WORLD LEADERS SUPPORT RIGHT TO HOUSING, NEW FINANCIAL RESOURCES, AS CITY SUMMIT CONCLUDES IN ISTANBUL

Press Release
HAB/138

WORLD LEADERS SUPPORT RIGHT TO HOUSING, NEW FINANCIAL RESOURCES, AS CITY SUMMIT CONCLUDES IN ISTANBUL

Leaders Adopt Istanbul Declaration, Commit to Habitat Agenda

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

ISTANBUL, 15 June -- World leaders made commitments to better standards of living for their people, a progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, and the mobilization of new financial resources, as they adopted the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements and ended the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in the early morning hours of 15 June.

At the conclusion of the two-week "City Summit", the leaders, by committing themselves to the recommendations of the Habitat Agenda -- the Conference goals, principles and global plan of action -- pledged to support each other in its implementation. The leaders, recognizing local authorities as their closest partners in implementing the Agenda, adopted the enabling strategy and the principles of partnership and participation as the most democratic and effective approach to realize their commitments.

Highlighting the crucial role of local authorities in the development of sustainable human settlements, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali told world leaders that Habitat II "was the first United Nations conference to have given, as part of its official machinery, a platform to representatives of civil society". He said new partnerships with a common objective had begun to take shape.

The Conference, which began on 3 June, included a high-level segment from 12 to 14 June, which provided world leaders with an opportunity to declare their commitment towards improving human settlements in their countries. Over 120 statements were made by heads of State and government, ministers and representatives of local authorities and youth. In the first seven days of the Conference, beginning on 3 June, about 180 speakers examined the state of human settlements, including strategies for their improvement.

In the four-part Habitat Agenda, Member States reached consensus on the issue of the right to adequate housing. They reaffirmed their commitment to progressively realize that right and recognized the governments' obligation to enable people to obtain shelter and to protect and improve dwellings. The commitment to promote international cooperation to achieve Habitat goals calls on States to strive to fulfil the target of 0.7 per cent of developed countries' gross national product (GNP) for official development assistance (ODA) and to increase the share of funding for the Habitat II objectives.

On the contentious issue of financing in the global plan of action, Member States agreed to act on the questions of financing of development, external debt, international trade and transfer of technology to developing countries. They agreed to strive to meet the target of 0.15 per cent of the GNP of the developed countries as assistance to the least developed countries. They would also increase funding for adequate shelter and human settlements development.

While elaborating the roles of the intergovernmental bodies in the implementation of the Agenda, Member States decided that the role of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) would remain "within its mandate" of well-defined objectives and strategic issues. The Centre should be designated a focal point Agenda implementation.

In other action, the Conference adopted a resolution expressing gratitude to the City of Istanbul and the people, Government and the President of Turkey, Suleyman Demirel.

In closing remarks read on his behalf, Conference President, Suleyman Demirel of Turkey said the success of Habitat II depends on the political will to translate the Declaration and the Agenda into concrete action. "We should not leave these two documents on some library shelf to gather dust and regard them merely as sources to consult from time to time to refresh our memories."

The Secretary-General of the Conference, Wally N'Dow, said political will is required to achieve the Summit's goals. Portions of the $800 billion spent yearly on arms should be spent on the new human security, which will provide water and sanitation. If every nation cuts its military budget by 5 per cent, the world could address housing needs in an affordable way. The Habitat should be given more support.

The representative of Colombia, speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said many hopes on the provision of new and additional resources were not met. The future of Habitat does not seem more certain. But the Group of 77 and China welcomed the reaffirmation of the right to housing for all and the mobilization of civil society.

Italy's representative, speaking for the European Union, said the European States will work with non-State actors to help build international cooperation which will increasingly rely on those forces.

South Africa's representative, speaking for the African States, said those countries' housing efforts should be helped by their development partners and that the Centre for Human Settlements should be strengthened.

The representative of Uruguay, on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean States, said Habitat II's ideals should be concretized.

