POVERTY ERADICATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTED, AS `CITY SUMMIT' HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT CONTINUES

14 June 1996

Press Release
HAB/136

POVERTY ERADICATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTED, AS `CITY SUMMIT' HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT CONTINUES

19960614 (Received from a UN Information Officer)

ISTANBUL, 13 June -- The eradication of poverty and the development of the rural areas were highlighted by several speakers Thursday evening, as the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) continued its high-level segment. The segment is meant to give world leaders a platform from which to declare their commitment to improving the settlements in their countries.

Poverty must be eradicated to ensure an improvement in living conditions for all and ensure international peace and security, it was stated. Rural development will help prevent or deter rural-urban migration and its attendant problems.

The Conference heard statements from the Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho; Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria; and the Vice Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova.

Statements were made by the Minister for Habitat of Algeria; State Secretary for Housing, Planning and Environment of the Netherlands; Minister of Local Government and Labour of Norway; Minister for Housing and Urban Development of Swaziland; Minister of Urbanism and the Habitat of Guinea; Federal Minister for Environment, Youth and the Family of Austria; Minister for Housing and Urban Development of Iran; Minister for the Environment of Ireland; Minister Equipment and Transport, in charge of Urbanism and the Habitat of Senegal; Minister for Urbanism and Habitat of Congo; Minister for Public Works and Housing of Mozambique; Minister of State of Bahrain; Minister Urban Development of Venezuela; Minister of Housing of Luxembourg; and the Minister for Housing of Malta.

Also speaking were the Minister for Equipment and Infrastructure of Niger; Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs of Kuwait; Minister for Housing and Settlements of Trinidad and Tobago; Minister for Construction and Transportation of Nicaragua; Minister for Environment of the Slovakia; Minister for Housing and Physical Planning of Nepal, Minister for Public Construction and National Housing of Zimbabwe; Minister for

Interior of Cyprus; Senior Minister in Charge of Culture and Fine Arts, Land Management, Urbanism and Construction of Cambodia; Minister for Home Affairs of Vanuatu; and the Minister for Works and Urban development of Ethiopia.

The Minister of State for Works and Housing of Nigeria; Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of the Interior of Hungary; and the Deputy Minister for Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works of Greece also made statements.

The representatives of the Solomon Islands; the Philippines; India; Thailand; Panama; Bangladesh; and Egypt also spoke.

The representatives of Turkey and Cyprus spoke in exercise of the right of reply.

At the beginning of its meeting, the Plenary adopted a resolution approving the report of the Credentials Committee.

Statements

ABDULLAHI ADAMU, Minister of State for Works and Housing of Nigeria: Nigeria tackles the challenges of human settlements at the local and national levels. At the local level, it has undertaken several measures to encourage community-based organizations and local governments to embark on projects that fall within its human settlements goals. At the national level, a national housing policy was adopted in 1991 and a national housing fund established recently to provide housing loans to more than 250 primary mortgage institutions in the country. A national housing programme was initiated in 1994 to build 121,000 houses all over Nigeria.

The core perspective of the Habitat Agenda should call for enhanced cooperation from the international community in global partnerships and implementation. Nigeria implores other States to support the recommendations directed at fulfilling the aspirations for sustainable, equitable and safe human settlements. The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) should be supported in its coordination of global efforts.

KAMEL HAKIMI, Minister for Habitat of Algeria: There is a need to implement policies that will deter migration from the rural areas into cities and improve the standard of living for both areas. The imbalance in development between the urban and the rural areas and the issues of transport, housing and employment should be addressed. The situation in Algeria is marked by a demographic explosion which is affected by rapid population growth, with 90 per cent of the people concentrated near the coast. Even though the housing stock has doubled since 1966, there is a substantial shortage of shelter, which has been exacerbated by migration from the rural areas to the cities. The proportion of dwellings to the number of inhabitants has worsened over the years despite the efforts to build more houses. The State has introduced various policies to cope with the problem and allocated substantial financial resources to social housing. In spite of all that, sustainable development of human settlements has not been attained.

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Due to the State shortage of finances, it is necessary to seek and mobilize new sources of funds to provide houses. The new approach tries to ensure the participation of all actors in the society. Algeria seeks greater international cooperation in providing decent housing.

