DRAFTS INTRODUCED IN SECOND COMMITTEE ON CONVENING OF LDC CONFERENCE IN 2000, DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP, COOPERATION BETWEEN UN AND SADC

31 October 1997

Press Release
GA/EF/2782

DRAFTS INTRODUCED IN SECOND COMMITTEE ON CONVENING OF LDC CONFERENCE IN 2000, DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP, COOPERATION BETWEEN UN AND SADC

19971031 Committee Concludes Consideration of Food And Sustainable Agricultural Development, Outcome of Habitat II

The General Assembly would decide to convene a third United Nations conference on the least developed countries in the year 2000, by the terms of one of three draft resolutions introduced this afternoon in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial).

Sponsored by the "Group of 77" developing countries and China and introduced by the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania, the draft would have the Assembly decide that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would be the focal point for the preparation of the conference. The Secretary-General would be requested to mobilize resources to ensure the participation of at least two representatives from each of the least developed countries, both at the preparatory committee meetings and at the conference itself.

By another draft sponsored by the Group of 77 and China, the Assembly would reaffirm the continued need to strengthen constructive dialogue and genuine partnership to promote further international economic cooperation for development. The Secretary-General would be requested to begin consultations with Member States to arrive at an early decision on the modalities, focus of the discussions and date of the first two-day high-level dialogue to be held during the Assembly's fifty-third session. The theme of the dialogue would be social and economic impact of globalization and interdependence and their policy implications.

A draft resolution introduced by the representative of South Africa would have the Assembly call upon Member States and the United Nations system that had not yet established contact and relationships with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to do so.

Also this afternoon, the Committee considered the implementation of the outcome of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (Istanbul, June 1996).

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Several speakers expressed concern about financial management and accountability at the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. They urged the Centre to show more integrity and transparency in its operations so as to restore the confidence of donors in its work and to be able to achieve the goals of the Habitat Agenda. Other speakers, however, felt that the Centre had carried out enough reforms, and it should be allowed to do its work. They asked the international community to provide the Centre with necessary support to fulfil its mandate.

Statements were made by the representatives of Luxembourg (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Kenya, Turkey, United States, Japan, Lithuania, Ukraine and Indonesia. A representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also addressed the Committee. The Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, Darshan Johal, made an introductory statement.

In addition, the Committee completed its consideration of food and sustainable agricultural development. Statements were made by the representatives of Botswana and Syria.

Towards the end of the meeting, the representative of Peru noted with concern that during the Committee's discussion there had been a paper circulated regarding a candidacy for the Economic and Social Council, adding that that issue was not on the Committee's agenda and such campaigning was not allowed in the rules of procedure of the General Assembly.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 3 November, to begin its consideration of women in development and human resources development.

Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this afternoon to conclude its consideration of food and sustainable agricultural development, under the general heading "sectoral policy questions", and to consider, under the general heading "sustainable development and international economic cooperation", the implementation of the outcome of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II).

The Committee was also scheduled to hear the introduction of three draft resolutions on the following topics: cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership, and implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s.

The Committee has before it the report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the work of its sixteenth session, held in Nairobi from 28 April to 7 May (document A/52/8).

Contained in the report are two resolutions requiring action by the General Assembly.

By a draft text on the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, the Assembly would adopt the Plan of Action for the Strategy for the period 1998-1999, and urge governments, relevant United Nations and private sector organizations and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to prepare and implement their specific plans of action. Governments would also be urged, in implementing their national plans of action, to strengthen integrated national shelter strategies based on sustainable development. Organizations of the United Nations system, particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other multilateral agencies would be urged to provide increased financial and other support to governments for achieving the objective of adequate shelter for all.

The other draft concerns follow-up to Habitat II and the future role of the Commission on Human Settlements. The six-part text would have the Assembly reaffirm that the Commission, as a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council, should have a central role in monitoring, within the United Nations system, the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and advising the Council thereon. In view of the importance of non-governmental organizations, local authorities, the private sector and research organizations in the promotion of human settlements development, it would also decide that such organizations should be encouraged to participate in the work of the Commission.

The Assembly would further decide that the Commission, in fulfilling its mandate, shall assist the Council in monitoring, reviewing and assessing the progress made in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, among other measures, through the analysis of relevant inputs from governments, local

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authorities and their associations, relevant non-governmental organizations and the private sector. The Commission would be urged to adopt a multi-year work programme for a focused and thematic approach, which would provide a framework to assess the progress achieved in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and would be in line with the coordinated follow-up to conferences, culminating in an overall review and appraisal of the Habitat Agenda in the year 2001. The Assembly would recognize that the methods of work of the Commission should be revitalized in order to improve its profile and attract high-level political participation.

