Report of the Commission on Human
Settlements* on the work of its seventeenth session (514 May 1999), as
approved by the General Assembly in June 1999
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Contents
I. Introduction
II. Organization of the
session
A. Opening of the session
B. Attendance
C. Election of officers
D. Credentials
E. Adoption of the agenda
F. Organization of work
G. Work of Committees I and II
H. Work of the Drafting Committee and adoption of resolutions by the Commission
I. Adoption of the report of the Commission
III.
Provisional agenda and other arrangements for the eighteenth session of the Commission
IV. Closure of the session
Annexes
I. Resolutions and decisions adopted by the
Commission at its seventeenth session
A. Resolutions
1. Resolution requiring action by the General Assembly
17/1 Follow-up to the United Nations
Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)
2. Other resolutions
17/2 Assistance for human settlements
reconstruction to Latin America and the Caribbean and other regions following recent
natural catastrophes
17/3 Countries with economies in transition
17/4 Regionalization
17/5 Role of the Committee of Permanent
Representatives to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
17/6 Views of the Commission on Human
Settlements on the report of the Secretary-General on environment and human settlements
17/7 Revitalization of the Habitat Centre
17/8 The State of the Worlds Cities: 1999
17/9 Illegal Israeli human settlements in the
occupied Palestinian territory
17/10 The rural dimension of sustainable
urban development
17/11 Women in human settlements
development and in the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
17/12 Elimination of the use of lead in
petrol
17/13 Global Strategy for Shelter to the
Year 2000
17/14 Resolution adopted by the Commission on
Human Settlements at its seventeenth session on the preparations for the special session
of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda
17/15 Follow-up to the special session
of the General Assembly for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of Agenda 21
17/16 Local implementation of the Habitat
Agenda with particular attention to local Agenda 21s
17/17 International cooperation for the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda
17/18 Cooperation with partners: role of
local authorities in the work of the Commission
17/19 Partnership with youth
17/20 Work programme and budget of the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) for the biennium 20002001
17/21 Habitat II debt to the United Nations
Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation
17/22 Cooperation between the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme
17/23 Ombudsman Unit services to the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
B. Decision
17/24 Themes for the eighteenth session of the
Commission on Human Settlements
II. Summaries by the Chair of the high-level segment
of the seventeenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements and of the dialogues
with local authorities and other Habitat Agenda partners
A. High-level segment of the plenary
B.
Dialogues with local authorities and other Habitat Agenda partners
III. Summary of opening statements
A. Statement by M. Afsarul Qader, Chair
of the Commission on Human Settlements at its sixteenth session
B. Policy statement by Klaus Töpfer,
Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
C. Statement by Daniel Toroitich arap
Moi, President of the Republic of Kenya
D. Statement by Germán Garcia Durán,
Chair of the Commission on Human Settlements at its seventeenth session
IV. Message from the Secretary-General to the
Commission on Human Settlements at its seventeenth session
V. Childrens Declaration presented to the
Commission on Human Settlements at its seventeenth session
VII. Statements made by the representatives of India
and the Russian Federation in explanation of vote on the motion to take no action on draft
resolution HS/C/17/L.4/Rev.1 entitled "Assistance in the Balkans in connection with
the conflict in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"
A. Statement by the representative
of India
B. Statement by
the representative of the Russian Federation
1. The Commission on Human
Settlements was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 32/162 of 19 December
1977.
2. The report of the Commission on the work of its seventeenth session
is submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with section II, paragraph 6, of
resolution 32/162.
3. The Commission consists of 58 members, each elected for a four-year
term: 16 from African States, 13 from Asian States, 6 from Eastern European States, 10
from Latin American and Caribbean States and 13 from Western European and other States.
The Commission is composed of the following members:
Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia,
Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland,
France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Islamic Republic of, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Lithuania, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Namibia,
Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation,
Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Viet Nam,
Zambia.
4. The seventeenth session of the Commission on
Human Settlements was held at the headquarters of the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat), Nairobi, from 5 to 14 May 1999.

II.
Organization of the session
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A. Opening of the session
5. The session was opened on Wednesday, 5 May 1999, by M. Afsarul
Qader, Chair of the Commission at its sixteenth session. A summary of his statement is
provided in annex IV.A.
6. Following the statement by Mr. Qader, a video-tape recording of a
message from the Secretary-General was shown; the text of the Secretary-Generals
message is reproduced in annex V.
7. The Acting Executive Director of Habitat, Klaus Töpfer, then
delivered a policy statement highlighting his vision for the future. A summary of his
statement appears in annex IV.B.
8. Also at the opening meeting of the session, the Commission was
addressed by 11-year-old Liz Ochola, representative of a group of Nairobi street children,
who informed participants of the experiences, hopes and aspirations of street children in
urban areas. Following her address, a short play was performed by a group of street
children.*
9. A group of drummers from Burundi, the Tambours du Burundi, also
performed at the opening meeting.
10. The President of the Republic of Kenya, Daniel Toroitich arap Moi,
then addressed the Commission and inaugurated the session. A summary of his statement is
provided in annex IV.C.
B. Attendance
11. The following States members of the Commission were represented:
Algeria, Argentina, , Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Islamic Republic of, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Lithuania, Malawi,
Mali, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Republic of
Korea, Russian Federation, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey,
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, United
Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Zambia.
12. The following States not members of the Commission participated as
observers: Angola, Austria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Chad, Comoros, Costa
Rica, Côte dIvoire, Cyprus, Egypt, Eritrea, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Israel,
Kuwait, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Slovakia, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda, United Republic of
Tanzania, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
13. The Holy See was represented by an observer.
14. The observer for Palestine to the United Nations also participated.
15. The following United Nations bodies were represented: Economic
Commission for Africa, Economic Commission for Western Asia, Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations
Environment Programme, United Nations Drug Control Programme, United Nations Volunteers
Programme, World Food Programme.
16. The following specialized agencies were represented: International
Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund, United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization, World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), World
Meteorological Organization (WMO)
17. The following intergovernmental organizations were represented:
African Development Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, European Community, Shelter-Afrique.
18. Representatives of the following national, regional and
international associations of local authorities attended the meeting: Arab Towns
Organization, Asociación Municipios de Honduras, Association of Finnish Local
Authorities, Association of Urban Authorities (Mauritius), Association of Local Government
Authorities of Kenya, International Union of Local Authorities, Organization of Islamic
Capitals and Cities, South African Local Government Association, United Towns
Organization/Fédération Mondiale des Cités Unies, United Towns of Africa and World
Associations of Cities and Local Authorities Coordination (WACLAC).
19. The local authorities of the following cities were also
represented: Addis Ababa, Bamako, Barcelona, Blantyre, Boulsa, Bucharest, Doula, Dubai,
Greater Johannesburg, Ibague, Lusaka, Nairobi, Oslo, Ouagadougou, Sung Nam and Trencin.
20. In addition, 93 non-governmental organizations were represented. A
full list of the non-governmental organizations attending the session, together with the
names and contacts of their representatives, may be found in the final list of
participants (HS/C/17/INF/10/Rev.2).
21. Three private sector organizations were represented.
22. Global Parliamentarians on Habitat was also represented.
C. Election of officers
23. At the 1st plenary meeting, on 5 May 1999,
Germán Garcia Durán (Colombia) was elected Chair of the Commission at its seventeenth
session.
24. The following other officers were also elected for the session:
Vice-Chairs: Mr. Abdourahmane Sow (Senegal), Mr. Lars-Göran
Engfeldt (Sweden), Mr. Vasil Marinov (Bulgaria)
Rapporteur: Mr. Hossein Fadaei (Islamic Republic of Iran)
25. Following his election, Mr. Durán made a statement, a summary of
which is contained in annex IV.D.
D. Credentials
26. Pursuant to rule 11, paragraph 2, of the
rules of procedure of the Commission, the Bureau reported to the Commission at its 9th
plenary meeting, on 14 May 1999, that it had examined the credentials submitted by
delegations attending the seventeenth session of the Commission and had found them to be
in order. The Commission approved the report of the Bureau on credentials at the same
meeting.
E. Adoption of the agenda
27. At its 1st plenary meeting on 5 May 1999, the
Commission adopted the provisional agenda for the seventeenth session as contained in
document HS/C/17/1, as follows:
1. Election of officers.
2. Credentials.
3. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work.
4. Activities of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat): progress report of the Executive Director.
5. Follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
(Habitat II).
6. Follow-up to the special session of the General Assembly for the
purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21.
7. Special themes:
(a) Local implementation of the Habitat Agenda, with particular
attention to local Agenda 21s;
(b) International cooperation for the implementation of the Habitat
Agenda.
8. Cooperation with partners.
9. Work programme of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) for the biennium 20002001.
10. Proposed budget of the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements
Foundation for the biennium 20002001.
11. Coordination matters:
(a) Cooperation between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme;
(b) Cooperation with agencies and organizations within the United
Nations system, intergovernmental organizations outside the United Nations system and
non-governmental organizations;
(c) Matters arising out of the resolutions of major legislative organs
of the United Nations and other intergovernmental bodies which are brought to the
attention of the Commission.
12. Themes for the eighteenth and future sessions of the Commission.
13. Other matters.
14. Provisional agenda and other arrangements for the eighteenth
session of the Commission.
15. Adoption of the report of the session.
16. Closure of the session.
F. Organization of work
28. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 5 May 1999,
the Commission established two sessional committees of the whole and allocated agenda
items to them as follows: items 4, 6, 7 (a) and 7 (b) were allocated to Committee I and
items 9, 10, 11 (a), 11 (c), 12 and 13 were allocated to Committee II, with the remaining
items being considered in plenary meeting.
29. Following consultations with the Bureaus of the Commission on Human
Settlements and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat), it was decided that the work of the plenary should be
divided into two segments: first, a high-level segment, which was held from 5 to 7 May
1999 and at which the Commission considered those aspects of agenda item 4 concerned with
the revitalization of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), as well
as agenda items 5, 8 and 11 (b); and, second, dialogues with local authorities and other
partners, which were held on 7 and 10 May 1999.
30. Summaries by the Chair of the debate in the high-level segment and
of the dialogues with local authorities and other partners appear in annex III.
31. In addition, the Commission established a Drafting Committee,
chaired by Mr. Engfeldt, Vice-Chair of the Commission, to consider draft resolutions.
G. Work of Committees I and II
32. Committee I, chaired by Mr. Sow, Vice-Chair
of the Commission, held four meetings from 5 to 14 May 1999, and Committee II, chaired by
Mr. Marinov, Vice-Chair of the Commission, held five meetings from 7 to 14 May 1999.
H. Work of the Drafting Committee and adoption of resolutions by
the Commission
33. The Drafting Committee held 10 meetings between 7 and 13 May
1999. Of the 26 draft resolutions before the Committee, it reached agreement on 22, which
it forwarded for adoption in the plenary meeting. One resolution, on initiation of a
housing rights programme, contained in the compilation submitted by the Committee of
Permanent Representatives (HS/C/17/2/Add.3, resolution No. 14), was withdrawn. The draft
resolution contained in document HS/C/17/L.6, on WACLAC, was also withdrawn by its
sponsors.
34. The Drafting Committee was unable to reach consensus on two draft
resolutions, on illegal Israeli human settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories
(HS/C/17/L.2/Rev.1) and assistance in the Balkans in connection with the conflict in the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (HS/C/17/L.4/Rev.1), which were submitted directly to the
plenary for its consideration.
35. With regard to draft resolution HS/C/17/L.4/Rev.1, the Commission,
at its 9th plenary meeting, on 14 May 1999, decided first, by a roll-call vote of 38 in
favour, 5 against and 5 abstentions, to close the debate on the item, and then, by a vote
of 36 in favour, 5 against and 4 abstentions, to approve a motion proposed by the
representative of Germany, speaking on behalf of the European Union and its member and
associate member States, that no action should be taken on the draft resolution. Following
the approval of the motion, a number of representatives made statements in explanation of
vote. In so doing, the representatives of India and the Russian Federation requested, and
the Commission agreed, that their statements should be included in extenso in the
report on the work of the session (see annex VII).
36. The resolutions, as adopted by the Commission, are contained in
annex I, together with an indication of the date and meeting of their adoption. Except as
otherwise indicated in annex I, all resolutions were adopted by consensus.
I. Adoption of the report of the Commission
37. The present report was adopted by the
Commission at its 9th plenary meeting, on 14 May 1999.

III.
Provisional agenda and other arrangements for the eighteenth session of the Commission
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38. At its 9th plenary meeting, on 14 May 1999, the Commission decided
that its eighteenth session would be held from 12 to 16 February 2001 at Nairobi,
immediately following the twenty-first session of the UNEP Governing Council and preceding
the second substantive session of the Commission acting as the preparatory committee for
the special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda. At the same meeting, the Commission decided to adopt
the following provisional agenda for its eighteenth session:
1. Election of officers.
2. Credentials.
3. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work.
4. Activities of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat): progress report of the Executive Director.
5. Follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
(Habitat II):
(a) Local implementation of the Habitat Agenda, including the role of
local authorities;
(b) International cooperation and the review of mechanisms for
monitoring the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;
(c) Lessons learned from best practices and partnerships in the
achievement of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing
world.
6. Special themes:
(a) Security of tenure;
(b) Urban governance.
7. Work programme of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) for the biennium 20022003 and budget of the United Nations Habitat and
Human Settlements Foundation for the biennium 20022003.
8. Coordination matters:
(a) Cooperation between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme;
(b) Cooperation with agencies and organizations within the United
Nations system, intergovernmental organizations outside the United Nations system and
non-governmental organizations;
(c) Matters arising out of the resolutions of major legislative organs
of the United Nations and other intergovernmental bodies which are brought to the
attention of the Commission.
9. Themes for the nineteenth and future sessions of the Commission.
10. Other matters.
11. Provisional agenda and other arrangements for the nineteenth
session of the Commission.
12. Adoption of the report of the session.
13. Closure of the session.

