HABITAT II DESCRIBED AS REMARKABLE PROCESS FOR BUILDING COMMUNITIES, IN SECOND DAY OF HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT
Press Release
HAB/135
HABITAT II DESCRIBED AS REMARKABLE PROCESS FOR BUILDING COMMUNITIES, IN SECOND DAY OF HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT
19960613 ISTANBUL, 13 June -- The "City Summit" has been a remarkable process that would ultimately forge an international framework for building healthy, sustainable and livable urban communities for the next century, the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) was told this morning, as it continued its high-level segment.Several speakers emphasized the positive aspects of the Conference and its preparatory process, expressing pride in what they had achieved. Particularly important has been the agreement in reaffirming the right to housing as a human right, integrating the empowerment of women, the concerns of youth and indigenous people. Participation by the beneficiaries of housing settlements in decision-making was seen as crucial in the process of creating sustainable human settlements. Local authorities, non-governmental and community-based organizations, too, should be involved.
Statements were made by the Minister for Housing and Building of Denmark; the Secretary of State for the Environment of the United Kingdom; the Secretary for Housing and Urban Development of the United States; the Minister for Public Works and Government Services of Canada; the Minister for Construction and Transportation of the Republic of Korea; the Minister for Environment and Regional Planning of Slovenia; the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Côte d'Ivoire; the Minister for Public Works and Housing of Jordan; the Minister for Municipal Affairs and Agriculture of Qatar. The Vice-Prime Minister of Croatia and a special representative of the President of Brazil also addressed the Conference.
The representative of Paraguay also made a statement.
The Secretary for the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace of the Holy See and the Acting Minister for Housing of the Palestinian Authority also spoke.
Statements
OLE LOVIG SIMONSEN, Minister for Housing and Building of Denmark: Denmark is one of the few countries granting the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of its gross national product in development assistance. It has gone further, giving up to 1 per cent for assistance, half of which is granted as bilateral
assistance and the other to multilateral institutions. The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) is one of the bodies through which Denmark channels assistance. Denmark is the largest donor to the Centre.
The main responsibility for implementing the Habitat Agenda rests with countries, with the involvement of all actors and efforts at all levels. Denmark is committed to continuing its efforts to obtain adequate housing for all and sustainable human settlements. People should be involved in the process. "Physical and urban planning must be carried out with and by the people and not just for the people." International conferences should draw upon each other. In the Copenhagen Conference's Plan of Action, for instance, special attention was devoted to urban poverty and its implementation will take place in an urban framework.
JOHN GUMMER, Secretary of State for the Environment of the United Kingdom: The Conference has expressed the desire for proper shelter in terms of "rights". The right to decent housing is better expressed as an obligation on all to create the conditions which make decent housing possible. Partnerships are necessary for regenerating cities. They should be formed between governments, business, industry, voluntary organizations and the people.
The United Kingdom is rejuvenating its cities, with the participation of individuals. Tenants are choosing the kind of homes they want and managing them. There is shared ownership, self-help community action and partnership; multinational corporations are sitting down with amenity groups, and government action plans are being prepared by housing association tenants. "Too often, elites -- whether good-natured philanthropists or ideologically driven Marxists -- have sought to better other people's lot in ways which they -- the elites -- think best." Habitat II should empower people and show the way towards building cities which respect people and their worth.
HENRY G. CISNEROS, Secretary for Housing and Urban Development of the United States: Habitat II has been a remarkable process that would ultimately forge an international framework for building healthy, sustainable urban communities for the next century. Finding common values and shared goals is a better way to shape the future "than replaying the stale drama of confrontation". The Conference has affirmed the importance of participatory decision-making at the local level. However, local initiative cannot thrive in an environment of heavy-handed bureaucracy and top-down government. National governments should support local actors in their efforts to design and implement locally crafted solutions. The private sector, too, should be involved in seeking solutions.
The United States Government is committed to helping the most needy and will play an appropriate leadership role in the national community-building efforts, especially with regard to discrimination and providing a voice and a
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safety net for the most vulnerable. As long as there are people who lack basic services, societies can never be sustainable, "no matter how well off the rest of us may seem".