D.K.J. TOMMEL, State Secretary for Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment of the Netherlands: The partnership concept is essential for developing cities and towns into sustainable places. Partnership means sharing ideas, responsibilities and resources among the national, regional and local levels. It is needed with local authorities, women's organizations, non-governmental organizations, trade unions and the private sector and at the international level.

Measurable goals must be set at the conclusion of Habitat II. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has set the goal of reducing urban poverty by 50 per cent by the year 2015. At the national level, priority must be given to democratic and transparent governance, the protection of human rights and respect for the rule of law. The progress of the Habitat process must be monitored and evaluated. That implies the full revision of the Habitat Centre's mandate as well as its restructuring to adapt to the orientations in the Agenda. Also important is stimulating 'the best practices' and capacity building and using guidelines.

REX S. HOROI (Solomon Islands): Eighty-one per cent of the 400,000 people of the Solomon Islands live in settlements of under 300 persons. The people of the Solomon Islands are concentrated in villages and small towns. Throughout the islands housing is inadequate, electricity is unavailable or erratic, safe water is sufficient and sanitation risky. The extended family is the bedrock of the social and economic systems. Rural development and strong family life will help to prevent or to counter the problems such as the rural-urban drift.

To achieve adequate shelter for all in the Solomon Islands, its indigenous resources must be mobilized and managed in ways that are people- centred, sensitive to family structure and economically and environmentally sound. That can be achieved if policy and action for housing are integrated with those designed to promote sustainable human and economic development. However, achieving sustainable human settlements is a formidable challenge for a least developed country such as the Solomon Islands.

GUNNAR BERGE, Minister for Local Government and Labour of Norway: Governments must play an active facilitating role to enable people to solve their own housing problems. It is urgent for women to take part, on an equal basis, in planning and decision making since they are closest to the needs of their families and children than men are. Children's special needs must be emphasized. Wealthy countries must reduce their abundant waste of energy, water and other resources and increase their efforts towards achieving sustainable development. Poverty affects everyone, not only the poor, and must be eradicated if international peace and security are to be achieved.

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In countries which experience internal security, evacuation is sometimes necessary to protect lives. Government programmes to compensate evacuees and to provide them with assistance to return to their homes are of great importance. "We must not forget our common, global responsibilities, especially towards the least developed countries." "For our part we are ready to share."

SENATOR JOHN CARMICHAEL, Minister for Housing and Urban Development of Swaziland: Swaziland's national objective of social justice has two main thrusts. It entails a concern for a fair distribution of the Kingdom's development and that every inhabitant should be allowed a minimum living standard, consistent with good health and human dignity. The programme justifies the special emphasis being placed on efforts to enhance opportunities for the country's poorest citizens and the socio-economic advancement of women. Swaziland has democratized local government and decentralized decision-making to the local level to enable communities to determine their priorities and develop their own programmes. Policies and laws in this regard were developed in consultation with all stakeholders. The major challenges before the country are capacity building and human resource development, which would enable local authorities to provide more and better services to their constituencies.

Colonel JEAN TRAORE, Minister for Urbanism and the Habitat of Guinea: Guinea will make greater efforts to provide adequate shelter for its growing population. In doing so, it will need cooperation with all actors in the society, such as the non-governmental and community-based organizations and local authorities. It will also encourage cooperation between the public and private sectors. The international community and the United Nations family should adopt a concrete global plan of action and that will be supported with firm political will and commitment. Guinea will endeavour to cooperate with other partners to ensure the successful implementation of the plan of action.

MARTIN BARTENSTEIN, Federal Minister for Environment, Youth and the Family of Austria: The Habitat Agenda will improve the situation of human settlements while the Conference breaks new ground by highlighting the importance of international cooperation among cities. Cooperation plans were made last week between Vienna and Tirana, Sarajevo, Gaza and Beirut. The international community must work together to address the fact that out of 1 billion people living in extreme poverty, 100 million entirely lack housing.