The report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 (document A/52/8/Add.1) covers the period from May 1995 until the conclusion of the Commission's sixteenth session in May 1997. It contains a brief overview of the action taken by governments to put enabling shelter strategies into effect. The implementation of the strategy has been guided by succeeding plans of action, including the plan of action for the period 1998-1999, which is contained in the report's annex. The plan of action is directly linked to the Habitat Agenda.

According to the report, countries are at different stages in the implementation of their national shelter strategies. In many countries, the decision of the State to withdraw from the provision of housing and to leave it to the market to provide housing has not been accompanied by the required strengthening of the public sector's role as a facilitator. Facilitating action, such as revised legislation, institutional strengthening, reforms in land policy and new financial mechanisms for infrastructure and housing development, proved to be difficult policy areas, but there are signs that progress is being made.

The wide application of the urban housing indicators is a positive trend that has the potential to become an important policy tool, the report states. The increased level of participation in the housing sector by civil society is another positive development. The growing access to information technology and the availability of information on best practices will further enhance the capacity of the civil society to play a more active role.

While increasing number of countries are addressing the key issues of land supply, security of tenure and housing finance, action is still limited at the global level, according to the report. Many developing countries are unable to devote the necessary resources for the provision of infrastructure to improve existing settlements and to open up new lands for housing developments.

The Secretary-General's report on the implementation of the outcome of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (document A/52/181-E/1997/77) was prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 51/177, which asked for recommendations to implement the decisions of the Conference. According to the report, several of the General Assembly's recommendations are being implemented.

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The Commission on Human Settlements addressed many of them at its sixteenth session and recommended further actions for the General Assembly's consideration. It decided to structure its next two sessions around the following four areas: adequate shelter for all, including the monitoring of the global shelter strategy; sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world; capacity-building and institutional development; and international cooperation and coordination. The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, for its part, is pursuing those aspects of the recommendations related to its programme and the strengthening of cooperation and coordination with United Nations agencies and outside organizations as well as with civil society partners in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.

Stressing the fact that each country has the primary responsibility for implementing the Habitat Agenda, the report noted that international financial and technical resources would have to be fully mobilized to support those efforts, especially in developing countries. The increasing importance in that context of private sector investments should also be noted.

Draft resolutions

A draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community (document A/C.2/52/L.7) would have the Assembly call upon Member States and the United Nations system that had not yet established contact and relationships with the Community to do so. The international community would be called on to support the creation of special economic zones and development corridors in the Community, especially the Maputo Development Corridor, which is already under implementation, with the active participation of the private sector. The Assembly would request the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Executive Secretary of the Community, to continue to intensify contacts aimed at promoting and harmonizing cooperation between the Organization and the Community.

The resolution is sponsored by Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

By a draft resolution, sponsored by the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, the Assembly would reaffirm the continued need to renew the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership (document A/C.2/52/L.11). The Secretary- General would be requested to begin consultations with Member States in order to arrive at an early decision on the modalities, focus of the discussions and date -- including a date shortly before the Assembly's fifty-third session -- of the first two-day high-level dialogue on the theme of the social and economic impact of globalization and interdependence and their policy implications to be held during the Assembly's next regular session. The Assembly would further request the Secretary-General, in close cooperation with governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations and other development actors, to make initial preparations for such a dialogue.

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By another draft resolution sponsored by the Group of 77 and China the Assembly would decide to convene the third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries at a high level in the year 2000 (document A/C.2/52/L.12). It would decide that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would be the focal point for the preparation of the conference. The Assembly would also decide to convene an intergovernmental preparatory committee by early 2000 to prepare for the conference, preceded by three expert-level preparatory meetings, two in Africa, one of which would include the Americas, and one in Asia and the Pacific.

The Assembly would call upon all governments, intergovernmental and multilateral institutions to take appropriate steps to ensure that adequate preparations are made for the conference and to participate effectively in the above-mentioned preparatory meetings. The Secretary-General would be requested to ensure the mobilization of the necessary resources for the participation of at least two representatives from each of the least developed countries, both at the preparatory committee meetings and at the conference itself, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-third session.

