STRENGTHENED TECHNICAL COOPERATION COULD HELP COUNTRIES ACHIEVE HUMAN SETTLEMENT GOALS, SECOND COMMITTEE TOLD

30 October 1996

Press Release
GA/EF/2739

STRENGTHENED TECHNICAL COOPERATION COULD HELP COUNTRIES ACHIEVE HUMAN SETTLEMENT GOALS, SECOND COMMITTEE TOLD

19961030 Action on International Trade, External Debt Also Needed; Committee Concludes Discussion on Human Settlement Questions

Strengthened technical cooperation, through the establishment of cost-effective and accessible global information networks on human settlements, would help individual countries achieve the goals of the Habitat Agenda adopted at the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 3 to 14 June this year, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) was told this morning.

Speaking as the Committee concluded its debate on human settlement questions, the representative of the Philippines said the main responsibility for achieving the goals lay at the national level. However, she also underscored the need for positive and responsible action on a number of other issues that could particularly help developing countries implement the Agenda, such as financing for development, international trade, external debt and the transfer of technology.

The representative of the Republic of Korea said the United Nations system organizations, particularly the Commission on Human Settlements and the Centre for Human Settlements, should act as catalysts to support governments. Governments alone could not overcome the social and environmental difficulties facing their societies. Partnerships with civil society, non-governmental organizations and the private sector should be promoted to that end.

The reality that the vast majority of dwellings were inhabited by families should be taken into consideration and continually addressed as the Habitat Agenda was implemented, said the observer of the Holy See. Proper respect, protection and assistance for families was a vital component of any programme for development. Moreover, ways to integrate market forces with social commitments articulated by the international community at Habitat II should be found, he said.

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Also this morning, the Committee was told by the Senior Urban Adviser of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that the 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child, now ratified by 187 countries, provided a powerful tool for analysing the situation of children in urban areas. To that end, UNICEF had officially launched the Child Friendly Cities Network in Istanbul. That network worked to incorporate the commitments to the Convention on the Rights of the Child into the Habitat II Global Plan of Action.

Describing the work of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) following Habitat II, the Director of the Management Development and Governance Division of the Programme said that although its resources were limited, the UNDP had focused on assisting in the provision of adequate shelter through access to land, credit, construction materials and community level organizations, as well as by trying to remove gender imbalances.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Norway, Canada, India, Uruguay, Gambia and Lebanon.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to hear the introduction of draft resolutions on implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and implementation of the outcome of the global conference on the sustainable development of small island States. It will also hear the introduction of a draft text on operational activities for development and begin discussion on its agenda item on poverty eradication.

Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to continue its discussion of human settlement questions under its item on sustainable development and international economic cooperation. (For background information see Press Release GA/EF/2738 of 29 October.)

Human Settlements

RENATO R. MARTINO, Permanent Observer of the Holy See, said he believed that proper respect, protection and assistance for families was a vital component of any programme for development. Common experience showed that the vast majority of dwellings were inhabited by families. That was a reality that should be taken into consideration and continually addressed as the Habitat Agenda was implemented. In the wider context, however, it was the natural assistance given within the family which was the most basic support for those living in poverty. He was convinced that in the area of development, respect for and promotion of the family was essential.

In the ongoing debate about development, he said it was clear that market forces had become a strong and even a determining factor in the provision of goods and the achievement of economic growth. It would become increasingly necessary for the international community to study how to place those forces at the disposition of the poor and how to involve them and their needs in the context of the market, both within their own countries and on a global level. Ways should be found to integrate market forces with the social needs and commitments articulated by the international community, most recently at the Habitat II Conference.

Peace was the sine qua non of development, he said. More than any other single factor, war and violence brought about poverty and misery, and impeded any hope of a better life. It was contradictory and scandalous for the world community to hold international meetings to discuss how to overcome poverty and misery, when at the same time various countries were producing or using the very weapons that contributed to such suffering.

SVEIN ANDREASSEN (Norway) said issues that were discussed at Habitat II and included in the Habitat Agenda should have been given more prominence in the Secretary-General's report on the implementation and follow-up to the Conference. Those issues included: the responsibility of governments to facilitate participation at the local level of vulnerable groups; the need to integrate gender perspectives in policies and plans at all levels with increased focus on the importance of women as a resource in human settlements; a focus on the needs of children; the special needs of the physically challenged; and the role of indigenous peoples.