The Conference must press for transportation systems that will protect the environment. To address transport-related environmental effects, it is necessary to reduce the demand for transport, improve vehicle technology, enhance infrastructure and optimize transport operation in environmentally sound ways. The reaffirmation of the right to adequate housing is an important achievement of Habitat II. The Habitat Agenda's implementation will depend on the involvement and participation of all actors concerned with human settlements, particularly the local authorities. Since the local level is the primary arena for action, decentralization of responsibilities to the local level is an important condition for the Agenda's implementation.

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VOLODYMYR HANDOGIY, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: Ukraine has participated actively in the Habitat II participatory process which has allowed it to make use of new ideas in the improvement of human settlements. Ukraine, like other countries in transition, faces the complex task of transformation to a democratic market economy. The Chernobyl disaster caused the evacuation of two towns and a zone of 200 settlements and adversely affected extensive areas of land and forests. Over 140,000 people are now being resettled at considerable cost. In the light of Ukraine's experience, the Conference should stress the importance of planning for disasters.

Ukraine has developed a national plan to the year 2010, the implementation of which is largely dependent on international cooperation. The State is pursing reform in urban planning and increasing new mechanisms for local government participation in improving human settlements.

ABBAS AKHONDI, Minister for Housing and Urban Development of Iran: The important objectives of Habitat II cannot be achieved unless all sectors of civil society have a part in decision-making and implementation processes. The international community has a duty to provide financial and technological support for developing countries' national efforts. A favorable international economic environment is important for the realization of the Habitat Agenda. Otherwise, developing countries, faced with indebtedness, resource shortages, poverty and unemployment, that are mainly due to the prevailing international environment, would not be able to fulfil the Agenda commitments.

Iran's achievements in improving the quality of life of its citizen since the Islamic Revolution, have included preparing national and regional physical plans for the balanced distribution of the expected 130 million population in the year 2021 and creating 18 new towns to house some 4 million people.

BRENDAN HOWLIN, Minister for the Environment of Ireland: The Irish Government is preparing a national sustainable development strategy that will address land use, urban sustainability and the balance between urban and rural areas. The Government is implementing measures to encourage action at the local level. For example, a local Agenda 21 initiative was launched among local authorities to translate sustainable development principles into practical action. The establishment of local partnerships between the public and private sectors, trade unions and community-based groups are part of those efforts. The partnerships focus on countering social problems found in inner cities. After five years of operation, the model has introduced innovative techniques of training and placement for the long-term unemployed. Other States could learn from it.

Ireland will assist developing countries' efforts to achieve urban sustainability. It is particularly committed to helping the least developed countries, as reflected in its bilateral aid programme focused on six African countries.

LANDING SANE, Minister for Equipment, Transport, Urbanism and the Habitat of Senegal: The promotion of partnerships has been a useful innovation of the Conference, which has allowed local authorities, non- governmental and community-based organizations and other sections of civil society to participate. Senegal is undertaking ambitious programmes to counter urban poverty, strengthen partnerships and encourage the private sector in providing shelter. The three main areas being pursued are the improvement of management, the construction of adequate, accessible housing and the improvement of the State's regulatory role. Partnerships between developers, the private sector and commercial banks will be initiated and more

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authority devolved from the central Government to local authorities.

Senegal will adopt a national plan to ensure that the aims of the Conference are pursued in the country. Women must enjoy the same rights and access, as men have, to housing and other services. The international community and the donor countries should help provide the financial resources to implement national plans on shelter development. They should cancel or reduce the debts of African countries.

PETER GURTNER (Switzerland): Despite the country's general prosperity, Switzerland faces problems such as the need to address signs of urban decay and a high level of unemployment, by Swiss standards. It also contributes to alleviating urbanization problems in the economically disadvantaged countries. That policy focuses on promoting equal development of rural and urban areas, concentrating on medium-sized or intermediary cities. It addresses the poorest city-dwellers -- a priority of Swiss Federal Law on Development Cooperation. It also facilitates a degree of legal security for the most vulnerable groups by encouraging initiatives for obtaining or improving housing and basic infrastructure.

Switzerland advocates loans as a way of supporting community efforts and as a method which can trigger a mini-revolution. Loans must be given to poor people. Banks must see them as trustworthy as other clients. They also need to recognize women as particularly honest customers.