IV. Closure of the session
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39. At the close of the session, a statement by the Acting Executive
Director was read on his behalf by his representative, Daniel Biau. In the statement, the
Acting Executive Director noted that the seventeenth session of the Commission had seen
the inclusion of a number of new elements in its working style and the beginnings of a
more intensive and positive dialogue with partners, especially the local authorities and
women, children, youth, academia and trade unions. The Commission had committed itself to
giving a revitalized Centre a new start. There was a new confidence in the transparent,
reliable and lean administrative structure of the Centre, and strong backing and support
for its clearly focused, campaign-oriented work programme and new vision. He was pleased
that the size and structure of the proposed budget, which clearly reflected the work
programme, had been endorsed and finally accepted. Thanking the host country, Kenya, for
its generous hospitality, he said the Commission had been greatly honoured by the presence
of the President of the Republic of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi, and the Vice-President, George
Saitoti, at the opening of the session. The overall preparatory work of the meeting had
been accomplished under the leadership of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to
the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), which had facilitated the work
of the whole package of draft resolutions before the session. He was convinced that that
cooperation had laid a solid foundation for a bright future for the Centre in Nairobi. In
conclusion, he said that there now existed both the vision and the opportunity to build a
new Centre for the new millennium. Each and every staff member of the Centre would be
privileged to work on that historic task and ensure that the next century would begin with
a solid foundation for healthy cities and enduring peace.
40. In their closing statements, the representatives of the regional
groups expressed their satisfaction with the open and constructive deliberations during
the session, and with its outcome. They expected that the Commissions decisions,
which were strong and substantive, would be fully implemented. They also conveyed their
appreciation to the people and the Government of Kenya for their hospitality and to the
secretariat for the outstanding support they had received during the session.
41. Noah Katana Ngala, Minister of Public Works and Housing of Kenya,
said that he believed that the resolutions adopted at the current session would go a long
way to facilitating the achievement of the goals of adequate shelter for all and of
sustainable human settlements.
42. The representative of the secretariat of the Youth for Habitat
International Network expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to participate in the
work of the session, which, he said, had proved that such participation could be
successful. Drawing attention to resolution 17/19, on partnership with youth, which had
been adopted by the Commission, he said it was important for young people to be treated
not only as the leaders of tomorrow, but also as the partners of today.
43. In his concluding remarks, the Chair thanked the other members of
the Bureau, the chairs of the regional groups, the secretariat and all representatives to
the session for assisting in the successful completion of the work of the seventeenth
session. He appealed to all participants to promote the successful revitalization of the
Centre and the implementation of its work programme by increasing their contributions.
44. The Chair declared the seventeenth session of the Commission on
Human Settlements closed at 7 p.m. on Friday, 14 May 1999.
Annex I
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A. Resolutions and decisions adopted by the Commission at its
seventeenth session
A. Resolutions
1. Resolution requiring action by the General
Assembly
17/1 Follow-up to the United Nations Conference on
Human Settlements (Habitat II)
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The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling paragraph 222(n) of the Habitat Agenda,1 in
which it is stated that the Commission on Human Settlements, under the Economic and Social
Council, has the objective to monitor and evaluate progress made towards and obstacles
encountered in achieving the goals of the Habitat Agenda and to recommend appropriate
measures and alternative actions as deemed necessary to enhance the dynamic nature of the
Habitat Agenda,
Recalling also paragraph 240 of the Habitat Agenda, in which it
is stated that all partners of the Habitat Agenda, including local authorities, the
private sector and communities, should regularly monitor and evaluate their own
performances in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda through comparable human
settlements and shelter indicators and documented best practices,
Noting with appreciation the contribution of the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in identifying and analysing best practices and
lessons learned, and the role of the Dubai International Award for Best Practices in
facilitating their dissemination and transfer in support of the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda,
Recognizing that confusion exists as to what is exactly expected
from countries by way of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Habitat
Agenda and that clear guidelines for national Governments will contribute to the success
of the special session of the General Assembly in the year 2001 for an overall review and
appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
Bearing in mind the outcome of a seminar on the theme
"Monitoring the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and the use of indicators",
organized at the initiative of the Dutch Habitat Platform Foundation on 30 March 1999, and
the important role of the Global Urban Observatory in the process of monitoring,
1. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat):
(a) To select from the commitments and recommendations of the Habitat
Agenda no more than twenty key items, differentiated by region, on which Governments will
be asked to report;
(b) To provide a uniform set of indicators and benchmarking dates which
countries will be asked to use in reporting on the key items mentioned under subparagraph
(a) above;
(c) To ask countries to include in their national reports information
on best practices and lessons learned, related to the key items mentioned in subparagraph
(a) above;
(d) To collect and process the data under subparagraphs (b) and (c)
above and to report back to national Governments;
(e) To create awareness among countries on the benefits they will
obtain from a sound monitoring system and provide training programmes to assist countries
in implementing a sound monitoring system;
(f) To coordinate data collection and analysis through local and
national urban observatories with other United Nations agencies, as a step towards a
uniform United Nations monitoring system;
2. Recommends to the General Assembly, through the Economic and
Social Council, the adoption of the following resolution:
"The General Assembly,
"Bearing in mind its resolutions 52/192 of 18 December 1997
on the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and
the future role of the Commission on Human Settlements and 53/180 of 15 December 1998 on
the special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
"Noting that the 20002001 work programme adopted by
the Commission on Human Settlements at its seventeenth session, in line with General
Assembly resolution 52/192, is organized according to the structure of the Habitat Agenda,
"Noting also that the two subprogrammes of the
20002001 work programme correspond to the goals of the Habitat Agenda of adequate
shelter for all and sustainable human settlement developments in an urbanizing world,
"Recognizing that the overall thrust of the new strategic
vision for the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and its emphasis on
two global campaigns on secure tenure and urban governance are strategic points of entry
for an effective implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
"Reaffirming the role of the United Nations Centre for
Human Settlements (Habitat) as focal point for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda
and the need for the Centre adequately to perform this role through the active
mobilization and broadening of its network of United Nations, governmental and
non-governmental partners,
"Stressing the need to provide strategic support to the
efforts of local authorities and partners from civil society in the global, regional and
local implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
"1. Calls upon all the relevant United Nations
organizations and specialized agencies to take initiatives and continue with their
specific actions towards the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;
"2. Also calls upon relevant United Nations organizations
and specialized agencies that have not yet done so to identify specific initiatives and
actions to be undertaken in preparation for the special session of the General Assembly
for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;
"3. Invites the United Nations coordinator system to
strengthen its support to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda through, inter alia,
assistance to the implementation of national local plans of action based on the full
involvement of local authorities and partners from civil society;
"4. Calls upon all Member States to initiate preparations
for reporting on in-country implementation of the Habitat Agenda, in line with the
recommendations by the Commission as described in its resolution 17/1 of 14 May 1999, with
a view to contributing fully to the preparatory process for the special session of the
General Assembly to be held in the year 2001 for an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda, including, inter alia, the strengthening and
activation, wherever necessary, of national coordination mechanisms, inclusive of local
authorities and civil society partners, along the models pioneered at Habitat II;
"5. Invites all Member States in a position to do so to
provide financial resources for the preparatory process for the special session, in
particular to enable least developed countries and their national civil-society partners
to prepare adequately for, and be fully involved in, the preparatory process and the
special session itself."
3. Requests the Executive Director to report on the progress
attained in the implementation of the present resolution to the Commission at its
eighteenth session.

2. Other resolutions
17/2 Assistance for human settlements reconstruction to
Latin America and the Caribbean and other regions following recent natural catastrophes
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The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 51/185 of 16 December
1996, in which, inter alia, the Assembly reaffirmed that disaster prevention forms
part of sustainable development plans of vulnerable countries and communities,
Recalling also resolution 16/3 of 6 May 1997 of the Commission
on Human Settlements, requesting the strengthening of the Centres
disaster-management-oriented activities,
Recalling further paragraphs 170 to 176 of the Habitat Agenda, 1
which guide the activities of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in
the areas of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, and post-disaster
rehabilitation,
Acknowledging the devastating effects of hurricanes, earthquakes
and other natural disasters, such as, inter alia, Hurricane George, Hurricane
Mitch, El Nińo-related floods, the earthquake in the coffee-growing belt of Colombia, the
volcano eruption in Montserrat and similar calamities in other parts of the world that
struck several cities and rural areas, inter alia, in the Latin American and
Caribbean region during 1998 and in 1999, causing thousands of deaths, the displacement of
people and the destruction of human settlements,
Noting with appreciation the actions undertaken by the Regional
Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat) to cope with the human settlement rehabilitation and reconstruction
needs caused by those events,
Noting that the magnitude of the reconstruction and
rehabilitation tasks following a disaster requires a sustained effort on the part of the
Centre which surpasses the human resources available,
1. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) to take all possible measures to ensure that technical
resources available within the global disaster-management programme at headquarters and
regional offices, and within other relevant global programmes, be extended to address
aspects of disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and reconstruction of human
settlements in the Latin American, Caribbean and other regions; these measures should be
taken in coordination with relevant United Nations bodies, bilateral and multilateral
donors and national efforts;
2. Invites all Governments in a position to do so, to increase
their technical and financial support to the disaster-management activities of the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat);
3. Requests the Executive Director to report on the
implementation of the present resolution to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

17/3 Countries with economies in transition
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The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 51/175 of 16 December
1996 and 53/179 of 15 December 1998 on countries with economies in transition, in which
the Assembly confirmed the necessity fully to integrate those countries into the world
economy,
Recalling also its resolution 16/4 of 6 May 1997 on countries
with economies in transition,
Noting the desire of countries with economies in transition
further to develop regional and interregional cooperation,
Recognizing the need for assistance in improving housing
legislation and reform in the housing sector,
1. Invites the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) fully to take into account the needs of countries with
economies in transition in the course of developing strategies and programmes of
cooperation with them on the basis of provisions of the Habitat Agenda,1 in
particular its paragraphs 202 (c) and (i);
2. Requests the Executive Director to continue, with due regard
to the needs of countries with economies in transition, to pay special attention, inter
alia, to:
(a) Improved management of the development of human settlements by
employing modern monitoring according to the international system of city and housing
indicators;
(b) Standard-setting and elaboration of up-to-date provisions and norms
which define city quality indicators;
(c) Promotion of access to international financial organizations of the
United Nations system and to other financial sources in the State and private sectors;
(d) Promotion of exchange of experience in resolving problems of reform
of the city economy and of the governance of human settlements;
(e) Initiation and implementation of specific technical assistance
projects in accordance with the normative role and work programme and budget of the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) for countries with economies in transition,
as requested by the Commission in its resolution 16/4;
3. Also requests the Executive Director to report on the
implementation of the present resolution to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

17/4 Regionalization
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling its resolution 14/7 of 5 May 1993 on the strengthening
of regional activities, which gives high priority to regional activities within the
framework of the development of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat),
Recalling also its resolution 15/7 of 1 May 1995 on supporting
the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), in
consultation with Governments, to establish regional offices of the Centre as a way of
strengthening its presence and activities in the regions, as well as its resolution 16/25
of 7 May 1997, on the establishment of the Fukuoka office;
Recalling further its resolution 16/10 of 6 May 1997,
recognizing the support given by the Government of Turkey and the city of Istanbul to the
organization of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, held in
Istanbul from 3 to 14 June 1996;
Taking into consideration the two reports prepared by the
Executive Director pursuant to paragraph 2 (g) of resolution 16/19, of 7 May 1997, which
clarified the mandate of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
regional offices, outlined the regionalization strategy of the Centre and emphasized that
regional offices should be an integral part of the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat), contributing fully to the implementation of the work programme,
Taking note of the ongoing revitalization and reform of the
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat),
Taking into account the mandate and responsibilities of the
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) as defined in the Habitat Agenda,1
Having considered the report of the Executive Director on the
activities of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements,2
1. Takes note with interest of the regionalization strategy
presented by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in response to
resolution 15/7 of the Commission and the establishment of regional offices as an integral
part of the Centre;
2. Acknowledges the valuable work undertaken by the Rio de
Janeiro and Fukuoka offices of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
since their inception;
3. Notes with appreciation the offer made by the Government of
Turkey to host an office of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in
Istanbul;
4. Requests the Executive Director to elaborate a comprehensive
strategy for the representation of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) in the regions, its decentralized functions and its offices other than in
Nairobi, taking into account the responsibilities that the Centre has been given in the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the new strategic focus of the Centre, its
revitalized and integrated approach to work and the new organizational structure;
5. Recommends that the Executive Director, in preparing his
report, take into account the experiences of existing regional offices, information
offices and liaison offices, in particular with respect to existing arrangements and
offers for the hosting and funding of offices;
6. Also recommends that the Executive Director include in his
report, inter alia, an analysis of costs, funds and financial needs for the
Centres representation outside its headquarters, including costs incurred in the
medium and long term;
7. Further recommends that the Executive Director, for the
purposes of achieving cost-effectiveness and positive synergies, consider, inter alia,
the following points:
(a) The possibility of co-located offices of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme, respecting
the distinct identities of the two organizations, as well as the modalities for existing
arrangements;
(b) The relationship between the Centres offices in the regions
and the United Nations Development Programme (including in its role as the United Nations
Resident Coordinator);
(c) The relationship between the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat) offices in the regions and the United Nations regional commissions;
8. Requests the Executive Director to consult further with the
Government of Turkey on the financial and practical modalities of the hosting of an
Istanbul office of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat);
9. Also requests the Executive Director to submit a report on
the implementation of the present resolution, including his recommendation on the
establishment of new offices of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat),
including the possible office in Istanbul, to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