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He emphasized the special responsibility of governments to facilitate the participation of vulnerable groups. In addition, the resource which women at the grass-roots level represented must be properly recognized. The Government of Norway had allocated an amount towards the building of networks among women at the grass-roots level in Africa. The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements would be responsible for planning and execution of that project. He also attached importance to the issue of sustainable patterns of consumption and production. There was a need to provide a proper substantive and institutional framework within the United Nations for the issues of human settlements.

KYUL HO KWAK (Republic of Korea) said that while it was clear that the challenges of human settlements were global, each country faced a different set of problems that called for solutions tailored to its particular circumstances. It was vital that the development of sustainable human settlements be based upon the political, economic, social and cultural situation of each country and community. Governments alone, however, could not overcome the social and environmental difficulties facing their societies. Partnerships and cooperation should be promoted with civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and local authorities.

He emphasized that regional, subregional and international cooperation in the areas of finance and technology transfer, as well as experience and practices, were important to the realization of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlement development. The United Nations system, particularly the Commission on Human Settlements and the Centre for Human Settlements, should act as catalysts to support governments and the international community.

G. SHABBIR CHEEMA, Director, Management Development and Governance Division of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), speaking on behalf of Anders Wijkman, Assistant Administrator of the UNDP, said the UNDP had made a serious effort to assist developing countries in preparing for Habitat II. It had launched a publication series for the Conference on critical issues, such as urban agriculture, gender and housing, South-South cooperation and eco-technologies. It had also organized a round table on urbanization and globalization.

The Programme's mandate was to promote people-centred sustainable development, he said. To do that, it had supported thematic, multi-sectoral development programmes. Since its resources were limited, it had focused on alleviating urban poverty through anchored strategies and programmes and on assisting in the improvement of the quality of the urban and peri-urban environment, including rural-urban linkages. Moreover, it had focused on improving the capacity of local governments and administrations through support of decentralization. It had focused on assisting in the provision of

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adequate shelter through access to land, credit, construction materials and local and community-level organizations. There had been a special focus on small credit schemes, as well as on the elimination of gender imbalances.

XIMENA De La BARRA, Senior Urban Adviser, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said the Convention on the Rights of the Child, now ratified by 187 countries, provided a powerful tool for analysing the situation of children in urban areas and for developing programmes that responded to their needs and rights. In the urban context, she said those included the right of a child to: a nurturing and secure family environment; health; education; adequate housing; protection from violence and exploitation; and equal opportunities for girls and boys. For that reason, UNICEF had officially launched the Child Friendly Cities Network in Istanbul. That network, which included United Nations agencies, local governments, parliamentarians, non-governmental organizations, and academicians, had worked intensively to incorporate the commitments of the Convention on the Rights of the Child into the Habitat II Global Plan of Action.

Another significant achievement of the Habitat II process was the recognition that the well-being of children was a critical indicator of a healthy society, she said. That had been affirmed in both the Declaration of the World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities and the Global Plan of Action for Habitat II. For UNICEF, that was a victory for children. The agency's task now, along with its partners, was to put those words into action. One step in that direction was UNICEF's support of the international workshop on Africa's urban poor child, which would be held from 11 to 13 March in Accra, Ghana.

DENIS CHOUINARD (Canada) said the development of sustainable human settlements was inseparable from the development of just, safe, inclusive and prosperous societies. Significant progress had been made at Habitat II in the area of gender equality and the participation of women in the political, social and economic life of cities, towns and villages. That was also true in the area of promoting good governance, particularly at the local level. Canada recognized the benefits of decentralization when implemented in a participatory way.

It was important to integrate the notion of sustainable human settlements more systematically in an urbanizing world, he said. That could be done with greater national mobilization and renewed coordination within the United Nations and in the follow-up to various conferences. Ongoing dialogue with the civil society would also be helpful in that regard. Strengthened cooperation among local governments that were faced with similar problems, and between various levels of governments in each country, would be required. The development of healthy, safe, equitable and sustainable cities would help strengthen global peace, security and prosperity.