DIONISIO C. DE LA SERNA, Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinate Council of the Philippines: Meaningful progress in achieving sustainable human settlements cannot be achieved unless development is people- centred. Respect for the right to a better quality of life and the right to adequate housing are enshrined in the Philippines' Constitution. The eventual recognition of the right to housing by the Conference is a "gesture of brotherhood" and a strong manifestation of all governments resolve towards shelter for all.

The Philippines Government accepts its responsibilities towards the fulfillment of this right by promoting greater civic consciousness, value formation and attitudinal change as part of a national moral recovery programme. The Philippines is ready to take on the challenge of implementing the Habitat Agenda. It welcomes the idea of setting up regional financial facilities that will pool technical expertise and resources and extend such facilities to those in need.

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P. MOSISILI, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government, Rural and Urban Development of Lesotho: While Lesotho endorses the objective of adequate shelter for all and the right to housing, Government alone cannot assure that right. It will empower local communities, the private sector and non-governmental organizations in order to release the energies of all stakeholders to contribute to housing. Women should be involved in decision- making, enabled to own property and given access to formal credit. The Law Reform Commission is aimed at removing all forms of discrimination against them.

Lesotho has embarked on a privatization programme to mobilize domestic and foreign investment in human settlements. Its land laws, which allow private housing estate development, will be amended to facilitate a more attractive climate for foreign investments. A credit system has been established to enhance access to land for individual households. Rural development is a priority and Lesotho has embarked on an integrated rural development programme to reduce poverty.

ROBERTO COSTLEY-WHITE, Minister for Public Works and Housing of Mozambique: The Government's priority is to rebuild destroyed infrastructure in both urban and rural areas. In rural areas, its main effort is to resettle displaced people in environments that have basic infrastructure. A programme of infrastructure rehabilitation, including feeder roads and water and energy distribution has been started. In urban areas, the Government is committed to poverty alleviation by providing access to and tenure of land, finance or subsidies for housing and the implementation of programmes to extend water and power facilities to those areas. The international community should increase its support for Mozambique's programmes.

The Government is establishing and strengthening a favourable environment for national and foreign investments. It recently adopted measures to promote the participation of the private sector in managing public infrastructure like water supply and transport. Laws are being reformed to consolidate the right to property to attract private investments in real estate.

PAL KARA, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry for Interior of Hungary: If the Habitat Agenda is implemented, it could serve as the key to improved living conditions for everyone. Individual countries have different conditions and problems to tackle. It is nonetheless very important they all agree on principles and overall objectives which may serve as the driving force of joint action. Habitat II's recommendations will help Hungary to achieve its modernization objectives, planned urban development and sustainable development. Hungary is prepared to carry out the tasks defined in the global plan of action. The Commission on Human Settlements should continue to consider the best practices of modernization of settlements and housing policy.

JAWAD SALIM Al-ARAYED, Minister for State of Bahrain: Although Bahrain is not a large country, its capital has one of the highest urban densities in the world. The largest development efforts undertaken by the Bahrain

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Government have resulted in the planned development of two totally new cities. In that process, Bahrain has learned that cities cannot be built in isolation from other communities.

The whole social and economic fabric of the society must be taken into account in planning new developments. It is therefore critical in the urban planning process to understand, evaluate and plan for the interconnectedness between population centres. Architects and urban planners seem to forget that people live in cities. It is crucial to humanize architecture by building the essential and unique facets of the social fabric into urban designs.

IGENIERO FRANCISCO GONZALEZ, Minister for Urban Development of Venezuela: Venezuela has undertaken urban planning and has attempted to develop functional links between its cities. The country has enacted a law that calls for 5 per cent of the national budget to be invested in improving conditions for vulnerable groups. The wage earner must contribute 1 per cent of his/her income and 2 per cent must come from the employer. That formula has contributed vast amounts of funds to the improvement of inner city housing.

The regional action plan for Latin America and the Caribbean for sustainable human settlements recognizes the existence of great inequity and poverty in the region's settlements and stresses the need to tackle them as highest priorities. It proposes measures to decrease the housing shortage for the poorest. The Conference should adopt the regional plan which calls for joint action to seek genuine and useful solutions to the problems of human settlements. The Conference should also emphasize that economic strategies based solely on fiscal issues, and which do not take account of urban issues, will be shortlived.