17/5 Role of the Committee of Permanent
Representatives to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Noting the role performed by the Committee of Permanent
Representatives in accordance with Commission resolutions 12/8 of 3 May 1989, 13/3 of 8
May 1991, 15/9 of 1 May 1995 and 16/8 of 7 May 1997,
Noting with appreciation the activities of the Committee of
Permanent Representatives in the period between the sixteenth and seventeenth sessions of
the Commission, and the constructive cooperation between the Committee of Permanent
Representatives and the secretariat of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) in preparation of the seventeenth session of the Commission,
1. Invites the Executive Director and the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) to continue their cooperation with the Committee of
Permanent Representatives;
2. Requests the Executive Director to take the necessary steps
to clarify the current status of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, to explore
the possibilities for its future status and role, including possible financial
implications, and to report thereon to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

17/6 Views of the Commission on Human Settlements on the
report of the Secretary-General on environment and human settlements
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Taking into account that the report of the Secretary-General on
environment and human settlements3 is under consideration by the General
Assembly,
Acknowledging the ongoing revitalization process of the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), carried out under the direction of the
Acting Executive Director, and the linkages between this process, the recommendations in
the report of the Secretary-General and the wider United Nations reform,
Noting the distinction made by the Secretary-General between
recommendations requiring actions at the Secretariat level and those requiring decisions
and measures at the international level,
Noting also that a majority of the recommendations in the report
of the Secretary-General address environmental issues only,
1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on environment
and human settlements submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session, in
which he sets forth the recommendations of the United Nations Task Force on Environment
and Human Settlements on reforming and strengthening United Nations activities in the
field of environment and human settlements, and expresses its appreciation for the
comprehensive and forward-looking recommendations of the Task Force under the chairmanship
of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme;
2. Notes with appreciation the intention of the President of the
General Assembly that the Assembly, at its current session, should consider in a fully
open and transparent manner the recommendations contained in the report of the
Secretary-General on environment and human settlements;
3. Supports the proposal of the Secretary-General regarding the
establishment of an environmental management group for the coordination of the
environmental and human settlements activities of the United Nations system, and
encourages the Secretary-General to undertake consultations with members of the
Administrative Committee on Coordination to develop its scope, appropriate criteria for
membership and working methods in a flexible and cost-effective manner for its expeditious
establishment;
4. Also supports the proposals for strengthening the Nairobi
location, as the only United Nations headquarters located in a developing country, taking
full advantage of the co-location of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme to maximize synergies, where
appropriate, while maintaining the two organizations as separate United Nations
organizations with separate executive directors, and the need to strengthen the United
Nations Office at Nairobi, as an exceptional measure, with sufficient resources from the
regular budget to fulfil its tasks;
5. Welcomes the proposal that the United Nations Centre for
Human Settlements (Habitat) should strengthen its normative core activities consistent
with the new strategic vision,4 which will allow it to develop into a centre of
excellence on adequate shelter for all and sustainable urban development;
6. Recommends that the Centre, at the same time, maintain its
operational support, particularly to developing countries, within the framework of the
Habitat Agenda1 and the strategic vision of the Centre;
7. Agrees with the proposal that the Commission should devote
particular attention to its own role in monitoring the implementation of the Habitat
Agenda;
8. Welcomes the recommendations concerning the need
constructively to engage non-governmental organizations and civil society in the work of
the United Nations, particularly in the light of the experiences gained in the second
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in Istanbul from 3 to 14
June 1996, and the Commission on Sustainable Development;
9. Requests the Acting Executive Director to convey the views of
the Commission on Human Settlements, as contained in the present resolution, to the
Secretary-General.

17/7 Revitalization of the Habitat Centre
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements5
and the Habitat Agenda,1 as well as General Assembly resolution 51/177 of 16
December 1996, in which the Assembly, inter alia, designated the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) as a focal point for the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda and called for a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of the Centre with a
view to its revitalization,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 52/190 of 18 December
1997, in which the Assembly, inter alia, requested the Secretary-General to address
urgently the serious management and financial situation of the Centre and urged the
Executive Director of the Centre to take further action towards the reform of the
administrative and financial management of the Centre pursuant to the recommendations of
the Office of Internal Oversight Services, the relevant reports of the United Nations
Board of Auditors, Commission resolutions 16/8 of 7 May 1997, on revitalization of the
Habitat Centre, and 16/19 of 7 May 1997, on corrective measures in administrative and
budgetary matters, and Commission decisions 16/28 of 7 May 1997, on the draft work
programme of the Centre, and 16/29 of 7 May 1997, on the budget of the United Nations
Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation for the biennium 19981999,
Recalling further that, in its resolution 16/8, the Commission
requested the Secretary-General to take into account, in undertaking a comprehensive and
in-depth assessment, a clear set of guiding principles and recommendations with regard to
a revitalized United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat),
Bearing in mind the initiative of the Secretary-General in
establishing the United Nations Task Force on Environment and Human Settlements to make
recommendations for reform of the work of the United Nations in the fields of environment
and human settlements,
Recognizing that revitalization of the Centre requires stable,
adequate and predictable financial resources,
Taking note of the progress report of the Executive Director on
the activities of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)2
and the summary contained therein of the steps taken by the Executive Director to
revitalize the Centre and to focus its activities and organizational structure along
strategic lines and streamline and improve its financial and administrative management,
1. Mandates the Executive Director to implement the new
strategic vision4 comprehensively to advance the Habitat Agenda, as embodied in
the work programme6 and budget7 of the United Nations Centre for
Human Settlements (Habitat) for the biennium 20002001, through the two subprogrammes
on adequate shelter for all and on sustainable urban development and through the global
campaigns on secure tenure and on urban governance, and welcomes the focus provided by the
annex to the progress report of the Executive Director,4 which recommends that
the Centre confirm its status as the United Nations agency for cities and human
settlements;
2. Calls upon the Executive Director to seek the views of States
on visible "catch-phrases" that can assist in the global advocacy and
mobilization of support towards the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and to report
thereon to the Commission at its eighteenth session;
3. Encourages the Executive Director to fully implement, as a
matter of urgency, all administrative and financial management reforms, as part of the
ongoing revitalization process;
4. Invites the Secretary-General, when considering the approval
of a new organizational structure of the Centre, to consider the recruitment of qualified
staff as a matter of urgency;
5. Requests the Executive Director, in establishing a new
organizational structure, to focus on quality and efficiency of management, aiming to
implement General Assembly resolution 53/119 of 9 December 1998 on improvement of the
status of women in the Secretariat, giving due regard to gender balance, geographical
representation and in accordance with United Nations rules and regulations;
6. Calls upon Governments to ensure sufficient financial support
to the Centre, to assist in the full implementation of the revitalization process;
7. Requests the Bureau of the Commission, with the support of
the Committee of Permanent Representatives, to monitor the progress of the revitalization
process and its results in the implementation of the prioritized work programme of the
Centre and to report thereon to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

17/8 The State of the Worlds Cities: 1999
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling the commitment by Member States to implement the
Habitat Agenda1 through local, national, subregional and regional plans of
action and/or other policies and programmes drafted and executed in cooperation with
interested parties at all levels,
Recalling also the recommendations from the "City
Summit" in Istanbul that all partners of the Habitat Agenda, including local
authorities, the private sector and communities, should regularly monitor and evaluate
their own performances in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda through comparable
human settlements and shelter indicators and documented best practices,
Recalling further that such indicators and information on best
practices, which should be available and accessible to all, will be provided to the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), taking into account the need for reporting
procedures to reflect diversity in regional, national, subnational and local
characteristics and priorities,
Recognizing that the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) is responsible for establishing an appropriate global process for analysing and
monitoring major trends in urbanization and the impact of policies on urban and rural
settlements, for tracking progress in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and for
continuing its publications programme, including, inter alia, publication of the Global
Report on Human Settlements,
Appreciating that, in pursuance of Commission resolutions, the
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) has established a Global Urban
Observatory that will permit comparative international evaluation and implementation of a
global programme for the collection, analysis and dissemination of universal key urban
indicators and best practices,
Supporting the strategy of the Global Urban Observatory of
networking with urban observatories at all levels to facilitate information dissemination
and policy-making functions,
Convinced of the need to take full advantage of modern
information and communications technology for building capacity to monitor and evaluate
urban development in a globalizing world,
1. Calls upon the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) to continue, in cooperation with capacity-building partners, the implementation
of an Internet-based urban information and knowledge system to strengthen the ability of
Governments, local authorities and key partners to gain access to and make use of
information to monitor and assess urban conditions and trends and to formulate effective
urban policies;
2. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) to synthesize information and knowledge from this global
urban information and knowledge system in a summary report entitled The State of the
Worlds Cities prior to each of the Commissions biennial sessions and to
produce, in cooperation with key stakeholders, a comprehensive report on the state of the
worlds cities, accompanied by appropriate policy recommendations, for review by the
General Assembly in the year 2001 of progress in implementing the Habitat Agenda;
3. Also requests the Executive Director to facilitate a global
consultative process, in coordination with appropriate United Nations agencies,
representatives of key stakeholders in sustainable urban development and technical
experts, in order to establish universal urban information standards and protocols and to
produce an urban classification system, incorporating key words and concepts from the
Habitat Agenda and from other recent United Nations global plans and platforms of action;
4. Invites the Executive Director, in view of the planned
special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda, to consider the consolidation of the report The
State of the Worlds Cities: 2001 with the third edition of the Global Report
on Human Settlements;
5. Also invites the Executive Director, through appropriate
consultative processes:
(a) To improve the list of universal urban indicators by adding
appropriate key indicators on poverty, environment, gender equality and governance and,
where necessary, minimum sets of region-specific indicators;
(b) To test and disseminate tools and methods for the local selection
and analysis of indicators and other relevant information;
(c) To develop a set of comparable urban indices;
6. Further invites the Executive Director to expand the
identification, analysis and dissemination of best practices to include, specifically,
urban policies, plans of action and legislation and environmental best practices (the
latter in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and its partner
groups);
7. Urges Governments to support, as appropriate, regional,
national and local urban observatories, networks and capacity-building institutions.

17/9 Illegal Israeli human settlements in the occupied
Palestinian territory*
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling its resolutions 13/6 of 8 May 1991 and 14/9 of 5 May
1993, on housing requirements for the Palestinian people,
Recalling also its resolution 16/18 of 7 May 1997 on illegal
Israeli human settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories,
Taking note of General Assembly resolutions ES-10/3 of 15 July
1997, ES-10/4 of 13 November 1997, ES-10/5 of 17 March 1998 and ES-10/6 of 9 February
1999, adopted at its tenth emergency special session, on the illegal Israeli actions in
occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory, and the call
in the latter to convene on 15 July 1999 at the United Nations Office at Geneva a
conference on measures to enforce in the occupied Palestinian territory the Geneva
Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August
1949,8
Taking note also of the General Assembly resolution 53/55 of 3
December 1998, on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including
Jerusalem,
Concerned at Israels continued illegal actions in the
occupied Palestinian territory, including the construction of the new Israeli settlement
at Jebel Abu Ghneim, the building of other new settlements and the expansion of existing
ones, the construction of by-pass roads and the confiscation of lands, and the demolition
of Palestinian houses,
Also concerned at the serious continuous deterioration in living
conditions and instability of human settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, as
a result of the Israeli occupation practices,
Considering that the issue of housing for the Palestinian people
in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, falls within the mandate of
the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat),
Recalling paragraph 25 of the Habitat Agenda,1 in
which it is stated that alien and colonial domination and foreign occupation are
destructive to human settlements and should therefore be denounced and discouraged by all
States, which should cooperate to achieve the elimination of such practices,
Noting that the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) has not presented a comprehensive report on his
contribution in compliance with Commission resolution 16/18,
1. Calls upon the Israeli authorities to implement the following
measures in order to enable the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory
to secure their housing needs:
(a) Provide dignified (appropriate) physical conditions in their human
settlements where needed;
(b) Put an end to the confiscation of Palestinian lands and the
establishment of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory;
(c) Restore those occupied lands which have been altered before and
during the recent illegal actions to their original state;
(d) Refrain from applying policies that prevent and hamper the issuance
of building permits to the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory,
including Jerusalem;
(e) Accept the de jure applicability of the Geneva Convention
relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War8 to the occupied
Palestinian territory;
2. Insistently requests Member States and all multilateral
financial institutions to halt all forms of assistance and support for illegal Israeli
settlement facilities in the occupied Palestinian territory;
3. Calls upon the international donor community and all
financial institutions, in coordination with the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat), to increase financial assistance to alleviate the housing problems
facing the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory;
4. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) to organize a meeting on the establishment of a human
settlements fund for the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory;
5. Also requests the Executive Director to cooperate with the
Secretary-General in facilitating the organization of a conference of the High Contracting
Parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War, on measures to enforce the Convention in the occupied Palestinian territory,
including Jerusalem, to be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva;
6. Further requests the Executive Director to prepare the
comprehensive progress report requested by the Commission in its resolution 16/18 and to
present it within three months to the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat);
7. Invites the Commission at its eighteenth session to take
appropriate measures against the Israeli authorities in accordance with the findings of
the comprehensive progress report;
8. Requests the Executive Director to present to the Commission
at its eighteenth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution and, in
particular, on the housing situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and the
problems posed by the Israeli illegal actions in that respect.

17/10 The rural dimension of sustainable urban
development
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling paragraph 6 of the Istanbul Declaration on Human
Settlements5 and paragraphs 163 to 169 of the Habitat Agenda,1
Requests that urban-rural interdependence be taken into
consideration in the execution of the work programme of the Centre for the next biennium,
given the strong synergy between urban and rural areas.