Speaking on behalf of the Western European and other States, the United States' representative said that the Agenda will be a great legacy for the Conference.

The representative of the Sudan, speaking for the Group of Arab States, expressed satisfaction with the Conference's results.

Morocco's representative, speaking as coordinator for Arab Ministers, said Habitat II should mark a new era in which man will find a place to live in as a human being.

The representative of Romania, speaking for the Eastern and Central European countries, expressed his appreciation for the Conference's outcomes.

Conference Summary

The "City Summit" was opened by Secretary-General Boutros-Boutros-Ghali on 3 June. In his address, he urged conferees to be inspired by the "Spirit of Istanbul" -- a spirit of learning from the past, from previous United Nations conferences and their programmes.

During the general exchange of views from 3 to 11 June, the plenary heard from government ministers and representatives, non-governmental and community-based organizations, local authorities, intergovernmental bodies and United Nations agencies and programmes. They addressed the two main themes of the Conference -- adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world.

With the broad range of participation, the views focused on national experiences, as well as wider concerns of global significance such as the plight of children and migrants, the status of women, the potential role of local authorities, and the relationship between rural needs and urban problems.

Developing countries and States in transition highlighted the need to reaffirm the principle of the right to adequate housing and for new and additional resources. The principles of democratization, decentralization and the emphasis on local actions were described as basic concepts to guide governments in fulfilling their commitments on shelter.

The general exchange of views was followed by the three-day high-level segment which provided world leaders an opportunity to address the major national and global issues of human settlements. During the segment, speakers pledged their commitment to implement the Conference's global plan of action at the national and international levels, in cooperation with all the partners who were integrated in the Habitat process -- local authorities, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and youth.

The plenary sessions were held concurrently with meetings of two committees -- Committee I and Committee II. Committee I, chaired by Shafqat Kakakhel (Pakistan), was responsible for finalizing the negotiations on the Habitat Agenda: Goals and Principles, Commitments and Global Plan of Action. Chaired by Martti Lujanen (Finland), Committee II heard and received reports from the Conference partners: local authorities representing the World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities; and representatives of the following: World Business Forum; the Foundations Forum; the Academies of Science and Engineering Forum; the Professionals and Researchers Forum; the Parliamentarians Forum and the Labour Unions Forum. Hearings were also held by representatives of the United Nations system, on their roles in implementing the Agenda; non-governmental organizations; and representatives of the Forum on Human Solidarity.

Istanbul Declaration

In the Declaration, the heads of State and government and delegations of countries at Habitat II committed themselves to the recommendations in the Agenda and reaffirmed their commitment to better standards of living. They agreed to address unsustainable consumption and production patterns, particularly in industrialized countries; unsustainable population changes; homelessness; unemployment; inadequate resources; lack of basic infrastructure and services; growing insecurity and violence; and increased vulnerability to disasters.

The leaders recognized the need to intensify cooperation to improve living conditions throughout the world. They acknowledged that the goals of the Agenda would be promoted by positive actions on financing of development, external debt, international trade and transfer of technology. The statesmen committed themselves to intensifying efforts to eradicate poverty and discrimination and to provide for such basic needs as adequate shelter. Equal participation of all women and men in all spheres of life will be ensured.

Reaffirming their commitment to the realization of the right to adequate housing, they agreed to seek the active participation of their partners to ensure legal security of tenure, protection from discrimination and equal access to adequate housing. The leaders will work to expand the supply of affordable housing by enabling markets to perform efficiently in a socially and environmentally responsible way. They will work to strengthen local authorities' financial and institutional capacities to implement the Agenda in accordance with conditions of countries. Financial resources at the national and international level, including new and additional resources, must be mobilized.

Habitat Agenda

The final document of the Conference, the Habitat Agenda, is intended as a global call to action at all levels and a guide towards the achievement of sustainable development of the world's cities, towns and villages into the first two decades of the next century. The Agenda offers a positive vision of sustainable human settlements -- where all have adequate shelter, a healthy and safe environment, basic services and productive and freely chosen employment.