FERNAND BODEN, Minister for Housing of Luxembourg: Decentralization should devolve authority to the local level. New means of communications should be ensured and environmentally sound transport modes encouraged. Appropriate means should be deployed to ensure that the quality of air and water is protected. The optimum use of natural resources requires increased cooperation between the central and local authorities at all levels.

The right to adequate housing is a priority. To facilitate that right, the Government is increasing the availability of socially accessible housing, making available unoccupied dwellings, improving backward neighbourhoods and encouraging the integration of individuals in decision-making. It has enacted a law to ensure the rational use of energy. Particular attention should be paid to the promotion of education. International cooperation is necessary to ensure the achievement of the objectives of improving the environment.

ELISSAVET PAPAZOE, Deputy Minister for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works of Greece: Greece does not face a housing problems as more than 75 per cent of its population own their homes, a European record. However, after the changes in Eastern Europe, about half-a-million undocumented immigrants entered Greece from neighbouring countries and created temporary pressures in the housing sector. Even though the country does not

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have mega-cities, it is facing traffic congestion and air and noise pollution. It is, therefore, trying to improve its infrastructure by building a metro, a system of peripheral highways and a new international airport. Greece could multiply its efforts to improve its cities if it was not obliged to spend more than 7 per cent of its budget on defence, due to continuous threats against it.

The country has over 15,000 kilometres of coastal zone and has undertaken an initiative under the United Nations system to promote coastal zone policies which include land use controls and water management.

CENSU GALEA, Minister for Housing for Malta: Malta has one of the highest population densities in the world, with nearly 400,000 persons earning their living and finding shelter on the three small islands of 316 square kilometers. The urbanization problem has been reversed by the absence of divisions between the towns and the rural areas in terms of infrastructure and services. The Government's housing policy can be summed up in two basic principles: each family should own its home as far as practicable; housing should be adequate for families and of acceptable standards. Nearly 70 per cent of dwellings are owner- occupied.

Home purchase financing is within the reach of the majority of the population, through reasonable interest rates, longer repayment terms and subsidies. The housing and development policy acknowledges the role of the private and public sectors. The role of the "third sector" -- non-profit organizations -- is encouraged.

DONTCHO KONAKTCHIEV, Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria: Bulgaria is ready to make more concrete efforts towards achieving sustainable human settlements in the twenty-first century. The Government has prepared a strategy for territorial and urban development to the year 2010. The new approach requires structural changes in the economy. Important aspects of the development of sustainable human settlements are decentralization and greater coordination of all groups in the planning process. Human settlement policies should be synchronized with broader policies for territorial development. Although Bulgaria has a good ratio of population to housing, meeting housing demands remains an important part of economic planning.

K. S. SHARMA, Secretary to the Ministry for Urban Affairs of India: India's national housing policy acknowledges that shelter and development are mutually supportive. Rural shelter development is a priority as nearly 75 per cent of the population still live in villages. Housing forms an important part of the government's strategy for poverty alleviation and employment generation. It is an integral part of an overall strategy to improve human settlements and promote economic development. The national housing policy also provides for disadvantaged groups such as rural landless labour, victims of natural calamities, scheduled castes, widows, single women and women-headed households. The importance of the informal sector must be recognized and it must be given access to basic services such as credit. Land availability is one of the critical elements in the development of sustainable human settlements.

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Developing countries recognize the need to strengthen the fiscal and financial management of their economies. Their national efforts have to be supplemented by greater international cooperation to enable them to access new and additional resources, emerging technologies, and global markets.

VALENTIN CUNEV, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova: The national report of Moldova indicates the country's strategic aims and principal policy bases in the field of settlements development. Civic responsibility and social equity form the basis of the Government's housing concept. International cooperation and the help of the United Nations and its specialized agencies are important to Moldova. Although international assistance cannot be a panacea for Moldova's problems, it could be an effective catalyst for the development of the capacities of State and private organizations and for more active popular participation in improving living standards.