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SURJIT SINGH BARNALA (India) said it was imperative, in the follow-up to Habitat II, that the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements and the Centre for Human Settlements in Nairobi were strengthened. The Commission had played a crucial role as a global focal point, advocating, advising and assisting countries to formulate policies. As a result of adoption of the Habitat Agenda, the Commission must play an effective role in the implementation of the various commitments made in the Habitat II Global Plan of Action.

He said India had been guided in its approach to the sustainable development of human settlements by the interdependence of urban and rural areas. Measures to tackle the problem could not be considered in isolation from the development of the rural sectors of the economy. In its housing policy, India acknowledged that shelter and development were mutually supportive. Rural shelter development was a priority and housing formed an important part of Government strategy for poverty alleviation and employment generation. The Government had recognized the importance of gender equity and the empowerment of women in successfully pursuing strategies for sustainable human settlements. It also recognized that the approach to human settlements could not be separated from the general economic situation of a country. Sustained economic growth would provide the resources required to invest in human settlements.

BERNARDINO AYALA (Uruguay) underlined the crucial role of parliamentarians in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. He said they were ideally placed to act as a bridge between governments and civil society organizations in implementing the Agenda. Parliamentarians should set priorities for investment in sustainable human settlements and update legislation to ensure that human settlements did not deteriorate. His Government had submitted proposals to Latin American parliamentarians for the creation of a special commission to follow up on the Habitat Agenda at the regional level. Uruguay supported proposals for an independent entity within the United Nations system to ensure implementation of the Habitat Agenda.

MOMODOU KEBBA JALLOW (Gambia) said the realization of the Habitat Agenda was an important challenge that faced the international community. Highlighting the need for human-centred development in all regions, he said, the Agenda had focused on, among other things, alliance building, partnerships and the eradication of poverty. Numerous towns and cities in Africa faced serious sanitation, health and population control problems. Africa's support for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda was reflected in its national plans of action.

Gambia was committed to adequate and suitable shelters for its citizens and the eradication of poverty, he said. Its emphasis was on improving the quality of life of its citizens. To that end, it was focusing on promoting human resource development and capacity building. He stressed the importance

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of a policy dialogue between governments and communities. The planning process must be restructured to make it more dynamic, multi-sectoral and participatory. The follow-up activity by the UNDP was notable in that regard. Moreover, the Centre for Human Settlements' renewed mandate should strengthen and enhance it to better provide technical support to governments and communities.

HELENA Z. BENITEZ (Philippines) said Habitat II had been a partnership conference. For the first time international attention had been focused on the issue of the planning and management of human settlements. The main responsibility for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda rested at the national level. Her Government was committed to the full implementation of its national plan of action on shelter and human settlements. That comprehensive plan highlighted a holistic approach to sustainable human settlements. It was designed to fit neatly with all other national economic and social development plans and initiatives whose main focus was to improve the quality of life.

The national plan in the Philippines had outlined the mutually reinforcing roles of national and local governments and the private sector, she said. Achieving the Habitat Agenda goals at the national level, particularly in developing countries, would be facilitated by the promotion of an enabling international economic environment. She underscored the need for positive and responsible actions on such issues as financing for development, international trade, external debt and transfer of technology. It was also important to strengthen technical cooperation through the establishment of cost-effective and accessible global information networks on human settlements. She commended the early response to the Habitat Agenda, such as the World Bank's earmarking of $15 billion over the next five years for urban programmes and the launching of the Project Development Facility by the UNDP, in partnership with the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland.

HICHAM HAMDAN (Lebanon) said a huge national reconstruction programme, which will cost an estimated $20 billion, was under way in Lebanon, with the help of friendly countries, United Nations agencies and international financial institutions. A special ministry for the displaced had been created to rehabilitate infrastructures and help the approximately 100,000 displaced persons. He drew attention to a resolution of the Economic and Social Council which urged the United Nations system to increase their support for Lebanon's rehabilitation. He said Lebanon was still suffering from Israeli occupation. The country's situation was tragic. Peace was the sine qua non for Lebanon's sustainable development.

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