The Agenda contains a preamble, a nine-part statement of goals and principles, and a set of six commitments to be undertaken by governments in support of the objectives of Habitat II. The fourth part contains strategies for implementation of the global plan of action.

The Agenda's 12-paragraph preamble recognizes the "imperative need to improve the quality of human settlements" which profoundly affects people's daily lives and well-being. Although the social and economic progress associated with urbanization is acknowledged, the preamble stresses that Habitat II deals with all settlements -- large, medium and small -- and reaffirms the need for universal improvements in living and working conditions. It affirms that "everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing, housing, water and sanitation, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions".

It also addresses the issues of shelter needs for displaced persons, children and youth, vulnerable children, such as street children and refugees children and indigenous people. The empowerment of women, the participation of persons with disabilities and older persons in the decision-making regarding shelter needs are seen as being essential to achieving sustainable human settlements. The preamble stresses the need for enabling structures to be promoted.

The text of paragraph 11 of the preamble was adopted by the final meeting based on a text circulated at that time. By that paragraph, States noted that there were critical differences regarding human settlements in different regions and countries and within countries which must be taken into account in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.

By agreeing on Chapter II of the draft agenda, the Conference adopted the goals and principles of adequate shelter for all and sustainable development in an urbanizing world. The 10 goals and principles include a discussion on equitable human settlements; poverty eradication; sustainable development; physical conditions; spatial characteristics of settlements; the need to strengthen the family as the basic unit of society; citizen rights and responsibilities; partnerships among all countries and among all actors within countries; solidarity with disadvantaged and vulnerable groups; financial resources; and human health care -- including reproductive health care and services to improve the quality of life.

The Conference approved "compromise language" for the introductory paragraph on goals and principles. That text reads: "Civil, ethnic and religious strife, violations of human rights, alien and colonial domination, foreign occupation, economic imbalances, poverty, organized crime, terrorism in all its forms and corruption are destructive to human settlements and should, therefore, be denounced and discouraged by all States who should cooperate in achieving the elimination of such practices and all unilateral measures impeding social and economic development".

During the final meeting, the Conference also adopted a revised text for paragraph 22 related to financial resources. That paragraph makes reference to new and additional resources as necessary to achieve the goals of Habitat II. The existing resources available to developing countries need to be enhanced through appropriate and flexible mechanisms and economic instruments to support adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development.

Chapter III of the draft Agenda contains six "commitments" covering the following areas: adequate shelter for all, sustainable human settlements, enablement and participation and gender quality, financing shelter and human settlements, international cooperation and assessing progress. The commitments on gender equality were agreed on during the Conference; the text on international cooperation was adopted during the final meeting. The commitment on assessing progress was expanded during Conference negotiations.

Under the commitment to adequate shelter for all, the Conference reached consensus on the issue of the right to adequate housing, as stated: "We reaffirm our commitment to the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, as set out in numerous international instruments. In this context, we recognize the fundamental obligation of governments to enable people to obtain shelter and to protect and improve dwellings and neighbourhoods."

On international cooperation, States agreed to commit themselves to enhancing international cooperation and partnerships that will assist in the implementation of the national and global plans of action and the attainment of the Habitat goals. They also commit themselves to strive to fulfil the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the GNP of the developed countries for the ODA as soon as possible and to increase the share of funding for the Habitat II objectives.

By the commitment on assessing progress, States commit themselves to observing and implementing the Agenda as a guide for action within countries and will monitor progress towards that goal. Monitoring will be based on quantitative and qualitative indicators at the national and local levels.

The Conference's five-part global plan of action: strategies for implementation is contained in chapter IV of the Agenda and represents more than 145 paragraphs. The plan elaborates on actions to be taken to achieve adequate shelter for all: sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world; capacity-building and institutional development; international cooperation and coordination; and implementation and follow-up of the global plan of action. It describes ways to promote efficient land markets and sustainable land use, mobilize sources of financing and facilitate access to land and security of tenure. It proposes actions that governments can take to integrate shelter policies with macro-economic, social and environmental policies, and to improve shelter delivery systems.

