. It was a region made up of cities which had known war and reconstruction and which had confronted many of the major problems confronting urban areas.
The city was not the outcome of an abstract marketplace, he continued. Market-controlled housing often led to artificially inflated prices for housing. The growth in urban density in Europe was also a matter of great concern. Some 5 million people were in need of housing in the region's urban areas. Young people were faced with particularly difficult circumstances. Cities with greater autonomy and more resources were needed to confront the problems facing urban growth.
He said Spain's national report, which had been given to the Conference Secretariat, contained the basic outline of his country's plan of action. His country attached great importance to the data collected from many communities, large and small. Among the important issues being examined were accessibility, mobility, transportation, suburban areas, agriculture, integrated urban development and energy. The database on best practices should be made available in Spanish. His Government would contribute funds to that end.
Habitat Preparatory Committee - 4 - Press Release HAB/106 3rd Meeting (PM) 7 February 1996
Other Statements
JONATHAN NG'ENO, Minister for Public Works and Housing of Kenya, expressed optimism that a consensus would be reached during the current session of the Preparatory Committee in negotiating the various aspects of the global plan of action. The plan of action called for the updating of the mandate of the Commission on Human Settlements. That would bring into focus the new responsibility of the Commission to promote the provisions of the adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world, as well as the implementation of the human settlements aspects provided for in the plans of action of the recent United Nations conferences.
He proposed that, at the end of the Habitat II conference, the Secretary-General fill the existing post of the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements at the Under-Secretary-General level, to enhance the capability of the Centre to effectively execute its mandate emanating from Habitat II.
He said that the Africa region had adopted the Johannesburg Declaration as a regional contribution to the preparatory work for Habitat II. Africa placed priority on mobilization of local resources and participation of all those who had a stake in the development of human settlements at the local and national levels. The Habitat II agenda should be promoted through increased international cooperation to speed up the achievement of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development.
NAT NUNO-AMARTEIFIO, Mayor of Accra, Ghana, speaking as host-Mayor of the African Mayors' Colloquium held in Accra in November 1995, said the colloquium was part of a regional gathering to share ideas on what presentation to make in Istanbul. It also shared ideas on best practices occurring within the region. The best solutions were found to be ones generated within the region. The colloquium was set up to bring together mayors to examine the central problem of how to finance municipalities.
He went on to say that municipal governments in an era of government decentralization were being asked to take on more and more responsibilities. In Ghana, constitutional provisions had been made to provide resources for municipalities to take on the new challenges. A lot of international donor organizations were no longer interested in pouring money into the least- developed countries. It was, therefore, important to involve the private sector in new ways.
He said 15 mayors and a number of other civic officials were present at the colloquium. The new frontier in urban financing was one of the salient themes examined during the colloquium. African countries had not traditionally approached the private sector for funding, but cities were now competing for international funding.
Habitat Preparatory Committee - 5 - Press Release HAB/106 3rd Meeting (PM) 7 February 1996
P.L. SINGH, Mayor of Kathmandu, Nepal, speaking as host-Mayor of the South Asian Colloquium on Urban Management to be held in Kathmandu in April, said that in the past most Asian cities were rich and glorious. Today, those cities consisted of vast informal settlements, as well as tall structures made of glass, steel and cement. The increasing responsibility and the role of mayors in the context of growing urban challenges would be the focus of the colloquium. "South Asia must see its mayors not only as city managers, but as path finders or ice-breakers in creating conditions for sustainable development", he said. He went on to say that mayors must assume the difficult responsibility of effectuating the policy of decentralized government action, while establishing the authority of the local government. In a poverty-stricken economy, their role in the creation of egalitarian communities mobilizing community-bound local resources could hardly be undermined. The inevitable role of the private sector, non-governmental organizations, the people and the family -- women, in particular -- and the use of national and international support in a participatory sustainable development process could be ensured only under municipal leadership. Great efforts were still needed before local governments could be established as full-fledged partners in the process of sustainable development and cultural preservation of individual cities. YOUSEF HIASAT, Director-General of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation of Amman and representative of the Mayor of Amman, host of the Regional Conference on the Future of Arab Cities to be held from 18 to 21 March, said that local authorities had a very important role in managing urban development. He said that the regional conference would discuss issues submitted by mayors of Arab cities for discussion in Istanbul. The preparations had been focused on how to build a partnership between the central government, the other levels of government and the private sector. The goals included making the mayors aware of incentives that could be offered to investors from the private sector to contribute to the development of the cities and the possibility of reforming the local governments in order to bring about sustainable development. Discussions would address the realities of the municipalities in Arab nations. Three specialized workshops would be held alongside the conference. SANTIAGO APUNTE (Ecuador) said that 41 delegates participated in the Colloquium on Best Municipal Practices in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Quito, Ecuador, from 6 to 8 November 1995. That conference concluded that there was a great deal of room for cooperation between the municipalities and the private sector in the provision of services by means of joint ventures with shared ownership. It noted that, in some cases, the municipalities had been successful in taking over programmes started by non-governmental organizations and other such organizations. It also resolved that it was necessary to resolve the question of poverty and recognized that the municipalities reflected the social realities of the various countries.
* *** *
Habitat Preparatory Committee - 6 - Press Release HAB/106 3rd Meeting (PM) 7 February 1996