17/11 Women in human settlements development
and in the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Aware of the commitment made by Governments in the Istanbul
Declaration on Human Settlements5 to ensure the full and equal participation of
all women and men and the effective participation of youth in political, economic and
social life,
Recalling that the empowerment of women and their full and equal
participation in political, social and economic life, the improvement of health and the
eradication of poverty are essential to achieving sustainable human settlements,
Noting that in the strategic vision for a revitalized United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)4 it is recommended that one of
the primary indicators of the success of the interventions of the Centre and an explicit
focus for its policy work be the empowerment of women,
Recalling that in its resolution 16/6 of 7 May 1997 on women in
human settlements development, the Commission requested the creation of a gender
coordination unit directly under the Executive Director in order to mainstream the gender
perspective in all policies, projects, programmes and activities of the Centre,
Recalling also that in the same resolution, the Commission also
requested that adequate resources for the gender coordination unit be allocated from
within the existing resources of the Centre, but without diverting resources from the
Centres Women in Human Settlements Development Programme (now the Women and Habitat
Programme),
Stressing that General Assembly resolution 53/119 of 9 December
1998 on improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat reaffirms the goal of 50/50
gender distribution in staffing by the year 2000 in all categories of posts within the
United Nations system, and calls for gender action plans,
1. Requests that the empowerment of women as one of the primary
indicators put forth in the strategic vision for a revitalized United Nations Centre for
Human Settlements (Habitat) be translated into clear policy and action and promptly
implemented in the Centres work;
2. Invites the Centre to involve, to this purpose, existing
expertise outside the Centre, in particular global womens networks;
3. Commends the Acting Executive Director of the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) on the establishment of the Gender Unit in November
1998;
4. Requests the Acting Executive Director to ensure that both
the Gender Unit and the Women and Habitat Programme are equipped, with immediate effect
and within available resources, to meet the challenges of effectively implementing the new
strategic vision;
5. Also requests the Acting Executive Director to develop, by
the year 2000, a gender action plan to implement General Assembly resolution 53/119,
including the goal of achieving a 50/50 gender distribution in staffing;
6. Urges the Acting Executive Director to make full use of the
revitalization process to implement this gender action plan in all categories of posts;
7. Invites member Governments to ensure financial and other
support to both the Gender Unit and the Women and Habitat Programme;
8. Requests the Acting Executive Director to include a report on
the implementation of the present resolution in his progress report to the Commission on
Human Settlements at its eighteenth session.

17/12 Elimination of the use of lead in petrol
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Aware that the harmful effects of lead on human health and the
environment have long been understood, that lead poisoning can result in impaired growth,
arrested development, mental retardation and other developmental and neurological
disorders and that lead poisoning most severely affects and impairs children,
Convinced that Governments can best proceed by developing
comprehensive lead-poisoning prevention programmes, which include raising awareness,
identifying populations affected by lead poisoning and controlling and, where possible,
eliminating sources of exposure,
Mindful that, because the causes of lead poisoning from petrol
are known and preventive measures exist, the global elimination of such poisoning is an
achievable goal that would serve as a precedent-setting success story in international
cooperation to advance the commitments of the Habitat Agenda,1
Recalling that, in paragraph 43(bb) of the Habitat Agenda, all
countries committed themselves to the elimination of lead in petrol as soon as possible,
1. Calls upon all Governments to incorporate, in accordance with
their development strategies, into their national policies and plans of action developed
for the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in
Istanbul from 3 to 14 June 1996, a strategy to phase out leaded petrol and to manage the
uncontrolled exposure to lead from other sources or, where possible, eliminate it; the
action plans should, if possible, identify laws, regulations, policies and actions
designed to accomplish this strategy, and benchmarks of progress;
2. Requests Governments to provide comprehensive information on
their progress in eliminating the use of lead in petrol and managing the uncontrolled
exposure to lead from other sources, in a transparent, publicly accessible and
understandable form, to the General Assembly at its special session for an overall review
and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;
3. Invites the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat), the United Nations Environment Programme and other international organizations
to work jointly on issues related to the elimination of lead;
4. Urges the international community, including the United
Nations system and relevant international organizations, to facilitate the provision of
technical and financial assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in
transition to assist them in their activities in this regard.

17/13 Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 52/191 of 18 December
1997 on the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 and 52/192 of 18 December 1997 on
the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and the
future role of the Commission on Human Settlements, by which the Assembly adopted a plan
of action for the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 for
the period 19981999,9 requesting the Commission on Human Settlements to
set in motion the undertaking of a terminal review at its eighteenth session and to
incorporate reporting on the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 200010 in
the reporting on the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,1
Taking note with satisfaction that many Governments have
reviewed and reformulated national shelter strategies based on the principles of the
Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 and incorporated those principles into their
national plans of action for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
Having considered the report of the Executive Director on the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda,11 which covers also topics on adequate
shelter for all and implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000,
1. Reconfirms that, at its eighteenth session, the Commission on
Human Settlements will carry out the terminal review of the Global Strategy for Shelter to
the Year 2000, and decides to report the results of the terminal review to the General
Assembly at its special session for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation
of the Habitat Agenda, to be held in June 2001, for final consideration and conclusion;
2. Requests Governments to prepare terminal reports on the
Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, as part of their preparation for the special
session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation
of the Habitat Agenda;
3. Requests the Executive Director to conduct a review of the
Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 within the framework of implementation of the
Habitat Agenda and to incorporate the results of the review, including suggestions for the
future, into the report to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

17/14 Resolution adopted by the Commission on Human
Settlements at its seventeenth session on the preparations for the special session of the
General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat
Agenda
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 51/177 of 16 December
1996 on the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II) and 52/192 of 18 December 1997, on follow-up to the United
Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and the future role of the Commission
on Human Settlements,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 53/180 of 15 December
1998, in which the Assembly decided that its special session for an overall review and
appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda1 would be held in June
2001 for a period of three working days and that the Commission on Human Settlements
should serve as the preparatory committee for the special session,
Recalling further paragraph 34 of the report of the
Secretary-General on the scope and organizational aspects of the special session,
submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session,12 in which the
Commission on Human Settlements was invited to consider and recommend, first, the
provisional agenda for the first substantive session of the preparatory committee; second,
the scope to be covered by the review and appraisal process; third, the issues to be
addressed by a high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council on human settlements
issues to be held before the year 2001; and, fourth, the issues to be addressed by the
Commission at its eighteenth session which would be supportive of the work being done by
the preparatory committee,
Affirming that, in paragraphs 13 and 14 of the Istanbul
Declaration on Human Settlements5 it was recognized, inter alia, that
the Habitat Agenda could only be effectively implemented if the role and functions of the
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) were strengthened and adequate
financial resources, including new and additional resources from all sources, were
mobilized at the national and international levels,
Being aware of the enormous demographic population shifts taking
place in the world, rapid urbanization, increasing poverty and the changing nature of the
relationships between cities and hinterlands,
Acknowledging the need to make measurable progress in the global
implementation, monitoring and assessment of the Habitat Agenda,
Noting the opportunity offered by the occasion of the special
session of the General Assembly for a positive and fruitful exchange of knowledge and
experience of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda at all levels,
Having considered the report of the Executive Director on the
special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda,13
1. Calls upon the preparatory committee, in its meetings, and in
consultation with the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and with other
organizations at the national, regional and local levels, to devise a framework for the
exchange of information and knowledge of effective policies and alternative solutions to
problems for the special session of the General Assembly in the year 2001;
2. Requests that the preparatory committee ensure that the
special session elaborate upon the key items of the Habitat Agenda, highlighting the most
important development goals;
3. Decides to recommend to the preparatory committee at its
organizational session the following:
(a) Provisional agenda for the first substantive session of the
preparatory committee. The provisional agenda should include:
(i) The scope to be covered by the review and appraisal process;
(ii) Local, national and regional preparations for the special session
of the General Assembly;
(iii) The role of local authorities, other partners and relevant United
Nations organizations and agencies in the review and appraisal process;
(iv) The provisional agenda and organizational arrangements for the
second substantive session of the preparatory committee;
(b) Scope to be covered by the review and appraisal process. The
Commission endorses the scope and substantive aspects recommended by the Secretary-General
in paragraphs 12 to 20 of his report to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session;
(c) Issues for consideration by the Economic and Social Council at
its coordinating segment in the year 2000. With reference to paragraph 10 of General
Assembly resolution 53/180, the preparatory committee may wish, at its organizational
session, to recommend to the Economic and Social Council the consideration of the
following issues at its coordinating segment in the year 2000:
(i) International cooperation for the implementation of adequate
shelter for all;
(ii) The role of the Habitat Agenda partners in the implementation of
the Habitat Agenda;
(iii) Capacity-building and institutional development, including the
mobilization of the United Nations resident coordinator system for the implementation of
the Habitat Agenda at the country level;
(d) Issues to be addressed by the Commission on Human Settlements at
its eighteenth session that would be supportive of the work being done by the preparatory
committee. The Commission decides to include in the provisional agenda of its
eighteenth session the following items that would be supportive of the work being done by
the preparatory committee:
(i) Local implementation of the Habitat Agenda, including the role of
local authorities;
(ii) International cooperation and the review of mechanisms for the
monitoring and implementation of the Habitat Agenda;
(iii) Lessons learned from best practices and partnerships in the
achievement of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing
world;
4. Invites the Executive Director to convey the contents of
paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 (a) to (c) of the present resolution to the preparatory committee at
its organizational session.

17/15 Follow-up to the special session of the
General Assembly for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation
of Agenda 21
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling its resolution 16/24 of 6 May 1997 calling upon the
General Assembly at its special session for an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of Agenda 2114 to take into account the message of the Habitat
Agenda1 and the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements5 in order
to secure sustainable human settlements and safe and healthy living conditions in an
increasingly urbanizing world,
Recalling also that, by the same resolution, the Commission
requested the Executive Director to submit his report on the implementation of Agenda 2115
to the special session of the General Assembly, together with the comments made on it by
the Commission,
Aware that at its special session, held from 23 to 28 June 1997,
the General Assembly adopted the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, as
contained in the annex to resolution S-19/2 of 28 June 1997,
Reaffirming the concern expressed in paragraph 32 of the
Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 that global urbanization is a
cross-sectoral phenomenon that has an impact on all aspects of sustainable development,
Recognizing the synergy that can be established in cities and
communities in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and local Agenda 21 initiatives,
by linking operational and normative activities and promoting cooperation at national,
regional and global levels,
Recognizing also the importance for integration in all sectors,
including energy and transport, water use and waste management, and the need for
international cooperation in support of national efforts,
Noting with appreciation the effort of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) in following up the outcome of the special session of the
General Assembly, particularly in the implementation of the Programme for the Further
Implementation of Agenda 21, as outlined in the report of the Executive Director on the
follow-up to the special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and
appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21,16
1. Reaffirms those calls for action as outlined in the Programme
for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 to implement the commitments made at the
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in Istanbul from 3 to 14
June 1996, and for new and additional resources from all sources necessary to achieve the
goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development;
2. Calls upon Governments to adopt policies and to establish
appropriate facilitating mechanisms for coordinated implementation at the local level of
the Habitat Agenda and local Agenda 21 initiatives, including:
(a) Promoting community development, improving access to security of
land tenure, housing and basic services, and fully integrating people living in poverty
into economic, social and political life, which are crucial to sustainable development;
(b) Enabling all people to achieve a higher level of health and
well-being through an integrated approach to the provision of basic services with a view
to improving community health and eliminating unsafe uses of lead, including the use of
lead in gasoline;
(c) Promoting best practices and supporting sustainable consumption of
energy, water and forest-based resources and the recycling and reuse of waste in cities;
3. Also calls upon Governments, where appropriate, to promote
and support partnerships of all interested parties, particularly the private sector and
community groups, in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21 at the local
level;
4. Emphasizes the role of the international community and
external assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in
improving the quality of information on the impact of urbanization on all aspects of
sustainable development, in sharing of information on the use of economic instruments and
in the transfer and dissemination of environmentally sound technology;
5. Invites the Executive Director, within available resources,
and in coordination with other external support agencies both within and outside the
United Nations system, to support Governments by, inter alia:
(a) Intensifying research, monitoring and evaluation of progress in the
Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 at the local level, particularly in
areas where such implementation is coordinated with local implementation of the Habitat
Agenda;
(b) Promoting and facilitating exchange of information and the transfer
of expertise on best practices and on national and local initiatives on sustainable
human-settlements development;
(c) Building capacity at the national and local levels and mobilizing
financial and technical support from the international community to strengthen the means
of implementation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition;
6. Requests the Executive Director to report on the
implementation of the present resolution in his progress report to the Commission on Human
Settlements at its eighteenth session.

17/16 Local implementation of the Habitat Agenda with
particular attention to local Agenda 21s
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling paragraph 213 of the Habitat Agenda,1 in
which it is stated that local authorities should be supported in their efforts towards
implementing the Habitat Agenda inasmuch as local action is required and that all
appropriate participatory mechanisms, including local Agenda 21 initiatives, should be
developed and employed,
Recalling also chapter 28 of Agenda 21,14 which
places emphasis on the role of local authority initiatives and that of local Agenda 21s in
support of the implementation of sustainable development at the local level,
Recalling further paragraph 33 of chapter II of the Habitat
Agenda, entitled "Goals and principles", which highlights the importance of
partnerships to the achievement of sustainable human-settlements development and the
provision of adequate shelter for all and basic services, as well as section III of Agenda
21, which outlines the roles of different partner groups in implementing sustainable
development,
Bearing in mind the experience gained by the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in implementing programmes at the local level
through the Sustainable Cities Programme, the Urban Management Programme, the Localizing
Agenda 21 Programme and the Community Development Programme,
Recognizing the many local environmental management and
development activities initiated within the context of local Agenda 21s, the many useful
lessons learned therefrom and the continuing importance of local Agenda 21s as an
instrument for implementing sustainable development at the local level,
Concurring with the Secretary-Generals observation, in his
report on implementation of and follow-up to the outcome of the United Nations Conference
on Human Settlements (Habitat II), that the Habitat Agenda provides a useful framework for
the implementation of relevant aspects of Agenda 21, since a number of chapters of Agenda
21 are targeted at impacts of activities that originate within human settlements,17
Recalling its decision 16/31 of 7 May 1997, in which it decided
to consider the theme "Local implementation of the Habitat Agenda, with particular
attention to local Agenda 21s" at its seventeenth session,
1. Takes note of the report of the Executive Director of the
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), containing the theme paper on local
implementation of the Habitat Agenda, with particular attention to local Agenda 21s;18
2. Calls upon Governments, in cooperation with local authorities
and civil-society partners, and with assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat), as appropriate, at national and local levels, to initiate national
publicity campaigns to increase awareness of both the Habitat Agenda and local Agenda 21s
and to support their implementation at the local level;
3. Also calls upon Governments, in cooperation with local
authorities and civil-society partners, and with assistance from the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat), as appropriate, at national and local levels, to initiate
the revision of legal and institutional frameworks to enable and facilitate partnerships
at the local level;
4. Calls upon Governments at national and local levels, jointly
with civil-society partners and with assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat), as appropriate, to develop or intensify programmes for training
locally elected representatives, community leaders and all local-level partners in how to
establish and manage local-level partnerships within the context of the Habitat Agenda and
local Agenda 21s;
5. Calls upon Governments at national and
local levels, jointly with civil-society partners and with assistance from the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and other interested organizations, as
appropriate, to put in place or intensify existing programmes and projects designed to
improve the financial resource mobilization and management capacities of local authorities
so as to establish sustainable institutional and financial frameworks for local
development;
6. Requests the Executive Director to increase efforts to
sensitize and assist countries in the local-level implementation of both the Habitat
Agenda and Agenda 21, especially with regard to the mounting of national publicity
campaigns, revision of legal and institutional frameworks to enable the participation of
local-level partners and setting up of urban observatories;
7. Urges the international community, including the United
Nations system and relevant international organizations, working in cooperation with
national Governments, to facilitate the provision of technical and financial assistance to
local-level partners to implement the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21, taking into account
local-level priorities;
8. Requests the Executive Director to make efforts to ensure
that increasing awareness of the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21 at the local level is an
integral part of the two global campaigns, for secure tenure and for urban governance,
proposed in the Centres work programme for the period 200020016 and
its related publicity activities.