Statements on Food and Agricultural Development

KETLHOMILWE MOLETSANE (Botswana) said the whole world needed to move toward "ecological agriculture", which was the only production system that ensured sustainable management of the land base. Food and sustainable agricultural development must be viewed in the context of the ability of Member States to feed their people on a sustainable basis. The use of agro- chemicals, heavy machineries and high technology in modern agriculture had adversely contributed to the decline of soil fertility which had dampened food production. The international community needed to ensure the efficient use of land for greater food production and productivity at the household level.

The international community should also view food and sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation and natural resources management and utilization as one issue, he said. Therefore, the potential for improving food security involved addressing the specific elements of natural resources management in the overall policy framework.

Research efforts in Botswana were being made to identify natural resources which had nutritious and medicinal value, he said. The intention was to cultivate those natural resources in order to enhance food security at the household level. It had become evident that some of those natural resources had a high economic potential. An example was "Kalahari Devil's Claw" which had already penetrated the export market. Botswana was faced with the formidable task of making the transition to a development process that was economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Efforts to increase local production in the arable agricultural subsector continued to improve food security at the household level. Yet his Government could not succeed in its efforts without the international community's support.

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* HUSSAM-EDIN A'ALA (Syria) said efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition represented a moral duty to present and future generations. Those problems must be considered before considering the issue of sustainable development. Eight million people suffered from severe hunger and malnutrition. The international community must deal with those problems with practical solutions and specific programmes based on international, national and regional efforts. The World Food Summit was an important step in the right direct in achieving a political consensus. It was important to transform that international consensus into practical action.

National efforts in achieving the objectives of the Food Summit often faced major economic obstacles, he said. The growing gap between rich and poor made the situation even worse. In addition, there were financial pressures stemming from prices of agricultural goods in developing countries. Those countries also faced other numerous problems, including drought, desertification and armed conflict, which had negative effects on sustainable development. In order to eliminate poverty and malnutrition, the international community must ensure that there was a favourable international economy and trade environment as well as true international solidarity.

In implementing the Rome Plan of Action, his Government had given high priority to food production, and important achievements had been made in diversifying agricultural goods. In addition, Syria was working with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other food organization in its attempts to improve rural development.

Statements on Human Settlements

DARSHAN JOHAL, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, said the Habitat Centre must concentrate on addressing the two substantive themes of the Habitat Agenda directly. Those themes were the achievement of adequate shelter for all and the promotion of socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world. Those were essential to maintain the momentum of Habitat II, to keep all of its partners on board, and to build upon the goodwill and enthusiasm created by the Conference for political and financial support. The Centre also must streamline its work towards well-defined objectives and strategic issues that were catalytic to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. In these times of diminishing resources, the Centre must learn to do more with less. That would require effective management and administration of its financial and human resources.

The process of change in the Centre's financial and management structure should be accelerated given the urgency of the situation and United Nations reform, he said. That would explain the recent management changes at the Centre announced by the Secretary-General, which must be understood as signalling a new phase in the work of the centre. The new phase would also be shaped by the aftermath of the Habitat II Conference, a rigorous and focused implementation of the Habitat Agenda, a streamlined organizational structure

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and a programme of work concentrated on priorities and designed to have the maximum beneficial impact.

A reasonable level of resources would be critical to the work of the Centre in the coming years, he said. The Commission stressed that the Centre must have adequate, stable and predictable funding for its activities, adding that resource mobilization, including the urgent need to broaden its funding base, should receive due attention.

HENRI SCHUMACHER (Luxembourg), speaking on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Cyprus, said the Istanbul Conference had acknowledged that national governments, at every appropriate level, were primarily responsible for implementing the Habitat Agenda. The active participation of civil society and local authorities was also important and should serve as an example for activities at the national level. The international community would have to provide support to complement national efforts. The United Nations needed to adopt, as it had done with other conferences, an integrated and coherent approach throughout its system.

The European Union was concerned by the financial irregularities and working methods of the Centre, he said. In view of the seriousness of the problems identified in the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, action would have to be taken as quickly as possible to remedy the present situation, which was in danger of seriously compromising the Centre's position as one of the focal points for the implementation of the Istanbul action plan. The Centre must apply effective and transparent management and decision-making methods which forced those in charge to be responsible for their actions.

There was a need to go beyond corrective action of a strictly administrative and budgetary nature and carry out a broader restructuring of the Centre, he said. That restructuring would have to aim for overall revitalization and might benefit considerably from the analyses and recommendations contained in the report of the quadripartite appraisal mission (South Africa, Denmark, Netherlands and Uganda), which was published last March.