The global plan of action's two principal goals can be pursued at the local level through an enabling process in which individuals, families and their communities play a central role. Implementation of these measures must be adapted to the specific situation of each locality. In addition to enablement, the strategy of the global plan of action is based on transparency and participation. The plan emphasizes that local authorities and other interested parties are on the front line in achieving the goals of Habitat II.

Section B of the global plan of action -- adequate shelter for all -- identifies actions required for shelter policies, shelter delivery systems and vulnerable groups. The provision of adequate housing requires action by governments and all sectors of society. Within the context of an enabling approach, governments should promote the realization of that right by prohibiting any discrimination and ensuring legal security of tenure and equal access to land. A second fundamental objective is to enable markets to function efficiently. Governments should reduce the vulnerability of those who lack security of tenure or are inhibited from the shelter markets.

In elaborating on action to be taken to achieve the goals of sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world -- section C -- the plan of action focuses on areas such as sustainable land use; social development; eradication of poverty; creation of productive employment and social integration; population and sustainable human settlements development; environmentally sustainable, healthy and livable human settlements; conservation and rehabilitation of historical and cultural heritage; sustainable energy use; sustainable transport and communication systems; improving urban economies; balanced development of settlements in rural regions; and disaster prevention.

Section D -- capacity-building and institutional development -- proposes actions on decentralization and strengthening of local authorities and the associations/networks; popular participation, civic engagement; human settlements management; metropolitan planning and management; domestic financial resources and economic instruments; and information and communication.

Human settlements management is a new section added since the preparatory session and calls for actions to facilitate capacity-building and institutional development for such management. It also calls for the actions to support training programmes in the field and to promote comprehensive training education and human resources development policy that are gender sensitive. Under domestic financial resources and economic instruments, it is stated that "financing the future of urban development and sustaining the economic viability of cities will require innovative systems of finance at the national and local levels".

The entire section of the draft plan of action -- Section E, on international cooperation and coordination -- was agreed on in the final negotiations. States agree that there is an urgent need to redefine and resuscitate the existing processes and structures of cooperation and to evolve new and innovative forms of cooperation to enable humankind to face the challenges of development of rural and urban areas. There is a need for the political will of all States and for specific action at the international level to encourage new forms of cooperation, partnership and coordination at all levels and investment from all sources.

Two paragraphs in section E -- 146 and 150 -- were agreed on during the final meeting. The adopted text of paragraph 146 refers to "action on questions of financing of development, external debt, international trade and transfer of technology to developing countries". An additional text refers to the human settlement goals being "facilitated by positive actions on the issues of finance, external debt, international trade and transfer of technology". Paragraph 150 addresses the issue of "striving to fulfil the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the GNP of the developed countries for the ODA as soon as possible" and "striving to fulfil the target, where agreed, of 0.15 per cent of the GNP of the developed countries for assistance to the least developed countries as soon as possible and to increase the share of funding for adequate shelter and human settlements development programmes".

In seeking innovative approaches and frameworks for international cooperation, the Agenda calls for the promotion of an enabling international context; financial resources and economic instruments; technology transfer and information exchange; technical cooperation; and institutional cooperation. The part on financial resources was consolidated into one part from the five sections with a number of deletions on certain aspects of financial resources and economic instruments. One of the paragraphs deleted had referred to achieving the agreed targets of 0.7 per cent of the GNP of the ODA and 0.15 per cent of the GNP for assistance to the least developed countries.

Regarding the final section -- the implementation and follow-up of the global plan of action -- the Conference adopted strategies for implementation at the national and international levels; with the involvement of local authorities and civil society, including the private sector; and for the evaluation of policies, action and strategies by means of indicators and best practices. The Conference decided that the main intergovernmental actors at the global level for the implementation and follow-up of the Habitat Agenda will continue to be all States, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and in particular, the Commission on Human Settlements, according to its mandate and role as defined by the Assembly.