17/17 International cooperation for the implementation
of the Habitat Agenda
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling paragraph 195 of the Habitat Agenda,1 in
which it is emphasized that the implementation of the Habitat Agenda is the primary
responsibility of each country at all levels, but that the overall decline in official
development assistance is a serious cause of concern in many developing countries,
Also recalling General Assembly resolution 51/177 of 16 December
1996 on the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II), in paragraph 10 of which the need is stressed to establish or
strengthen, as appropriate, participatory mechanisms for the implementation and review of
and follow-up to the Habitat Agenda and national plans of action,
Further recalling paragraph 211 of the Habitat Agenda, which
contains an appeal to all multilateral and bilateral development agencies and the Bretton
Woods institutions to establish and/or strengthen cooperative mechanisms to integrate
commitments and actions concerning adequate shelter for all and sustainable human
settlements development into their policies,
Affirming the agreement contained in the Programme of Action of
the World Summit for Social Development,19 as reiterated in paragraph 204 (dd)
of the Habitat Agenda, that developed and developing country partners should allocate 20
per cent of official development assistance and 20 per cent of the national budget,
respectively, to basic social programmes,
Recalling that the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) is a member of the United Nations Development Group, whose principal objective
is to strengthen the policy and programme coherence of United Nations development
activities,
1. Takes note of the report of the Executive Director of the
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) containing the theme paper on
international cooperation for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;20
2. Recommends that Governments and development agencies,
including those within the United Nations system and working, where possible, within the
United Nations Development Assistance Framework and its coordination mechanisms and
relevant international organizations, mobilize adequate resources for promoting and
stimulating the establishment and reinforcement of participatory mechanisms, at national
and local levels, for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and related national plans
of action, with a view to reactivating the successful mobilization of partners;
3. Invites the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) to pursue an increase in the mobilization of resources
from the international community, especially the industrialized countries, and the Bretton
Woods institutions and regional banks, as well as the private sector, and to pursue and
increase similar efforts from countries that have not until now been in a position to
extend such support;
4. Calls upon Governments and development agencies to support
the revitalization of the monitoring mandate of the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat) in order to follow up on the progress of international assistance to
the human settlements sector;
5. Also calls upon Governments and development agencies to
financially support the global campaigns on secure tenure and on urban governance,
launched by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) as key elements of
its 2000-2001 work programme;6
6. Requests the Executive Director to ensure continuous support
to an evolved role of the existing regional offices of the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat) in all actions related to international cooperation for the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda in their corresponding regions;
7. Also requests the Executive Director to support regional and
subregional forums, through the existing system of regional offices, to develop
consultative mechanisms, to exchange experience on implementing arrangements and progress
related to the Habitat Agenda, to raise the awareness of national Governments, local
authorities and other partners and to discuss regional cooperation strategies, and, in
this respect, invites the international community to participate in the "Urban
21" series of conferences;
8. Calls for international support for the Centres special
programme for Africa, which represents an integrated regional approach to the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda;
9. Urges the international community, including the United
Nations system and its coordination mechanisms and relevant international organizations,
to cooperate with national Governments in order to facilitate the provision of technical
and financial assistance to local authorities and their partners to implement their
local-level priorities;
10. Calls upon all relevant institutions carrying out
infrastructure-development activities at the local level, to involve local authorities in
the identification and implementation of such projects, to give sufficient attention to
operation and maintenance costs so as to ensure sustainability and to strengthen the
capacity of local authorities to assume their responsibilities in those activities;
11. Requests the international community to support
post-conflict countries, through reconstruction programmes to rehabilitate destroyed
houses and infrastructures and to resettle war victims in their properties, and to pay
special attention to vulnerable groups, especially women and children victims of war who,
as a result, have become heads of families;
12. Appeals to Governments and development agencies, including
the United Nations system and its coordinating mechanisms, to support the important role
of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in implementing innovative
operational activities, including its efforts in resource mobilization and in the
development of systematic coordinated approaches with other development agencies;
13. Requests the Executive Director, keeping in view the global
role and experience of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), to work
within the United Nations system and its coordinating mechanisms to promote and support
the implementation at the national and local levels of systematic coordinated approaches
addressing the various dimensions of urban poverty; this should be through consultations
in selected countries with key development partners and Governments and should include the
assessment of complementarities and comparative advantages, the reinforcement of national
and local coordinating capacities and strategic commitments from international partners;
14. Also requests the Executive Director to prepare a
comprehensive theme paper on international cooperation for the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda, to be presented at the special session of the General Assembly for an
overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, with particular
emphasis on the progress made with international assistance to the urban sector.

17/18 Cooperation with partners: role of local
authorities in the work of the Commission
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements,5
endorsed by the General Assembly,21 which identifies local authorities as the
closest partners of Governments and as essential in the implementation of the Habitat
Agenda,1
Recalling also paragraph 223 of the Habitat Agenda and paragraph
21 of General Assembly resolution 51/177 of 16 December 1996, which call for a review of
the working methods of the Commission in order to involve in its work representatives of
local authorities and other partners in the field of adequate shelter for all and
sustainable human settlements development, taking into account its rules of procedure,
Recalling further its resolution 16/12 of 7 May 1997 on the
review of the working methods of the Commission on Human Settlements: the involvement of
partners,
Noting with satisfaction the important contribution made by
local authorities from all over the world to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
including the effective partnerships being established between the Centre, Member States
and local authorities in the design, adoption and implementation of local plans of action
inspired by the Habitat Agenda and consistent with local Agenda 21s,
Recognizing the urgent need to accelerate international,
regional and national progress in the adoption of policy measures aimed at strengthening
cooperation between central and local governments,
Noting that the Commission on Human Settlements is the United
Nations body uniquely suited to foster this policy dialogue and action,
Considering that innovative measures need to be adopted on an
urgent basis to accelerate action in the work leading to the special session of the
General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat
Agenda, to be held in June 2001,
1. Requests the Executive Director to establish a committee of
local authorities as an advisory body to serve the purpose of strengthening the dialogue
with local authorities from all over the world involved in the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda;
2. Decides that the members of the committee shall be selected
by the Executive Director from States Members of the United Nations and members of the
specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in consultation with
national Governments, where appropriate, and based upon nominations, inter alia, by
regional or international associations of local authorities;
3. Also decides that the Committee shall be composed of not more
than twenty members, as selected by the Executive Director, taking into account the
broadest possible representativeness, including equitable regional distribution;
4. Invites the Executive Director to convene the constituting
meeting of the Committee, if possible during 1999, in order to decide on its rules of
procedure and to formulate its main functions and activities with a view to strengthening
the cooperation between local authorities and all other stakeholders in regard to the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda and local Agenda 21s;
5. Requests the Executive Director to provide a report on the
implementation of the present resolution to the Commission at its eighteenth session,
including in that report suggestions on strengthening the involvement of local authorities
and other partners in the work of the Commission.

17/19 Partnership with youth
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Concerned with the appalling situation in which many young
people still live, excluded from many parts of society, because, inter alia, of
lack of proper sanitation facilities and inadequate space and security,
Recalling the memorandum of understanding between the Youth for
Habitat International Network and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat), signed in May 1998,
Noting with appreciation the work done to date by the Youth for
Habitat International Network, involving one hundred and three youth non-governmental
organizations from all over the world in more than fifty countries, in many fields of
interest for human settlements and developments,
Recalling paragraph 25.7 of Agenda 21,14 in which it
is stated that each country and the United Nations should support the promotion and
creation of mechanisms to involve youth representation in all United Nations processes in
order to influence those processes,
Believing that youth concerns should be dealt with using an
integrated approach which should allow young people, who are designated key partners for
the achievement of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements in
paragraphs 182 (n), 120 (a) and 120 (b) of the Habitat Agenda,1 to participate
fully on local, national, regional and international levels,
Noting with appreciation that some countries have taken steps to
include youth representatives in their delegations, and encouraging others to do so,
Aware of the fact that youth are in a vulnerable and crucial
stage of life requiring special attention in social policies, education, city planning and
many other policy areas, as is highlighted in, inter alia, paragraph 6.19 of Agenda
21,
Strongly convinced that solutions to tackle problems on the
global, regional, national and local levels require the participation of all concerned
groups, including youth,
Stressing the importance of gender balance in all programmes and
actions concerning young people,
Fully believing that young people are not only future leaders,
but also partners of the present day,
1. Invites the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) to continue to work with youth organizations, including the Youth for Habitat
International Network, in all fields concerning youth, on a participatory basis in all
related phases of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;
2. Calls upon all Governments to take account of the fact that
young people are at a challenging stage of their lives that requires that their
expressions of lifestyle and opinion be respected with regard to the Habitat Agenda;
3. Encourages all Governments that have not yet done so to
facilitate the presence of youth representatives, who may be selected upon the
recommendation of youth organizations, in future meetings of the Commission on Human
Settlements;
4. Welcomes the publication of a popular version of the Habitat
Agenda to enable, inter alia, young people to familiarize themselves with its goals
and purposes, and encourages all Governments to facilitate the translation of this
document into their respective national languages;
5. Decides to include the item "Role of youth in the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21" in the agenda for the eighteenth
session of the Commission on Human Settlements in 2001;
6. Requests the Executive Director to report on progress made in
implementing the present resolution to the Commission on Human Settlements at its
eighteenth session.

17/20 Work programme and budget of the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat) for the biennium 20002001
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Recalling the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements,5
the Habitat Agenda1 and General Assembly resolution 51/177 of 16 December 1996,
by which, inter alia, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) was
designated as a focal point for international cooperation in the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda, as well as Commission resolution 16/19 of 7 May 1997 and Commission
decision 16/29 of 7 May 1997, on budgetary issues;
Recognizing that, in the follow-up to the United Nations
Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in Istanbul from 3 to 14 June 1996, the
overall orientation of the medium-term plan and the work programme of the Centre for the
biennium 20002001 emanate from the specific role for the Centre outlined in
paragraph 228 of the Habitat Agenda,
Recalling that, in paragraph 4 of the Istanbul Declaration the
commitment to combat the deterioration of the quality of life within human settlements,
particularly within developing countries, was reconfirmed,
Recognizing the need for the work programme for the biennium
20002001 to focus on well-defined objectives and strategic issues, in order to
contribute to the achievement of the goals of the Habitat Agenda,
Affirming that the global advocacy of the United Nations of the
goals of security of tenure and sound urban governance is a relevant and appropriate
strategy for promoting the objectives of the Habitat Agenda,
Noting that the strategic vision for a revitalized United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), as contained in the note by the
secretariat,4 provides the fundamental direction for the preparation of the
draft work programme for the biennium 20002001, within the financial constraints of
the Centre,
Noting also the recent efforts of the United Nations Centre for
Human Settlements (Habitat) and the Executive Director to improve and to make transparent
the fiscal and administrative management of the Centre, to draft a harmonized budget in
line with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary
Questions and to implement the recommendations of the Board of Auditors in their report
for the biennium ended 31 December 1997,22
Noting with appreciation the ongoing work of the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in the field of housing rights, in collaboration
with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, inter alia,
in the context of the regular, extensive reporting of the High Commissioner under the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,23
1. Approves the draft work programme for the biennium
20002001,6 while underlining the need for the programme as it is further
developed adequately to reflect the strategic vision for a revitalized Centre;
2. Confirms that the reorganization from four to two
subprogrammes reflects the need for an improved focus with a limited number of
well-defined objectives and that this provides for direct correspondence with the two
themes of the Habitat Agenda of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements
in an urbanizing world;
3. Also confirms that the strategy to combine normative and
operative functions in the work programme is a direct response to the recommendations made
by the Commission in its resolution 16/8 of 7 May 1997, on revitalization of the Centre,
the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services,24 the report of the
four Governments assessment,25 the report of the Secretary-General on
environment and human settlements3 and the report of the Secretary-General to
the General Assembly at its fifty-third session on the assessment of the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat);26
4. Calls upon the Executive Director to consult closely with
member Governments in developing the specific details of the work programme for the
biennium 20002001;
5. Also calls upon the Executive Director, in elaborating and
implementing the work programme, to consider carefully the potential impact on reducing
poverty, improving human shelter, promoting governance, as described in paragraph 45 (a)
of the Habitat Agenda, in the context of an enabling approach, promoting healthy living
environments and improving the status of women;
6. Recommends that the medium-term plan for the period
20022005 have the same strategic focus as the work programme 20002001 and be
organized into two subprogrammes corresponding to the two themes of the Habitat Agenda;
7. Encourages the Executive Director to continue his efforts to
improve the financial and administrative management of the Centre and, in particular, to
comply fully with all the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and
Budgetary Questions;
8. Invites the Centre further to harmonize its budget
methodology with that of similar United Nations bodies and to present its future budgets
in a results-based format;
9. Requests the Executive Director to raise more funds from all
sources and to broaden the donor base to include all members of the United Nations,
especially from countries that have developed a greater capacity to contribute, to ensure
the successful implementation of the work programme for the biennium 2000-2001;
10. Urges all Governments to make efforts to pay their
contributions prior to the year to which they relate or at the earliest possible date, in
order to enable the Centre to plan and execute the work programme more effectively;
11. Invites the Executive Director to assess the exact level of
services required by and provided to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) by the United Nations Office at Nairobi and to assess the appropriateness of the
Centres payments to the United Nations Office at Nairobi to make possible any
adjustments that may be required, and to report on the actions and remedies taken in that
regard to the Commission at its eighteenth session;
12. Approves an allocation of 22,808,300 dollars for the revised
budget for the biennium 19981999 and 23,019,600 dollars for 20002001,
recognizing that this will require substantial additional funding.