KYUL-HO KWAK (Republic of Korea) said partnership among local authorities, the private sector and non-governmental organizations was vital to improved planning, resources mobilization and investment in human settlements development. The global promotion of effective mechanisms to enhance information-sharing would significantly empower local authorities to shape their own destiny.

Reviewing his country's housing policies, he said they focused on the promotion of market-oriented economic and financial policy, the promotion of the housing industry, environmentally-friendly construction technologies and

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improving the housing finance and taxation system to cope with the increased demand for a higher standard of living. Given the monumental task of implementing the Habitat Agenda, all governments and the international community as a whole should support the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements.

VASSILI NEBENZIA (Russian Federation) said his Government attached great importance to the objectives in the Habitat Agenda. The world was now at the stage of practical implementation of those decisions and needed to take action, including creating ecologically clean structures and engineering the infrastructures of cities and regions.

The decisions and results of the sixteenth session of the Commission had been vital in strengthening and revitalizing that body so it could effectively carry out its work, he said. He called for the earliest implementation to be taken on those decisions. The Commission brought together architects, city- builders and engineers who shared their different points of view. Such exchanges were important in the formation of decisions taken at the international level. New ways to attract additional financial and intellectual resources to the Commission must be sought.

While it had been announced that the Secretary-General would submit a proposal regarding the functioning of the Centre for Human Settlements, his Government believed that the time prior to the submission of the report should not be wasted, he said. Early measures directed at enhancing the effectiveness of the Centre must be taken. His Government stressed the importance of the decisions of Habitat II regarding countries with economies in transition and hoped that the recent activities of the Centre would bring about the practical results and the implementation of the Centre's housing projects in the Russian Federation.

XIMENA DE LA BARRA, Senior Urban Adviser of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said the mortality rates of children in the urban slums and squatter settlements could be five times higher in the more wealthy districts. Child labour, neglect, sexual exploitation, hopelessness and barriers to education currently constituted the condition of too many urban children. During the City Summit in Istanbul, UNICEF had launched the Child- Friendly Cities Initiative. The Initiative was a programming approach based upon the Convention on the Rights of the Child and designed to reach previously unreachable children in urban areas. The main features of the Initiative were: establishing and strengthening partnerships to undertake concerted action in favour of urban poor children; and developing child- centred local plans of action that would serve as a convergent strategy to incorporate both Agenda 21 and the Habitat Agenda at the sub-national level.

Improving analytical capabilities within the United Nations system to detect intra-urban disparities and vulnerabilities was central to the Initiative's efforts, she said. It also required empowering poor communities

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through the transfer of resources and training to become the leading partners in their own development process. In addition, the capacity of local authorities must be built in order to help them fulfil their role of supporting communities and reversing disparities through equitable resource distribution. The UNICEF must continue to mobilize its partners to support the decentralization process. That could be achieved by devolving resources, decision-making power and technical capabilities to local governments, which were in a position to then further devolve power to the community level.

MARY ODINGA (Kenya) said the implementation of the Habitat Agenda would require adequate funding from public and private sectors, multilateral and bilateral sources as well as capacity-building, including the transfer of appropriate technology and know-how to the developing countries at grant and concessionary terms. Kenya called on the Secretary-General to urgently implement all the relevant measures adopted at the sixteenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements. That would increase donor confidence in funding Habitat activities. As the host country of the Habitat Centre, Kenya would like to see effective, accountable and transparent management of human and financial resources at the Centre.

Noting the Secretary-General's proposals on the necessity to take immediate steps to strengthen both the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Habitat, Kenya anticipated that the fundamental changes being considered would take into account the relevant General Assembly resolutions on their respective mandates as well as their dire need for new and additional resources for their programmes. Kenya was concerned that the Habitat Centre was experiencing inadequate finance due to the decision of some donors to withhold funds until reforms in the Centre's management were undertaken. The Centre needed stable, predictable and adequate funding to fulfil its mandate effectively.

TULUY TANC (Turkey) said pursuant to the goals and outcome of the Habitat Conference, his Government was actively considering the establishment of a Habitat regional office in Turkey. The office could offer its services to a large number of countries in Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. It also could effectively further the decentralization and outreach processes in which the Centre for Human Settlement was already engaged. His Government was working on that project in coordination with local authorities and other partners in Turkey and with the Centre, and hoped to receive the support of the countries in the region for the establishment and, eventually, the operational activities of the office.

