INTERNATIONAL FORUM TO REDUCE URBAN POVERTY LAUNCHED
Press Release
HAB/147
INTERNATIONAL FORUM TO REDUCE URBAN POVERTY LAUNCHED
19971117 NAIROBI, 14 November (Habitat) -- The International Forum on Urban Poverty, a global network to empower the urban poor, was officially launched in Florence, Italy, on Thursday, 13 November.The Forum was launched at the concluding ceremony of the International Conference on Urban Poverty, which brought together 185 participants representing governments, local authorities, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, international aid agencies and research institutions from around the world.
Jointly organized by the Nairobi-based United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the Municipality of Florence, the Conference was funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swiss Development Cooperation, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Florence Centre, Istituto degli Innocenti, Telecom Italia and Beatini Multivision.
A representative of Habitat explained that the main objective of the Forum was to influence public opinion and to advocate for the adoption of new policies for poverty reduction in urban areas. Habitat estimates that there are approximately 1 billion people living in poverty in cities and towns, the majority in developing countries, but a growing number in the developed world. Most live in housing of such poor quality that their lives and health are under continuous threat.
The Forum is a network of organizations -- representing all sectors of society -- which will not only exchange experiences in urban poverty reduction, but will actively assist initiatives geared to fighting poverty at the local level. The Forum's initial membership will consist of partner groups attending the Florence Conference. Later, a Coordinating Committee will be established from among representatives of the members, including national and local governments, local authorities, associations, non- governmental organizations and United Nations agencies.
The Forum is an international partnership for the exchange of ideas and the elaboration of pro-poor policies. It has an action-oriented agenda that emphasizes tangible achievements, explained Habitat officials. The Forum will not replace local actors and organizations, but will help focus their objectives with appropriate technical and political resources.
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The guiding principles of the Forum's work will be good governance and participation. According to the organizers of the Florence Conference, "it is now widely recognized that the effective participation of the poor in decision-making is critical to the reduction of their poverty. Genuine participation is a key ingredient of good governance, which in turn, is a pre-condition for adopting effective poverty-reduction strategies in urban areas." In that respect, the reduction of gender inequalities will also be a key concern of the Forum, as the majority of the urban poor are female.
Capacity-building, or empowerment, will be one of the most important elements of the Forum's activities. In this regard, the Forum is committed to supporting a number of initiatives in the following areas: urban safety and crime prevention; transport; shelter, employment and the informal city; and child-friendly cities. One of the most important ways it will carry out its activities will be by encouraging and supporting capacity-building institutions around the world to gear their programmes towards combating urban poverty.
For more information contact Rasna Warah, UNCHS (Habitat) Information Officer, tel: (+39-55) 242752 (morning) or (+39-55) 276 85 85 (afternoon).
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