17/21 Habitat II debt to the United Nations Habitat and
Human Settlements Foundation
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Having considered the report on the budget of the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) for the biennium 200020017 and the
report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,27
Taking note of the inter-fund borrowing of 2,041,100 dollars
from the Foundation general-purpose funds for the United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II) and the inability of the Centre to recover the amount owed to the
Foundation,
Mindful of the fact that the inter-fund borrowing was not in
conformity with United Nations rules and regulations and diverted funds from the purposes
for which they were intended,
Recalling its resolution 16/19 of 7 May 1997, in which it
requested the Executive Director to repay this debt, and noting with regret that that
decision has not been implemented,
Noting the recommendation of the Under-Secretary-General for
Internal Oversight Services to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session, in
presenting the internal audit report on Habitat II,28 to write off the debt,
Noting also that the Advisory Committee on Administrative and
Budgetary Questions has no objection to writing off the debt,
1. Notes with appreciation the reports of the Advisory Committee
on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Office of Internal Oversight Services
regarding the Habitat II debt to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements
Foundation;
2. States that, provided the relevant United Nations financial
rules and regulations are applied and that no financial implications are incurred outside
the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, it has no objection to
writing off the debt of 2,041,100 dollars of the United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II) to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation;
3. Recognizes the need for proper budgetary practices to be
applied in the preparatory process for the special session of the United Nations General
Assembly in the year 2001 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda.

17/22 Cooperation between the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Considering General Assembly resolution 40/199 of 17 December
1985 on cooperation between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and
the United Nations Environment Programme,
Noting the importance of this cooperation for the effective
implementation of Agenda 2114 and of the Habitat Agenda1 and the
Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements,5 adopted at the second United
Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), specifically chapter IV, sections C,
D and E of the Habitat Agenda,
Recalling its resolutions 15/8 of 1 May 1995 and 16/20 of 6 May
1997, on cooperation between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and
the United Nations Environment Programme in the Sustainable Cities Programme,
Taking note of the recommendations of the United Nations Task
Force on Environment and Human Settlements of 1998, as set forth in the report of the
Secretary-General on environment and human settlements to the General Assembly at its
fifty-third session3 and of decision 20/17 of 5 February 1999 of the Governing
Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on the report of the Secretary-General
on environment and human settlements,
Taking note also of the joint progress report of the Executive
Directors of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the United
Nations Environment Programme on cooperation between the Centre and the Programme,29
Noting with satisfaction the achievements of the joint
Sustainable Cities Programme and of the joint Urban Environment Forum,
Realizing that similar joint activities between the Centre and
the United Nations Environment Programme can contribute greatly to the concretization of
the new strategic focus of the Centre,
1. Requests the Executive Director to continue and to expand
cooperation between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the
United Nations Environment Programme, particularly in the Sustainable Cities Programme,
the project on managing water for African cities and the Urban Environment Forum, and to
participate, in this respect, if requested to do so, in the coordination mechanisms of the
United Nations system to respond to natural disasters, with a view to spearheading the
advancement of collective know-how and normative guidelines;
2. Also requests the Executive Director to strengthen
cooperative efforts between the Centre and the United Nations Environment Programme
regarding media outreach on public information and awareness-building activities;
3. Further requests the Executive Director to initiate
substantive collaboration between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme on the preparation of global
reports, such as the Global Environment Outlook, the State of the Worlds
Cities and the Global Report on Human Settlements, in order to enhance impact
and to raise efficiency;
4. Encourages all Governments actively to support these
cooperative activities;
5. Requests the Executive Director to report on progress in the
implementation of the present resolution to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

17/23 Ombudsman Unit services to the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
[ Up ]
The Commission on Human Settlements,
Considering the services rendered by the Ombudsman Unit of the
United Nations Environment Programme since its inception in 1993 in the fields of
mediation, inquiry, counselling, the provision of information, briefing and management
review, thereby meeting essential demands from the personnel of the United Nations
Environment Programme,
Taking into account decision 20/41 of 4 February 1999 of the
Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on the functioning of the
Ombudsman Unit, in which it is stressed that other United Nations entities in Nairobi and
their personnel would greatly benefit from the full range of services provided by the
Ombudsman Unit and the Executive Director is invited to extend the services of the
Ombudsman Unit to other United Nations entities upon request,
Attentive to the proximity of and existing links between the
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the United Nations Environment
Programme and their personnel,
Aware of the reinforcement of the Ombudsman Unit since the
twentieth session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme,
1. Invites the Executive Director to explore and, if possible,
to enter into an inter-agency agreement for the United Nations Environment Programme to
extend the services of its Ombudsman Unit to the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat) on a no-cost basis until the eighteenth session of the Commission on
Human Settlements;
2. Requests the Executive Director to submit to the Commission
at its eighteenth session all relevant information and reports with regard to the
operations of the Ombudsman Unit related to the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat);
3. Decides to review, at its eighteenth session, the Ombudsman
Unit services related to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the
financial implications of the continuation of those services to the Centre.

B. Decision
17/24 Themes for the eighteenth session of the Commission on
Human Settlements
[ Up ]
At its 9th plenary meeting, on 14 May 1999, the Commission on Human
Settlements decided that it would consider two themes for its eighteenth session. It
further decided that those themes would be:
(a) Security of tenure;
(b) Urban governance.
It also decided that the corresponding draft outlines contained in
document HS/C/17/13 would be presented to the Commission on Human Settlements at its
eighteenth session.
Notes
1 Report of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat
II), Istanbul, 314 June 1996 (A/CONF.165/14), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
2 HS/C/17/2.
3 A/53/463 (also distributed to the Commission as an annex to document
HS/C/17/CRP.5).
4 HS/C/17/2/Add. 2, annex.
5 Report of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat II),
Istanbul, 314 June 1996 (A/CONF.165/14), chap. I, resolution 1, annex I.
6 HS/C/17/8.
7 HS/C/17/9.
8 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
9 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Supplement
No. 8 (A/52/8/Add.1), annex.
10 General Assembly resolution 43/181, annex.
11 HS/C/17/3.
12 A/53/267.
13 HS/C/17/3/Add.1.
14 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,
Rio de Janeiro, 314 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference
(United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex II.
15 HS/C/16/15.
16 HS/C/17/4.
17 A/51/384, para. 34.
18 HS/C/17/5.
19 Report of the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 612
March 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.8), chap. I, resolution 1,
annex II.
20 HS/C/17/6.
21 General Assembly resolution 51/177 of 16 December 1996.
22 HS/C/17/CRP.2, annex.
23 General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
24 A/51/884.
25 HS/C/16/CRP.17, annex.
26 HS/C/17/CRP.4, annex.
27 HS/C/17/9/Add.1, annex.
28 A/52/821.
29 HS/C/17/10.