The Republic of Moldova's problems are caused not only by lack of financial mechanisms but also by the shortage of experience in regional and municipal planning and city management. The Government is addressing that problem.

CHERIF CHAKO, Minister for Equipment and Infrastructure of Niger: The Centre for Human Settlements should be strengthened to follow-up on the recommendations of the Conference. Habitat II should recommend that attention should be paid to improving old houses in aging urban centres. Funding is crucial to the improvement of the environment and settlements and assistance will always fall short of needs. Therefore, the Conference should appeal to the international community to turn attention to the funding of human settlements in general and particularly to the improvement and upgrading of existing stocks. Habitat II should bring about more international awareness of the problems of human settlement and encourage partnerships to mobilize resources. The Conference must pay attention to the rural areas. The Global Plan of Action should promote partnerships and encourage equitable and lasting land management and help combat urban poverty.

SURAPONG POSAYANOND (Thailand): The effective implementation of the Habitat II global plan of action would greatly improve the condition of human settlements in Thailand. The economic and social development of Thailand in the next five-year plan (1997 to 2001) will emphasize Habitat II's objectives such as: enabling the potential of the people; enhancing social stability by strengthening family and community ties, increasing community participation in national development; and promoting well-balanced economic growth. Strategies designed to achieve those objectives include ensuring the well-being of the people, especially of the vulnerable groups and distributing development and growth in regional and rural areas.

Thailand's urban population will increase from one third to about 50 per cent by the year 2005. The Government will take a number of measures to promote sustainable human settlements in rural areas by creating new towns and satellite towns outside the extended Bangkok areas and developing them as clusters sharing the regional infrastructure.

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HABIB J. HAYAT, Minister for Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs of Kuwait: The attainment of sustainable human settlements must be a common goal. Kuwait's constitution stresses that the family is the foundation of the society. It also enshrines the State's obligations to improve the quality of life. The Arab world must be protected because of its historical significance. The provision of shelter implies attention to all members of the family, but particularly to women and youth. The promotion of fundamental human rights is the foundation of sustainable development.

The Kuwaiti State has established the Supreme Committee for Cities as the instrument to ensure a more balanced development and urban policies which include promoting small and medium-sized cities. Priority must be given to the reconstruction of States which have experienced war, and particularly the resettlement of those who are displaced from their homes, such as Kuwaitis held as prisoners by Iraq. The historical city of Jerusalem and other such world heritage cities must be protected.

JOHN HUMPHREY, Minister for Housing and Settlements of Trinidad and Tobago: The market, with its fruits monopolized by a minority, is not responding favourably to the needs of the majority of the world's population. Having agreed that shelter is the right of all and resolved to search for a formula to ensure secure living, what are the next steps to be taken? The United Nations is organizing an international conference on food, which will be the last of the great social summits of the century. It should hold a summit on the international monetary system in order to find out why the magic that is expected to allow the world to redirect its resources to solve its problems has not worked. If such a conference examines the conditions of the current trading and economic system, it might find solutions that will allow funds to flow towards solutions to the world's problems. It might find ways to create an economic environment which will allow the allocation of resources for development.

PABLO VIJIL ICAZA, Minister for Construction and Transportation of Nicaragua: Since its election in 1990, the Government has been reconstructing and rehabilitating the country. It is building houses for demobilized combatants and other citizens as part of its pacification process, with the help of various non-governmental organizations and international agencies. The Government has started institutional reforms and a modernization process to rebuild the housing sector. Its new housing policies aim to reduce poverty and create employment for vulnerable segments such as women, the elderly and indigenous groups. The plan will be put into effect in three phases and involve investments of some $250 million. International cooperation would be required to address the problem of financial resources. Nicaragua needs multilateral and bilateral cooperation to implement its housing plans. Nicaragua is committed to ensuring the right to housing as an integral part of human rights.

JOSEF ZLOCHA, Minister for the Environment of Slovakia: Slovakia is trying to tackle the problems the Conference is addressing. In the past six years, housing construction has decreased. Following an analysis of the housing situation, the Government declared full support for housing

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development with emphasis on the construction of apartments for low-income groups. The goal is to revitalize housing construction by supportive economic policies. The Project of the State Housing Policy to the year 2000, adopted in November 1995, shifts the responsibility for providing housing to the citizen. The State and communities are obliged to create technical, legislative and economic conditions that will ensure the availability of housing to the population as well as the provision of adequate shelter based on income categories.

