CALL FOR CITIES WITHOUT SLUMS AT WORLD HABITAT DAY OBSERVANCE

CALL FOR CITIES WITHOUT SLUMS AT WORLD HABITAT DAY OBSERVANCE

(Reissued as received)

FUKUOKA/NAIROBI, 1 October (Habitat): In his message on the occasion of World Habitat Day, Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, called on the international community and citizens everywhere to “pledge to do their part in turning slums into sustainable neighbourhoods fit for families, fit for living, fit for the future”.

The Secretary-General’s message was read out to the delegates assembled at a ceremony in Fukuoka, Japan by Anna Tibaijuka, the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).  The message, which was on this year’s theme of Cities without Slums, pointed out that millions of men and women are converging on cities each year in search of jobs and a better life for their children, but “ for all too many of them, that dream has yet to become a reality”.

In her address Mrs. Tibaijuka reinforced the Secretary-General’s message stating that in these uncertain times, when the world has been reminded of the frailty of human settlements, enduring peace will not be possible if men and women have no security in their jobs and in their homes.  “In a heavily interdependent world, a major source of future fear and conflict lies within the divided city”, said Mrs. Tibaijuka.  “Cites without slums may well hold the key to a future without conflict.  Therefore, we must attack poverty but not the poor; get rid of slums and not slum dwellers and we must remove squatting and not squatters.”

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of every October as World Habitat Day.  This is a day to remind the world of its collective responsibilities to the future of the human habitat.  This year the global observances were held in Fukuoka, Japan, the home of Habitat’s regional office in Asia and  the Pacific.

Mrs. Tibaijuka was welcomed to the opening ceremony by the Wataru Aso, Governor of Fukuoka, who reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting Habitat’s work in the region.  In his opening address Hirotaro Yamasaki, the Mayor of Fukuoka, offered the expertise of the municipality in supporting city-to-city exchange.  The chief guest at the observances was Hiroo Kinoshita, Senior Adviser to the Minister for Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

During the opening ceremony, Mrs. Tibaijuka presented this year’s Habitat Scroll of Honour awards to those recipients who were able to attend the ceremony.  This included the Mayor of Hangzhou Municipal Government in China, who received an award for radically improving the urban environment through large-scale investment in housing and infrastructure.

The Bremer Beginhof Modell project in Germany was awarded the Scroll of Honour for improving shelter conditions, safety and quality of life for single women though innovative housing solutions.

The Centre of Housing Rights and Eviction, based in Geneva, Switzerland, received an award for its commitment to a human rights approach as a basis for alleviating homelessness, inadequate housing and for combating arbitrary forced evictions world wide.

Fukuoka City received an award for creating the most livable city in Asia, while the Chairperson and the Cooperating Committee for the UNCHS (Habitat) Fukuoka Office were also given a special citation for building an effective partnership between the UNCHS (Habitat) and private corporations in Japan.

This year, Habitat recognized the important role played by the media in improving human settlements by awarding a Scroll of Honour to Asiaweek, a regional magazine based in Hong Kong, China, for regularly publishing a comprehensive rating system for the performance of Asian cities.  The Television Trust for the Environment, which is based in London, England, also received an award for promoting informed debate on the broadcast media about the challenges of urban development.  

World Habitat Awards  -- which are given annually by the Building and Social Housing Foundation of the United Kingdom -- were also presented to two projects.  The first went to the Orangi Low Cost Hosing Programme in Pakistan, which has transformed the living environment of the Orangi shanty settlement in Karachi.  A prize was also given to the East Lake Commons Conservation Community in Atlanta, United States, for successfully demonstrating that residential development can be carried out in a social, ecological and sustainable manner.

The opening of the World Habitat Day Observance in Fukuoka was followed by the presentation of a keynote speech by Yasushi Akashi, chairman of the Japan Centre for Preventive Diplomacy and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.  Mr. Akashi discussed the role of the United Nations, pointing out that Cities without Slums and the work of the United Nations would be best served by increased contributions from Member States.

Over the week, a panel discussion will be held on a better living environment, as will a seminar on securing land for the urban poor.  At an exhibition of children’s art from all over the world around the theme “Our City, Our Town”, the children of Fukuoka showed Mrs. Tibaijuka a garland of over 1000 origami cranes -- a traditional gesture of comfort and condolences -- that the children of Fukuoka will send to the children of New York.

For further information please contact:

Sharad Shankardass, or Zahra Hassan, Media & Press Relations Unit, UNCHS (Habitat);

Tel: (254-2) 623153, 62315; Fax: (254-2) 624060;

E-mail: habitat.press@unchs.org; Web site:www.unchs.org.   or

Disa Weerapana, Asia and the Pacific Regional Office;

UNCHS (Habitat); Tel: (81-92) 724-7121; Fax: (81-92) 724-7124;

E-mail: habitat.fukuoka@unchs.org; Web site:www.fukuoka.unchs.org.

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