Second world urban forum in Barcelona 13-17 September

(Reissued as received.)

NAIROBI, 6 September (UN HABITAT) -- With only one week to go, the Second World Urban Forum has already attracted over 4,000 registered participants.  To be held from 13-17 September, in Barcelona, Spain as part of the Universal Forum of Cultures, the opening ceremony will be a glittering ceremony, hosted by Mayor Joan Clos of Barcleona with, amongst others, Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Martti Ahtisaari, former president of Finland.  At the opening ceremony, H.E. Rafic Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, is to receive the Special Citation UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour Award from Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT.

"Rapid urbanization is fast becoming one of the major challenges facing the international community, and the World Urban Forum offers an opportunity to discuss both the problems and the possibilities of the phenomenon.  In a world beset by conflict and intolerance, the theme of the second World Urban Forum -- "Cities:  Crossroads of culture, inclusiveness and integration" -- could not be more relevant.  It is critical the world's cities, now home to a majority of the world's population, are safe places where all people can benefit from urban development", said. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The World Urban Forum is a key United Nations event on the international calendar designed to help highlight the problems and possibilities of cities.  With 50 per cent of the world's population already living in urban areas, and the figure set to increase within the next 50 years to two thirds of humanity, the Forum is intended to help the world community meet one of the main challenges of the new Millennium -- Urbanization.

Today, despite the many benefits of globalization, we are living through a period when international conflicts are being played out on every street corner.  At the same time, many cities suffer from an urban historical process that segregates ethnic minorities and excludes the poor.  Slums are already home to one billion people and, over the next 30 years, that figure could double.  This is why, the theme of the Second World Urban Forum is “Cities:  Crossroads of cultures, inclusiveness and integration”.

"This theme is posed as a question because in these difficult times, how often is civil conflict caused by misunderstandings between peoples who live in the same city, peoples with different beliefs and histories?  When there is prejudice and violence of group against group, how often is it the result of using cultural or class difference as a basis for exclusion?" said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka.  "It is our hope that this World Urban Forum will focus the world's attention on how cities can fulfil their role as meeting places for cultures -- places, large or small, that encourage different peoples to come together for trade, work, and intellectual exchange.  There is no more important task facing a globalising world than to prepare us for living in a multicultural society.  After all, our greatest cities create joy through diversity."

The World Urban Forum centres around dialogues.  The aim is to provide an open forum for debate and discussion for everyone from government officials and Mayors to slum dwellers.  Simply stated, the World Urban Forum is a think tank that does away with the formal rules of procedure which usually govern official United Nations meetings.  At this World Urban Forum there will be nine dialogues that are divided into two distinct clusters.  Dialogue One that focuses on partnerships for improving urban governance and Dialogue Two that focuses on thematic issues of concern to cities.  For more information about the Dialogues, over 50 networking events and special events like a hip-hop concert, check out the website:  www.unhabitat.org/wuf.

For further information, please contact:  Ms. Zahra A. Hassan, Press & Media Relations Unit, Information Services UN-HABITAT, tel.:  254 2 623151, fax:  254 2 624060, e-mail:  ahra.hassan@unhabitat.org

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