His Government supported all the decisions taken by the Commission on Human Settlements at its sixteenth session, he said. Some of the decisions should have gone even further. The decision on the Commission's working methods should have provided for more active and structured participation by local authorities and civil society.

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The Centre for Human Settlements was currently going through a transition process that would continue into the coming year, he said. For the sake of its future role and operations, it was essential that the Centre was not denied the financial resources already pledged to it. Pledges by most of the major contributors were still to be honoured. Almost all of the other donors had paid. As a result of the unavoidable downsizing, the Centre was losing contracts and projects to other agencies. His Government appealed to those major donor countries to pay their pledges.

DEBORAH L. LINDE (United States) said the Centre for Human Settlements must operate with complete integrity and transparency to be able to play a vital role in achieving the goals of the Habitat Agenda. It must provide real leadership on sustainable development in urban areas. All countries and partners must be assured that the Centre had the management capacity and financial capability to effectively implement its work programme. Management and financial problems at the Centre had had a negative effect on its ability to implement the decisions of the Habitat II Conference.

Noting positive steps taken by the Secretary-General to rectify the situation, he said more actions were still needed before the Centre could be a viable entity capable of carrying out its mission effectively. Steps must be taken to restore the confidence of donors and recipients in the Centre's work. Fiscal accountability, oversight, financial responsibility, work programme reform and management needed to be addressed in order to achieve concrete results on the implementation of Habitat II. The United States called on the Secretary-General to take critical steps to ensure that the Centre met the reform benchmarks of the sixteenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements, particularly those dealing with budget, finance, management and work programme reform.

TETSUO KONDO (Japan) said enhancing the conditions in which people live required the close cooperation and active participation of governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations. The performance of the Centre for Human Settlements must be improved. It must be part of the system-wide reform of the United Nations. The recent establishment of a regional office in Fukuoka, Japan, represented another step in the process of decentralizing the Centre and enhancing its activities at the regional level.

Noting the declining financial support for Habitat activities, he said the Centre must reassess its operations and consider ways of making the most effective use of its limited budget. The Centre's financial difficulties must be addressed urgently. Japan was confident that the Centre would improve the efficiency and transparency of the operations of its secretariat. That would make the Centre better able to coordinate the activities of relevant organizations both in and outside the United Nations to improve the environment for human settlements throughout the world.

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RIMVYDAS PRANAITIS (Lithuania) said the shelter policy had changed completely after the restitution of Lithuania's independence. Legal, economic and social conditions had been established to ensure that everybody could develop a private initiative in the housing sector. His Government had adopted several laws, including the Law on Provision of Citizens with Dwellings which reflected the spirit of Habitat II. His Government had also set up an initiative to create favourable conditions for the financial market to meet the housing needs by providing long-term credits and mobilizing other financial resources for long-term investment. A recent initiative had enabled citizens who were eligible for State support to receive privileged loans from commercial banks for either housing construction or the purchase of dwellings.

His Government maintained professional relations with the Committee on Human Settlements of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and recognized its organization and methodological role, he said. The activity of the Committee allowed Lithuania to view its activity in a larger context. His Government would also appreciate the monitoring programme, based on housing and urban indicators, that could be organized by the Centre for Human Settlements. Lithuania would welcome the analysis carried out by experts concerning the activities of its institutions on housing and settlement development.

V. RESHETNYAK (Ukraine) said the establishment of an appropriate mechanism which could encourage the flow of investments into the housing sector of national economies and promote technical cooperation and exchange of modern technologies was in line with attaining the goals of the Habitat Conference. The Bretton Woods institutions, regional development banks and other bilateral and multilateral donors could play an important role in that process.

Explaining that appropriate legal basis, infrastructure and housing policy were being developed in the Ukraine, he said the European Union had rendered valuable technical assistance in support of the national efforts. That was a good example of how international cooperation in the field of human settlements could be translated into concrete measures aimed at improving the quality of life of all people, ensuring that the new urban world of the twenty-first century would be safer, healthier and sustainable.

MOCHAMAD SLAMET HIDAYAT (Indonesia) said since Habitat II, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements had gone through many difficulties. Those difficulties had limited its capacity to carry out its mandate. Noting that the Centre had carried out some of the required reforms, he said it was unfair to ask it to do more. That would make the Centre unable to do its work. The international community must support it to enable it to fulfil its mandate.

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Introduction of Draft Resolutions

MATHE DISEKO (South Africa) introduced the draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community.

A. MWAKAPUGI (United Republic of Tanzania), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, introduced the draft resolutions on renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership and implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s.

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