DIANE MARLEAU, Minister for Public Works and Government Services of Canada: Canada is proud of its achievements in Habitat II which include securing an agreement on reaffirming the right to housing as a human right recognized in international law; and integrating the empowerment of women, the concerns of youth and indigenous people in the global plan of action.
Provincial and territorial governments play a key role in shaping Canada's settlements. The Federal Government will continue to meet its financial obligations to social housing, currently about $2 billion a year, in support of about 664,000 social housing units across the country. It will give priority to the housing conditions of its aboriginal populations. Canada is committed to fostering partnerships between key elements of Canadian society and their counterparts in developing countries. The Canadian urban experience allows it to forge links with municipalities and communities in other countries. Canada intends to continue its international cooperation activities in a spirit of mutual exchange.
CHOO KYUNG SUK, Minister for Construction and Transportation of the Republic of Korea: The right to adequate housing is a basic human right and his country is glad that it has been reaffirmed in the Conference. The Habitat Agenda should now focus on the content of that right and how to realize it. Shelter for all should be promoted in a manner consistent with human rights and social justice. A concerted global effort should help achieve the Agenda's goals.
The Republic of Korea will build several public rental housing units, while promoting the reconstruction of dilapidated estates. The measures will significantly alleviate the housing shortage by the year 2005. To support the implementation of the Agenda, the country will emphasize the housing sector in formulating its development plans, concentrate on implementing measures adopted in the Agenda and work through bilateral, regional and international bodies to cooperate with the United Nations system.
PAVEL GANTAR, Minister for Environment and Regional Planning of Slovenia: In Slovenia, urban development provides an appropriate basis for a lasting balance of regional development and for the country's economic and social stability. It is necessary to strike a careful economic, social and ecological balance in the development of cities and the hinterland. Local participation should be emphasized in urban and rural planning.
A common denominator in the Habitat Agenda is the right to housing. Policies designed to ensure its realization are necessary to combat poverty. The Conference has recognized that poverty particularly affects women and has
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called for meaningful action on the problem. The creation of jobs for them should become an important priority. Slovenia will make the Agenda an important aspect of its policy-making and support global efforts to implement it.
AMARA ESSY, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Côte d'Ivoire: The developmental approach of Côte d'Ivoire has been to define and implement a vision based on the adage -- "making Ivoirian man happy". It has been based on a series of national plans which were predicated on land development, the promotion of a rural economy, and a policy of habitat for all, particularly the economically weak. It also focused on a bold land development policy at the regional level. The Government's record at implementation has been positive. The State has contained urbanization. Its new challenges include participatory development by means of administrative devolution and decentralization to rural bodies.
The international community must resolve the debt problem of developing countries. Its resolution will boost international cooperation and loosen the hold of the debt issue on States. Multilateral institutions and donor countries should consider debt relief for Côte d'Ivoire.
JURE RADIC, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister for Development and Reconstruction of Croatia: The international community must be warned of the detrimental effects of war on human settlements. As a war-torn country, Croatia exemplifies the problems faced in reconstructing settlements and in re-establishing life in destroyed settlements. Priority has been given to the reconstruction of homes, and last year 5,000 houses were built with budgetary funds. For 1996, 20,000 more are planned and a further 20,000 are projected for 1997. The Ministry of Development and Reconstruction is implementing numerous reconstruction programmes. Reconstruction of entire settlements is under way, with 60 settlements already completed, and a further 240 in progress.
Utmost importance must be attached to international cooperation and aid, especially in the rehabilitation of destroyed settlements and cities. Solutions to human and material suffering require large funds, a longer rehabilitation period, and expertise in the planning and implementation of development projects.
GERALDO HOLANDA CAVALCANTI, Special Representative of the President of Brazil: Habitat II has proven to be successful in raising awareness for the problems of human settlements. It has reaffirmed the right to adequate housing for all. For Brazil's Government, the right to housing is the cornerstone of its human settlements policies. The realization of the Conference goals will require greater efforts at international cooperation at all levels.