BALA RAM GHARTI MAGAR, Minister for Housing and Physical Planning of Nepal: In Nepal, the cities have attracted a continuing influx of migrants. The consequences of this phenomenon -- overcrowding, environmental pollution, lack of basic urban services, housing shortages, widespread poverty, slums in the urban areas, and lack of productive employment in rural areas -- have become major problems.

To improve human settlements, Nepal has undertaken specific poverty- reduction programmes to bring people below the poverty-line into the mainstream of development. National plans on the environment and disaster management are being implemented and a national shelter policy has been adopted. The country is at the threshold of its ninth development plan. The national plan of action together with the Habitat Agenda will lay a solid basis for formulating plans and programmes for the next five years and beyond in such priority sectors of human settlements development as shelter, urban poverty, urban planning and development, the environment, disaster management, local governance, and cultural heritage.

C. CHIKOWOKE, Minister for Public Constructions and National Housing of Zimbabwe: The aims of Zimbabwe's plan of action are to provide an environment that is conducive to increased investment, to improve the living conditions of women and other vulnerable groups, to strengthen rural economies and to promote effective environmental protection and land use planning. The Government will invite local and foreign investors to form joint ventures with the public sector in the housing industry.

The Government's homestead development programme for rural areas aims at developing the capacity of local institutions to implement development projects, improving the incomes of rural dwellers, imparting environmentally friendly construction technologies, and creating gainful employment for the local people. The project is financed from the people's own resources, matched with government loans. Non-governmental organizations and international donors should support the initiative by providing training, finance and technical know-how.

DINOS MICHAELIDES, Minister for the Interior of Cyprus: The progress Cyprus achieved after its independence in 1960 was halted by the Turkish invasion of 1974, the subsequent occupation of 37 percent of its territory and the expulsion of 200,000 people from their homes. About l75 of its settlements, representing 36 percent of the housing stock, are in the occupied area. The properties left behind by Greek Cypriots were distributed by the occupying forces to others, including Turkish soldiers and illegal

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settlers from Turkey. The Government provided the refugees with temporary accommodation in tents and increased houses. While the emphasis is on the displaced population, there are programmes to assist others. In the early 1980's the Government established a finance corporation after realizing that the market could not provide adequate housing to low- and middle-income families. The Government's long-term objective is to create conditions for providing housing for all Cypriots.

While the Government continues to tackle the housing problem of refugees, a political solution of the Cyprus problem remains its most important priority.

VAN MOLYVANN, Senior Minister in Charge of Culture and Fine Arts, Land Management, Urbanism and Construction of Cambodia: Cambodia has now embarked on a period of reconstruction and is addressing the question of the human settlements as a central aspect of development. The country has to deal with the problem of 360,000 repatriated refugees who have now swelled the numbers of the urban poor.

Twenty per cent of the urban population exists in precarious housing, while 80 per cent live in overcrowded conditions. A pilot participatory project will soon be launched to tackle the problems of a very poor part of Phnom Penh. Such projects and the Habitat Agenda will serve as guidelines as Cambodia defines its own policies for sustainable human settlements. The role of non-governmental organizations has increased in Cambodia in the last three years. They are acting as full-fledged partners, supportive of the State's role. However, they barely meet the intense needs of the urban habitat.

CHARLIE NAKO, Minister for Home Affairs of Vanuatu: Eighty per cent of Vanuatu's population lives in coastal areas and depends on the resources of the sea to satisfy their needs. Their future is uncertain because of the rise in the sea level and the impact of natural disasters, such as cyclones. The Vanuatu administration lacks the financial resources necessary to satisfy the population's needs. The country has limited material resources. The international community, therefore, is urged to assist the country to attain sustained economic development. The country's land and sea resources are being heavily exploited, which is a threat to endemic species in the Pacific. The needs of the environment must be integrated into the development of urban centres.