Annex II
[ Up ]
Summaries by the Chair of the high-level segment of the seventeenth session of the
Commission on Human Settlements and of the dialogues with local authorities and other
Habitat Agenda partners
[ Up ]
Summaries by the Chair of the high-level segment of the seventeenth session of the
Commission on Human Settlements and of the dialogues with local authorities and other
Habitat Agenda partners
A. High-level segment of the plenary
[ Up ]
Introduction
1. The high-level segment of the seventeenth session of the Commission
on Human Settlements comprised four plenary meetings, on 5, 6 and 7 May 1999, and its
discussions focused on the following three main issues: first, the report of the United
Nations Task Force on Environment and Human Settlements, including the ongoing
revitalization and restructuring of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) (agenda item 4); second, implementation of the Habitat Agenda (agenda item 5);
and, third, cooperation with partners, including cooperation with agencies and
organizations within the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations outside
the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations (agenda item 8 (b)).
1. Revitalization of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
2. There was general satisfaction with and strong support for the
direction and progress of the reform and revitalization process, as well as the new
strategic vision. Delegations welcomed the steps taken to reorganize the financial and
administrative management and, in that context, referred to the ongoing reform of the
United Nations system and to the report of the Secretary-General on environment and human
settlements, submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session (A/53/463).
3. Many delegations stressed the need for clear priorities and a clear
relationship between the work programme and the budget and called for a limited number of
core activities in support of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. In addition, many
delegations expressed support for the new strategic focus on security of tenure and urban
governance and voiced the hope that the revitalization of the Centre would facilitate
attainment of an adequate and predictable financial base. Some delegations representing
developing countries suggested that their countries also shared responsibility for the
Centres future financial security and pledged their financial support.
4. Many delegations supported the focus on urban development and the
proposal that the Centre should be presented as the United Nations city agency. Many
delegations, however, voiced concern that such an emphasis could divert attention from and
marginalize rural areas, villages and smaller towns.
5. While some delegations welcomed synergies and expanded cooperation
and integration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), including sharing a
common Executive Director, others said that there was a need to maintain the Centre as a
strong independent entity with its own Executive Director.
2. Implementation of the Habitat Agenda
6. All delegations underscored the importance of implementing the
Habitat Agenda at the international, regional, national and local levels, citing specific
new programmes and policy initiatives that they had undertaken within their countries to
achieve the goals of adequate shelter and sustainable development. A large number
emphasized that strengthened international cooperation was essential to the fulfilment of
the recommendations of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat
II), with many calling specifically for increased financial resources for that purpose. A
number of delegations referred to activities and programmes of the Centre that were
contributing towards sustainable human settlements, with many stating their expectation
that a revitalized Centre would be in a stronger position to play its coordinating and
focal point role in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
7. While many delegations agreed on the urgent need to address the
challenge of urbanization as a priority, many others also cautioned that efforts to that
end should not be carried out at the expense of policies to improve rural settlements and
develop rural areas, with several delegations explicitly requesting the Centre not to
reduce its attention to improvement of rural settlements in moving the Habitat Agenda
forward.
8. Several delegations affirmed their support for the decentralization
of the Centres activities to the regions as a strategy for bringing direct
assistance closer to Member States and other partners in implementing the Habitat Agenda,
while others expressed the opinion that the regionalization policy was still uneven in
terms of the resulting benefits to the various regions.
9. While pointing out that peace was a prerequisite for development, a
number of delegations stated that, in recent years, armed conflict had exacted and
was continuing to exact a heavy toll on human settlements and human settlements
development and several called on the Centre to provide reconstruction assistance to
countries and regions afflicted by armed conflict and natural and man-made disasters.
3. Cooperation with partners
10. All delegations underscored the importance of partners and
partnerships between national and local governments, and with non-governmental
organizations and other organizations of civil society, for the successful implementation
of the Habitat Agenda. Many delegations cited specific examples of how local authorities
and non-governmental organizations were being strengthened and actively involved in
policies and programmes to achieve adequate shelter and sustainable development of human
settlements in their respective countries. In that respect, several delegations also made
specific references to their implementation of decentralization policies as recommended in
the Habitat Agenda. One delegation cited the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat as a model
example of the work of Habitat partners, while another specifically expressed support for
the work on the World Charter of Local Self-Government.
11. Many delegations also emphasized that a strong partnership between
Habitat and local authorities, non-governmental organizations and others in civil society
was vital to the success of the Centres implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
Several delegations also expressed specific support for a closer partnership between the
Commission and local authorities and their international associations.
12. The representative of the World Associations of Cities and Local
Authorities Coordination (WACLAC) emphasized that WACLAC and its member associations
wished to establish an effective partnership with Habitat and the Commission, and
expressed the hope that proposals for the inclusion of local authorities in the work of
the Commission would be accepted. He further expressed his support for the work programme
and the work on the World Charter of Local Self-Government. The representative of the
International Union of Local Authorities welcomed the opportunity for a direct dialogue
with central Governments at the Commission sessions.
13. The representative of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat
commended the new work programme of the Centre, especially the legislative components, as
he believed it reflected the Global Parliamentarians own priorities in regard to
adequate shelter. The representative of the Habitat International Coalition emphasized the
need for genuine partnership between the Centre and non-governmental organizations.
14. Many delegations referred to the cooperation between UNEP and the
Centre and a number stressed the importance of developing synergies and closer cooperation
between the two bodies, with most also underscoring that they should remain separate and
distinct entities. In addition, several delegations also called for close cooperation
between the Centre, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank in
the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. A number of delegations also mentioned the
assistance they were receiving from programmes and projects that the Centre was
implementing in cooperation with other United Nations agencies. Several delegations
specifically welcomed the launching of the Habitat/World Bank Cities Initiative/Cities
Alliance, while others drew attention to the Sustainable Cities Programme and the Urban
Management Programme as examples of the Centres excellent cooperation with UNEP and
UNDP, respectively.
15. The representative of the World Bank, while referring to the new
partnership with Habitat, emphasized that it tallied well with the Centres new
strategic vision and the Banks new comprehensive development framework. The
representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
underscored the Centres cooperation with the Office on the right to adequate housing
and on a proposed United Nations housing rights programme, while the representative of the
Economic Commission for Africa welcomed the Centres new Regional Office for Africa
and the Arab States, saying that he looked forward to increased cooperation. The
representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) outlined that organizations work in the area of governance, while the
representative of UNDP made a statement on cooperation between his organization and the
Centre.
B.
Dialogues with local authorities and other Habitat Agenda partners
[ Up ]
Introduction
16. In paragraph 2 of its resolution 16/12 of 7 May 1997, the
Commission decided to provide, at its future sessions, opportunities for partners to
engage in a dialogue among themselves and with Governments and noted that such dialogues
could, as appropriate, serve as an input to the work of the Commission. In the same
resolution, partners were also invited to propose activities for the inter-sessional
periods of the Commission in order to accelerate the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
while the Executive Director was requested to actively involve partners in the
Centres work through, where appropriate, the provision of inputs to the Centre in
its development, implementation and evaluation of the work programme.
17. The three dialogues with partners were held in the course of three
plenary sessions on Friday, 7 May 1999, and Monday, 10 May 1999. The themes of the
dialogues were introduced by panellists from all regions of the world, representing the
leading global and regional associations of local authorities, individual cities,
parliamentarians, trade unions, professionals, researchers, non-governmental organizations
and womens groups.
18. The first dialogue was devoted to partnership between Governments
and local authorities, given the central importance of the local level implementation of
the Habitat Agenda, as well as the recognition in the Istanbul Declaration of local
authorities as the Governments closest and most essential partners in the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
19. The second and third dialogues were of a thematic nature. Their
themes and topics were closely linked to the goals of the Habitat Agenda and to the points
of emphasis stressed in the new strategic vision for Habitat.
1. Dialogue between Governments and local authorities for the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda
20. There was general agreement that, to put partnership into
practice, a dialogue had to be initiated with and between central and local governments as
a means of exploring ways in which each could complement the work of the other. A number
of speakers stressed that local authorities needed to be empowered in the processes of the
Commission, and the inclusion of a dialogue within the current session was welcomed by
representatives of local authorities.
21. Some speakers expressed concern at the issue of sharing
responsibilities between central and local governments in the provision of social services
in cities. Others believed there was an urgent need to establish democracy through the
empowerment of local governments and local, freely elected representatives, since the
effective implementation of the Habitat Agenda could only be ensured through
societys freely elected representatives.
22. Many mayors from different regions described their experiences and
outlined problems, opportunities, strategies and potential solutions. They suggested that
the Habitat Agenda be included in the implementation of local Agenda 21s. Several speakers
raised the issue of gender balance in local government and the need for the empowerment of
women. A number of speakers pointed to the need to promote the endorsement of the World
Charter of Local Self-Government.
23. A number of speakers recommended that the dialogue be continued and
formalized within the work of the Commission as a means of promoting mutual understanding
and cooperation between local authorities and all other stakeholders concerned with the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
24. A letter from the Mayor of Istanbul addressed to the Chair of the
Commission was read out. In the letter, strong support was expressed by the Mayor for the
establishment of a Habitat office in Istanbul.
2. Divided city
25. Participants considered that one significant cause of divided
cities was the continuing use of city management methods that had originally been designed
in the context of a predictable socio-economic environment and which were unsuitable in an
era of rapid change.
26. Migration of males from rural areas to cities was also identified
as an important factor, with sex ratio imbalances among migrant communities in some cities
causing disconnection from the mainstream of society. The growth of female headed
households and the decline of the nuclear family were also important factors which
contributed to the feminization of poverty, because policies that acknowledged those
trends had not been devised.
27. The situation was aggravated by an approach to management with the
emphasis on "red tape", rather than on responsiveness to need, and by forms of
city planning that emphasized segregation of income groups and land uses.
28. A number of speakers suggested that decision makers were often
detached from the issue of social exclusion and, therefore, had a reduced ability to
address and respond to the problems. The capture of some city administrations by interest
groups seeking only personal material gain, and not the welfare of all city residents, was
also a serious problem.
29. Many speakers believed that, for solutions to be successful, they
had to support existing trends of urban change, for example, the growth of the informal
employment sector. In addition, a number of speakers drew attention to the leading role of
local authorities in addressing the issue of exclusion. In that regard, others drew
attention to the importance of engaging excluded groups in city governance, to ensure that
city management, being made more accountable, would improve. While noting the particular
importance of representation of women in decision-making bodies, speakers stressed that
all groups needed to be consulted on city policies and programmes.
30. Participants considered that there was ample scope for the
involvement of the private sector, and city authorities had an important role in
encouraging a sense of corporate responsibility to make such a commitment productive for
all parties. Moreover, there was great scope for so-called public-private-peoples
partnerships to support activities that would reach all sectors of society.
31. Many speakers pointed to the role of rural areas and stressed that
support for cities should not be at the expense of such areas. Indeed, the urban-rural
divide was perceived as almost as important as that of the "divided city". It
was therefore considered that solutions had to be devised that reflected the solidarity
between urban and rural dwellers.
3. Shelter and security of tenure for the urban poor
32. Attention was drawn to the central problem that, with the
decreasing role of the State and the demise of public housing, shelter had increasingly
become a market commodity. In most countries, the gap between the demand for the supply of
decent housing at an affordable price had widened and the lack of security of tenure in
informal settlements had negative effects for investments and efforts to upgrade them.
33. A wide range of issues was discussed by the participants in the
dialogue, and participants examined how the Centres global campaign on secure tenure
could address those issues effectively. Attention was drawn to the importance of decent
shelter and basic services in determining the quality of life in human settlements. The
poor needed to be provided with affordable and appropriate building materials and
technologies, services, training, land and credit systems that were suitable to their
needs and capacities. The issue of forced evictions was raised, together with the need for
workable schemes when relocation became inevitable. In that context, legislative reforms
pertaining to the field of shelter were called for.
34. Participatory approaches involving the poor and, in particular,
women were required in policy formulation and execution. In that context, the important
role and contributions of women in shelter development and the urgent need to eliminate
impediments to gender balance and empowerment of women were highlighted. The need for
information exchange and dissemination of lessons learned was also stressed. Shelter
development was important for economic activity and job creation and for reducing poverty.
In that process, security of tenure played a predominant role, together with appropriate
land management. Parallel to shelter development, there was a need for economic and social
support programmes, for prevention of mismanagement and corruption and for environmental
protection and upgrading and adequate sanitation. Community groups had a role to play and
support also had to be given to the informal sector and to the non-profit sector in
shelter development. Specific issues had to be taken into account in the transformation
from centrally planned economies to market arrangements.
35. In conclusion, it was pointed out that it was the security and not
the form of tenure that really mattered and that the Centres global campaign on
secure tenure would aim at facilitating transformation from exclusion in cities to
inclusion and integration by mobilizing all stakeholder groups to make shelter development
a responsibility of society at large.
[ Up ]
Introduction
1. The high-level segment of the seventeenth session of the Commission
on Human Settlements comprised four plenary meetings, on 5, 6 and 7 May 1999, and its
discussions focused on the following three main issues: first, the report of the United
Nations Task Force on Environment and Human Settlements, including the ongoing
revitalization and restructuring of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) (agenda item 4); second, implementation of the Habitat Agenda (agenda item 5);
and, third, cooperation with partners, including cooperation with agencies and
organizations within the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations outside
the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations (agenda item 8 (b)).
1. Revitalization of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
2. There was general satisfaction with and strong support for the
direction and progress of the reform and revitalization process, as well as the new
strategic vision. Delegations welcomed the steps taken to reorganize the financial and
administrative management and, in that context, referred to the ongoing reform of the
United Nations system and to the report of the Secretary-General on environment and human
settlements, submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session (A/53/463).
3. Many delegations stressed the need for clear priorities and a clear
relationship between the work programme and the budget and called for a limited number of
core activities in support of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. In addition, many
delegations expressed support for the new strategic focus on security of tenure and urban
governance and voiced the hope that the revitalization of the Centre would facilitate
attainment of an adequate and predictable financial base. Some delegations representing
developing countries suggested that their countries also shared responsibility for the
Centres future financial security and pledged their financial support.
4. Many delegations supported the focus on urban development and the
proposal that the Centre should be presented as the United Nations city agency. Many
delegations, however, voiced concern that such an emphasis could divert attention from and
marginalize rural areas, villages and smaller towns.
5. While some delegations welcomed synergies and expanded cooperation
and integration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), including sharing a
common Executive Director, others said that there was a need to maintain the Centre as a
strong independent entity with its own Executive Director.
2. Implementation of the Habitat Agenda
6. All delegations underscored the importance of implementing the
Habitat Agenda at the international, regional, national and local levels, citing specific
new programmes and policy initiatives that they had undertaken within their countries to
achieve the goals of adequate shelter and sustainable development. A large number
emphasized that strengthened international cooperation was essential to the fulfilment of
the recommendations of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat
II), with many calling specifically for increased financial resources for that purpose. A
number of delegations referred to activities and programmes of the Centre that were
contributing towards sustainable human settlements, with many stating their expectation
that a revitalized Centre would be in a stronger position to play its coordinating and
focal point role in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
7. While many delegations agreed on the urgent need to address the
challenge of urbanization as a priority, many others also cautioned that efforts to that
end should not be carried out at the expense of policies to improve rural settlements and
develop rural areas, with several delegations explicitly requesting the Centre not to
reduce its attention to improvement of rural settlements in moving the Habitat Agenda
forward.
8. Several delegations affirmed their support for the decentralization
of the Centres activities to the regions as a strategy for bringing direct
assistance closer to Member States and other partners in implementing the Habitat Agenda,
while others expressed the opinion that the regionalization policy was still uneven in
terms of the resulting benefits to the various regions.
9. While pointing out that peace was a prerequisite for development, a
number of delegations stated that, in recent years, armed conflict had exacted and
was continuing to exact a heavy toll on human settlements and human settlements
development and several called on the Centre to provide reconstruction assistance to
countries and regions afflicted by armed conflict and natural and man-made disasters.
3. Cooperation with partners
10. All delegations underscored the importance of partners and
partnerships between national and local governments, and with non-governmental
organizations and other organizations of civil society, for the successful implementation
of the Habitat Agenda. Many delegations cited specific examples of how local authorities
and non-governmental organizations were being strengthened and actively involved in
policies and programmes to achieve adequate shelter and sustainable development of human
settlements in their respective countries. In that respect, several delegations also made
specific references to their implementation of decentralization policies as recommended in
the Habitat Agenda. One delegation cited the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat as a model
example of the work of Habitat partners, while another specifically expressed support for
the work on the World Charter of Local Self-Government.
11. Many delegations also emphasized that a strong partnership between
Habitat and local authorities, non-governmental organizations and others in civil society
was vital to the success of the Centres implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
Several delegations also expressed specific support for a closer partnership between the
Commission and local authorities and their international associations.
12. The representative of the World Associations of Cities and Local
Authorities Coordination (WACLAC) emphasized that WACLAC and its member associations
wished to establish an effective partnership with Habitat and the Commission, and
expressed the hope that proposals for the inclusion of local authorities in the work of
the Commission would be accepted. He further expressed his support for the work programme
and the work on the World Charter of Local Self-Government. The representative of the
International Union of Local Authorities welcomed the opportunity for a direct dialogue
with central Governments at the Commission sessions.
13. The representative of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat
commended the new work programme of the Centre, especially the legislative components, as
he believed it reflected the Global Parliamentarians own priorities in regard to
adequate shelter. The representative of the Habitat International Coalition emphasized the
need for genuine partnership between the Centre and non-governmental organizations.
14. Many delegations referred to the cooperation between UNEP and the
Centre and a number stressed the importance of developing synergies and closer cooperation
between the two bodies, with most also underscoring that they should remain separate and
distinct entities. In addition, several delegations also called for close cooperation
between the Centre, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank in
the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. A number of delegations also mentioned the
assistance they were receiving from programmes and projects that the Centre was
implementing in cooperation with other United Nations agencies. Several delegations
specifically welcomed the launching of the Habitat/World Bank Cities Initiative/Cities
Alliance, while others drew attention to the Sustainable Cities Programme and the Urban
Management Programme as examples of the Centres excellent cooperation with UNEP and
UNDP, respectively.
15. The representative of the World Bank, while referring to the new
partnership with Habitat, emphasized that it tallied well with the Centres new
strategic vision and the Banks new comprehensive development framework. The
representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
underscored the Centres cooperation with the Office on the right to adequate housing
and on a proposed United Nations housing rights programme, while the representative of the
Economic Commission for Africa welcomed the Centres new Regional Office for Africa
and the Arab States, saying that he looked forward to increased cooperation. The
representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) outlined that organizations work in the area of governance, while the
representative of UNDP made a statement on cooperation between his organization and the
Centre.
B.
Dialogues with local authorities and other Habitat Agenda partners
[ Up ]
Introduction
16. In paragraph 2 of its resolution 16/12 of 7 May 1997, the
Commission decided to provide, at its future sessions, opportunities for partners to
engage in a dialogue among themselves and with Governments and noted that such dialogues
could, as appropriate, serve as an input to the work of the Commission. In the same
resolution, partners were also invited to propose activities for the inter-sessional
periods of the Commission in order to accelerate the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,
while the Executive Director was requested to actively involve partners in the
Centres work through, where appropriate, the provision of inputs to the Centre in
its development, implementation and evaluation of the work programme.
17. The three dialogues with partners were held in the course of three
plenary sessions on Friday, 7 May 1999, and Monday, 10 May 1999. The themes of the
dialogues were introduced by panellists from all regions of the world, representing the
leading global and regional associations of local authorities, individual cities,
parliamentarians, trade unions, professionals, researchers, non-governmental organizations
and womens groups.
18. The first dialogue was devoted to partnership between Governments
and local authorities, given the central importance of the local level implementation of
the Habitat Agenda, as well as the recognition in the Istanbul Declaration of local
authorities as the Governments closest and most essential partners in the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
19. The second and third dialogues were of a thematic nature. Their
themes and topics were closely linked to the goals of the Habitat Agenda and to the points
of emphasis stressed in the new strategic vision for Habitat.
1. Dialogue between Governments and local authorities for the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda
20. There was general agreement that, to put partnership into
practice, a dialogue had to be initiated with and between central and local governments as
a means of exploring ways in which each could complement the work of the other. A number
of speakers stressed that local authorities needed to be empowered in the processes of the
Commission, and the inclusion of a dialogue within the current session was welcomed by
representatives of local authorities.
21. Some speakers expressed concern at the issue of sharing
responsibilities between central and local governments in the provision of social services
in cities. Others believed there was an urgent need to establish democracy through the
empowerment of local governments and local, freely elected representatives, since the
effective implementation of the Habitat Agenda could only be ensured through
societys freely elected representatives.
22. Many mayors from different regions described their experiences and
outlined problems, opportunities, strategies and potential solutions. They suggested that
the Habitat Agenda be included in the implementation of local Agenda 21s. Several speakers
raised the issue of gender balance in local government and the need for the empowerment of
women. A number of speakers pointed to the need to promote the endorsement of the World
Charter of Local Self-Government.
23. A number of speakers recommended that the dialogue be continued and
formalized within the work of the Commission as a means of promoting mutual understanding
and cooperation between local authorities and all other stakeholders concerned with the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
24. A letter from the Mayor of Istanbul addressed to the Chair of the
Commission was read out. In the letter, strong support was expressed by the Mayor for the
establishment of a Habitat office in Istanbul.
2. Divided city
25. Participants considered that one significant cause of divided
cities was the continuing use of city management methods that had originally been designed
in the context of a predictable socio-economic environment and which were unsuitable in an
era of rapid change.
26. Migration of males from rural areas to cities was also identified
as an important factor, with sex ratio imbalances among migrant communities in some cities
causing disconnection from the mainstream of society. The growth of female headed
households and the decline of the nuclear family were also important factors which
contributed to the feminization of poverty, because policies that acknowledged those
trends had not been devised.
27. The situation was aggravated by an approach to management with the
emphasis on "red tape", rather than on responsiveness to need, and by forms of
city planning that emphasized segregation of income groups and land uses.
28. A number of speakers suggested that decision makers were often
detached from the issue of social exclusion and, therefore, had a reduced ability to
address and respond to the problems. The capture of some city administrations by interest
groups seeking only personal material gain, and not the welfare of all city residents, was
also a serious problem.
29. Many speakers believed that, for solutions to be successful, they
had to support existing trends of urban change, for example, the growth of the informal
employment sector. In addition, a number of speakers drew attention to the leading role of
local authorities in addressing the issue of exclusion. In that regard, others drew
attention to the importance of engaging excluded groups in city governance, to ensure that
city management, being made more accountable, would improve. While noting the particular
importance of representation of women in decision-making bodies, speakers stressed that
all groups needed to be consulted on city policies and programmes.
30. Participants considered that there was ample scope for the
involvement of the private sector, and city authorities had an important role in
encouraging a sense of corporate responsibility to make such a commitment productive for
all parties. Moreover, there was great scope for so-called public-private-peoples
partnerships to support activities that would reach all sectors of society.
31. Many speakers pointed to the role of rural areas and stressed that
support for cities should not be at the expense of such areas. Indeed, the urban-rural
divide was perceived as almost as important as that of the "divided city". It
was therefore considered that solutions had to be devised that reflected the solidarity
between urban and rural dwellers.
3. Shelter and security of tenure for the urban poor
32. Attention was drawn to the central problem that, with the
decreasing role of the State and the demise of public housing, shelter had increasingly
become a market commodity. In most countries, the gap between the demand for the supply of
decent housing at an affordable price had widened and the lack of security of tenure in
informal settlements had negative effects for investments and efforts to upgrade them.
33. A wide range of issues was discussed by the participants in the
dialogue, and participants examined how the Centres global campaign on secure tenure
could address those issues effectively. Attention was drawn to the importance of decent
shelter and basic services in determining the quality of life in human settlements. The
poor needed to be provided with affordable and appropriate building materials and
technologies, services, training, land and credit systems that were suitable to their
needs and capacities. The issue of forced evictions was raised, together with the need for
workable schemes when relocation became inevitable. In that context, legislative reforms
pertaining to the field of shelter were called for.
34. Participatory approaches involving the poor and, in particular,
women were required in policy formulation and execution. In that context, the important
role and contributions of women in shelter development and the urgent need to eliminate
impediments to gender balance and empowerment of women were highlighted. The need for
information exchange and dissemination of lessons learned was also stressed. Shelter
development was important for economic activity and job creation and for reducing poverty.
In that process, security of tenure played a predominant role, together with appropriate
land management. Parallel to shelter development, there was a need for economic and social
support programmes, for prevention of mismanagement and corruption and for environmental
protection and upgrading and adequate sanitation. Community groups had a role to play and
support also had to be given to the informal sector and to the non-profit sector in
shelter development. Specific issues had to be taken into account in the transformation
from centrally planned economies to market arrangements.
35. In conclusion, it was pointed out that it was the security and not
the form of tenure that really mattered and that the Centres global campaign on
secure tenure would aim at facilitating transformation from exclusion in cities to
inclusion and integration by mobilizing all stakeholder groups to make shelter development
a responsibility of society at large.