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The main axis of Brazilian urban policy includes decentralization, integration, social participation and equity, which coincide with the goals of the Habitat Agenda. Resource allocation decisions have been shifted to local governments, councils and representative groups. Priority has been given to programmes targeted at the poorest and the most vulnerable groups. In the 1996-1999 national plan of action, the Federal Government has allocated $38 billion for investments and cost-sharing projects which will improve the housing conditions of about 10 million people, supply safe water for another 39 million and create about 3 million jobs.
ABDELHADI AL MAJALI, Minister for Public Works and Housing of Jordan: Despite its high population growth and the immigration problems it has faced from the decades of conflict in the Middle East, Jordan has provided reasonable shelter to most of its families. It is about to eradicate illiteracy and has greatly improved its health standards. Life expectancy, which was 35 years at dawn of the century, is now 70 years. Infant mortality has been reduced to levels comparable to those in developed nations. Despite that, Jordan's problems are multiplying. The lack of natural resources, particularly water, increases economic and social pressures on all. Since most countries in the region suffer from increasing water shortage, Jordan seeks regional cooperation to facilitate the sharing of natural resources.
Habitat II should emphasize the need for jobs and improved quality of life. It should play a vital role in the efforts to protect the living environment through actions at the local and the global levels.
AHMED BIN HAMAD ALTHANI, Minister for Municipal Affairs and Agriculture of Qatar: The Conference should transform the idea of sustained urban development into reality and guarantee the implementation of recommendations and obligations that are adopted. The international community must cooperate in implementing the Conference's principles, which should lead to the sustainable development of human settlements.
Qatar has undertaken housing projects for senior government staff, citizens with limited incomes and the disabled and orphans. Senior staff are granted 20-year, interest-free loans of about $165,000 to build homes. They are given free land and 20 per cent of the loans are written off. Houses are built for those with limited incomes at the cost of $83,000 each. Land and other services are provided free of charge, and 40 per cent of their loans written off. The State builds houses for the disabled and orphans. Qatar is also laying down a plan that will develop the rural areas and regions to create employment opportunities in order to deter migration into the cities.
JULIO CESAR SAMUDIO HAMUY, Director-General of the National Committee for Habitat II of Paraguay: Governments and the international community cannot postpone attending to people's needs if they are to avoid the consequences of discontent and social disorder. A prerequisite for achieving
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the Conference's goals is a democratic system, with a respect for basic human rights.
The Habitat II process in Paraguay was supported by all the partners. The country's action plan includes programmes which address the needs of its citizens. Much still needs to be done to improve human settlements. In the housing sector this year, subsidized housing was built for 10,000 families, which leaves a deficit of 15,000 dwellings. Local governments will be given more resources to deal with infrastructural development in their communities. International cooperation and technical assistance will be fundamental to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
DIARMUID MARTIN, Secretary for the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace of the Holy See: One of the main achievements of the Conference is the outcome of its negotiations on the right to adequate housing for all. Governments have recognized it as an obligation and committed themselves to promoting it. States, their partners, local authorities and civil society should ensure that the right becomes a reality. The Holy See will help in that process.
The Holy See recognizes two significant housing initiatives. The first award will be for the "Fundación de Viviendas del Hogar de Cristo", whose aim is to help design and build houses for poor families in Latin America. The second will be given to the head of the Catholic Diocese of Byumba, Rwanda, to build or rehabilitate houses for refugees returning home. The awards are each worth $50,000. A new "political will" should be constructed, especially in richer nations, to find global solutions for urban problems.
MARUAN ADBEL HAMID, Acting Minister for Housing of the Palestinian Authority (Observer for Palestine): The Authority will need international help to meet the need for 200,000 new housing units yearly until the year 2000. A major obstacle on the road to peace is lack of economic development, particularly unemployment that affects 65 per cent of the labour market in the Gaza Strip. Despite its problems, the Authority will continue with the peace process and secure the rights of the Palestinian people, in accordance with international legitimacy. The recent elections at the beginning of the year showed the Palestinians' desire for peace and an independent state of Palestine, with its capital in Jerusalem. The right of the Palestinians to return should be considered, the plight of the more than 3.5 million refugees addressed and Israeli settlements stopped. Habitat II strategies will only succeed if there is justice.
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