There is need for long-term planning to contain the spread of poverty and provide homes for low-income groups. An urban strategic planning process is being initiated. There is a need for clear strategic guidelines for urban solutions which should not be too technical but reflect the specific nature of each country.

LEONARDO KAM (Panama): Humankind has the means to successfully confront its social challenges and build sustainable, healthier and secure cities. However, political will, the spirit of fairness, solidarity and concern for the plight of the poor and the dispossessed are necessary to enable the world to solve its problems. The manner in which the developed world treats the

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developing countries should be improved. Such a change in attitude should be demonstrated through an increase in the flow of resources from the industrialized to the poor nations. The commitment to grant 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) as assistance to the developing countries should not be ignored as the provisions of such resource would help ensure that the Conference's conclusions become concrete results. The biggest challenge now is the implementation of commitments that are made in Istanbul.

HASINUR RAHMAN (Bangladesh): Regional and global cooperation are necessary in tackling rapid urbanization and its accompanying problems. The Government's priorities fulfill the national objectives of poverty reduction, community development, adequate housing, the development of sustainable urban and rural settlements and massive infrastructure development. The national plan of action proposes to undertake interrelated projects to achieve these objectives.

Bangladesh, like all developing nations, hopes to leave this Conference with solid commitments. It needs technical and financial assistance from bilateral, institutional and United Nations sources for the implementation of the projects and programmes in its national plan of action.

OSCAR KAFATTI (Honduras): Honduras is transforming the structure of the State in order to reduce centralization and promote municipal autonomy to allow the members of municipalities to address their local problems without waiting for help from the central government. The Government has set up mechanisms to mobilize resources and encourage the participation of the private sector in the provision of shelter. A private contributions regime was set up to finance houses for the low-income groups. Those resources are, however, not sufficient for Honduran needs. Therefore, the international community should extend more assistance to the country. While international cooperation is important, all nations should strive to achieve economic growth. The industrialized world should provide more favourable market terms to allow the developing countries to grow and solve their own problems.

HAILE ASSEGIDE, Minister of Works and Urban Development of Ethiopia: The human settlement problems of developing countries are very critical. Although national efforts are of primary importance, international cooperation is essential in the areas of technical assistance towards achieving capacity building in the implementation of sustainable human settlement development programmes. Ethiopia's experience is different from many other developing countries because of its experience of twenty years of civil war. The resettling and rehabilitation of displaced persons, in addition to the half-a- million demobilized soldiers, and the transformation and the reconstruction of the economic sector are still under way. The Government has launched a reconstruction and recovery programme. Economic activities are gradually improving. Concrete growth and progress have been achieved in the economic sector.

Problems of human settlements should be resolved in light of specific country conditions. Countries should be allowed to formulate their own policies, strategies and plan on human settlement development and management.

- 15 - Press Release HAB/136 14 June 1996

Right of Reply

The representative of Turkey: The representative of Cyprus does not represent Cyprus in its entirety; he could speak only for Greek Cypriots. Since 1974, there has been no single authority on the island. The Turkish Cypriots live in the north of the island. The north is a sovereign state but has been denied the right to be represented in the United Nations. The representative of Cyprus should also have made mention of displaced Turkish Cypriots, who were driven out of their homes in 1963, and that would have given the proper interpretation of the problem of Cyprus.

The representative of Cyprus: The Minister for Interior of Cyprus did not address the Cyprus problem as an intercommunal conflict in the way it was presented by Turkey's representative. His comments had dealt with the responsibilities of a Government which invaded Cyprus in 1974 and has been occupying the country since that time. Cyprus is recognized internationally and is accepted in all international organizations. The interpretation of Cyprus' history by the Turkey's representative is incorrect. The Minister had ended his presentation tonight by expressing his desire for a resolution of the Cyprus problem.

The representative of Turkey: The representative has again misrepresented facts about Cyprus. Nothing can change the fact that the problems started in 1963 when the Greek Cypriots forced Turkish Cypriots out of the Government. The two entities on the island must find an acceptable negotiated solution to their problems.

The representative of Cyprus: On the events of 1963, the representative should read the report of a United Nations mediator, Galo Plaza, written in 1964/1965. Security Council resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984) condemn the secessionist State created by force.

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