The Assembly should include an item on its agenda for the fifty-first session on the implementation of the outcome of the Conference. It is called on to take up the issue of human settlements in the context of sustainable development at its special session to be convened in 1997 to review Agenda 21. The Assembly would also hold a special session in 2006 for an overall mid-term review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of Habitat II and would consider further actions and initiatives.

The plan also proposes that the Economic and Social Council oversee system-wide coordination in the plan's implementation and make recommendations in that regard. That body will also be invited to review the plan's implementation at its substantive session of 1997.

The revised text of two paragraphs (166 and 175) of the section were adopted during the final meeting. Paragraph 166 focuses on the potential for the regional commissions, in cooperation with regional intergovernmental organizations and banks to convene high level meetings to review progress made in implementing the outcome of Habitat II. Paragraph 175 invites the Secretary-General to ensure effective coordination of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda in the United Nations system. The role of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) is highlighted and invited to establish a task force on the Habitat Agenda. The sentence calling for the full participation of the Centre for Human settlements in the ACC's work was deleted in the revision, along with a call for the Centre to be headed at the level of Under-Secretary-General.

While the roles of the intergovernmental bodies are fully elaborated, that of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) remains within well-defined objectives and strategic issues "within its mandate". Its primary role would be to provide substantive servicing of the Commission on Human Settlements and other intergovernmental bodies concerned with adequate shelter for all.

Role of Partners in Implementing Agenda

The contributions of civil society were discussed in Committee II, the "Partners' Committee". During the dialogue, union representatives argued that the fall in assistance to developing countries has hurt social development. Governments should find other resources for social programmes by cutting military spending. The labour union community called for a new era of action by governments and multilateral organizations, with commitment to human rights, including "human security", which implies the right to work, to nutrition and shelter.

Those non-governmental organizations focusing on gender issues highlighted the need for new forms of resource-sharing. The danger of non-governmental organizations being manipulated by individuals, groups or governments was pointed out, and they were urged to prepare their own policy platforms and base their work on dialogue. The non-governmental organizations stated that the roles of various actors should be clearly defined. The parliamentarians called for the strengthening of community involvement in city development and stressed the role parliamentarians could play in promoting laws to ensure healthy cities.

In the dialogue with the World Business Forum, it was argued that partnerships between society and the business world should be to the benefit of both sides. Participants unanimously advocated greater social responsibility for corporations in the provision of adequate housing. Corporations were urged to invest in social infrastructure, especially in education and health care since they would gain from a productive labour force. During discussions on the United Nations system, delegates appreciated the way those organizations worked together to prepare Habitat II, adding that the coordinated effort should be carried into the implementation of the Agenda.

Parallel Activities

Also referred to as the Conference of partnerships, Habitat II created numerous forums during its preparatory process, which culminated in Istanbul. Each of the partners held a two-day forum from 30 May to 1 June to finalize the strategy papers they presented to Committee II. The World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities was held at the Harbiye Cultural Centre, Istanbul. The Habitat II NGO Forum took place simultaneously, from 30 May to 14 June, at the Taskila Campus of the Istanbul Technical University. The Forum served as a bridge between Habitat II and the non-governmental organizations. Those organizations took part in negotiating the Agenda.

Other Activities

On 4 June, an award ceremony was held for the 12 "Best Practices" for improving the living environment. Those initiatives received awards sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Dubai Municipality. Best practices are initiatives undertaken by governments, local authorities, grass-roots organizations and other actors that have been effective in solving some of the most pressing economic, social, and environmental problems of an urbanizing world. Most of the submissions will be included in a Good Practice Database so as to share their experience as widely as possible.

Officers of Conference

The President of the Conference was President Suleyman Demirel of Turkey. The following were Vice-Presidents: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, China, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Nepal, Peru, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Turkey was elected ex-officio Vice-President.

The National Director of Land Management of Uruguay, Ricardo Gorosito, was elected the Conference's Rapporteur-General. The Chairmen of Committees I and II were Shafqat Kakakhel (Pakistan) and Martti Lujanen (Finland), respectively.

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