Annex III
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Summary of opening statements
[ Up ]
Summary of opening statements
A. Statement by M. Afsarul
Qader, Chair of the Commission on Human Settlements at its sixteenth session
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1. In his opening statement to
the Commission, the Chair pointed to the rapid pace of urbanization and other global
trends, which were also creating great disparities in levels of development among and
within countries, most visibly in the cities. The Commission and the Centre were the
institutions established by the international community to face the challenge of
urbanization, and any failure in that endeavour would have serious consequences. For that
reason, it was vital to strengthen international cooperation.
2. The Habitat Agenda offered a constructive vision for meeting that
challenge, through, inter alia, the provision of sustainable urban development and
adequate shelter, but the Agenda had now to be implemented with full vigour. To that end,
the faults for which the Centre had been criticized in the past would have to be overcome.
Since the last session of the Commission, much had been done in that regard under the
leadership of the Acting Executive Director, including the stabilization of the financial
situation and new organizational arrangements. Those and other matters were before the
Commission at its seventeenth session. Accordingly, he called on the Commission to press
ahead in ensuring predictable minimum resources for the Centre and in ensuring its
effective management, and expressed the conviction that the Commission would make the
right choices and realize the vision of the Habitat II Conference.
B. Policy statement by Klaus Töpfer,
Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
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3. In his opening address, the Acting Executive Director welcomed
the President of Kenya and all government delegations to the Commission. He assured the
President and the Government of Kenya of his conviction that the location of the United
Nations Office at Nairobi was an asset to its work and that the United Nations needed a
strong Centre for Human Settlements in Nairobi. Welcoming the leaders and representatives
of local authorities, parliamentarians and non-governmental, youth and womens
organizations, trade unions, the private sector, professionals and researchers, he said
that their participation provided evidence of the new constructive partnership that the
Centre was forging in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
4. Pointing to the rapid rise in the levels of urbanization throughout
the world over the course of the current century, he noted that the twenty-first century
would be the urban century, during which cities would increase their economic, social and
environmental roles. He further noted that economic growth in cities would also directly
benefit the economic and other development of rural areas.
5. As a consequence of urban population growth, poverty was
increasingly becoming an urban phenomenon in developing countries, impacting most severely
on women and children as a consequence of the constraints on womens economic
opportunities and their lack of control over resources, not only in urban, but also in
rural areas. As urban growth could not be reversed, the very process of urbanization must
itself become an instrument in fighting poverty and social exclusion, and in ensuring
social justice and environmental stability in urban and rural regions. In that regard, he
noted with concern the downward trend in official development assistance (ODA), since
there was a clear link between levels of ODA debt relief and the goals of sustainable
urban development, poverty reduction and good governance. A further problem was posed by
ongoing armed conflicts and humanitarian emergencies and, in that context, he assured
participants that, in the future, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) would also play a vital role in post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction.
6. He emphasized that rural development was a crucial element in the
Centres human settlements development strategy, as cities and rural areas were
closely linked. Habitat would be the city agency but, through its strategies and
programmes, the Centre would demonstrate that the sustainable development of urbanized
regions was the vital precondition for achieving the development of rural areas.
7. If, however, the world community was to solve the problems of human
settlements, then Habitat must fulfil its potential as the authoritative voice and
catalyst for action. It was his expectation that the Commission would give a strong signal
to the international community in that regard. The Habitat II Conference had called for
the Centre to be a clearly profiled institution, focused on sustainable development of
human settlements. In response to that call, an exercise to revitalize Habitat had been
launched in 1998, in cooperation with Member States, especially through the Committee of
Permanent Representatives in Nairobi. That revitalization process had now been
successfully completed. It had set the basis for a forward-looking organization that is
flexible, innovative and proactive, able to implement policies and programmes effectively
around shared goals, transparent and accountable in its dealings with donors, developing
countries and people around the world, and equipped for fruitful partnerships with the
rest of the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions. The revitalization
of Habitat would also satisfy the need for a city agency within the United Nations system.
8. He stressed that the future influence and success of the Centre
would depend on the degree to which it built productive relationships with its partners.
One of those new important partners was to be found in local authorities, as their
contribution was vital to the success of the Centres work in human settlements.
Local authorities had an important role in providing solutions to local environmental and
developmental issues and were at the forefront of action in that regard. The revitalized
Habitat should therefore facilitate and encourage the role of local authorities in
decision-making at the city level and in improving urban management and governance
practices. Referring to the special session of the General Assembly in 2001 to review
progress in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, he expressed the hope that, by that
time, work would have been finalized on the World Charter of Local Self-Government as a
legal framework for the decentralization policy called for in the Habitat Agenda.
9. He also underscored the importance of parliamentarians, as elected
representatives, in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and as partners in the work
of the Centre. There was also a pressing need for partnership with non-governmental, youth
and womens organizations, as well as with the private sector, trade unions,
professionals and researchers.
10. Turning to the new strategy for the future, he informed the
Commission that two global campaigns, on security of tenure and on urban governance,
formulated out of the Habitat Agenda, would lead the Centres work and shape the work
programme and budget for the next biennium, as well as constituting the main criteria for
the new organizational structure. Those two campaigns would be launched, subject to
discussions by the Commission, immediately after the current session.
11. As part of the revitalization exercise, the Centre had also
enhanced its accountability and transparency, as noted in the recent report of the
Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions. A focused, transparent and
accountable Centre was also worthy of support and commitment from Member States, and he
urged the Commission at its current session to send a positive financial signal in that
regard, otherwise some very difficult decisions would have to be made.
12. Regarding the relationship between the United Nations Development
Programme (UNEP) and UNCHS (Habitat), he said that the streamlining of the administrative
support structures for both bodies had been completed, yielding significant savings. The
aim had been to use the synergies available in their administration and in their programme
development and implementation to achieve common goals, while maintaining their
distinctive and independent roles and mandates.
13. In conclusion, he affirmed his optimistic vision of a Centre
capable of collaboration with Governments and all other partners in facing the challenges
of urbanization in the twenty-first century, and stated his hope that the Commission at
its current session would move Habitat forward towards meeting that challenge.
C. Statement by Daniel Toroitich
arap Moi, President of the Republic of Kenya
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14. The President extended his welcome to all participants on
behalf of the Government and people of Kenya. He recalled that, during the inauguration of
the sixteenth session of the Commission, he had emphasized that Kenya would like to see
effective, accountable and transparent management of human and financial resources at the
Centre, and he noted with appreciation that the revitalization of the Centre was now under
way and that good progress had been made. In that regard, he pledged his Governments
support and urged the Commission to provide the necessary guidance and support to ensure
that the Centre had adequate financial and institutional resources to carry out its
mandate.
15. He welcomed the commitment given by the Secretary-General during
his visit to Nairobi in 1998 to ensure that UNEP and Habitat would continue to be
headquartered at Nairobi under separate executive direction and serviced by the United
Nations Office at Nairobi. In that regard, he expressed the hope that the United Nations
offices in Nairobi would receive adequate resources from the regular budget of the United
Nations to enable them to carry out their expanded mandates.
16. He regretted that three years after the Habitat II Conference the
problem of human settlements still remained unresolved and that human settlements
conditions had continued to deteriorate in the face of the overwhelming social and
economic difficulties facing many countries. The Istanbul Declaration and the Habitat
Agenda were important benchmarks in the realization of adequate shelter for all, which
required collaborative partnership and international cooperation by all stakeholders, and
he expressed satisfaction that, at its current session, the Commission could be placing
particular emphasis on those issues.
17. He was confident that the Commission would approve a realistic work
programme for 20002001 and the necessary budgetary provisions to fulfil the
expectations of the member States in their pursuit of human settlements development. He
stressed, in that regard, that member States should fulfil their pledges, so that the
Centre would have steady and predictable finances for its operations.
18. Turning to the growing levels of poverty and unemployment in his
and many developing countries fuelled by low levels of economic growth, he informed
participants that his Government had prepared a national poverty eradication plan for the
period 19992015. He hoped that the plan would be supported by his countrys
development partners, in particular with regard to the debt burden facing his and other
developing countries.
D. Statement by Germán Garcia
Durán, Chair of the Commission on Human Settlements at its seventeenth session
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19. In his statement following his election, the Chair said that he
was taking on his responsibility at a time of global economic and social crises, which
were deepening the gap between the developed and developing countries. The bridging of
that gap was also the responsibility of the Commission and the Centre, in such areas as
housing, sustainable human settlements and raising the quality of life of the poor. The
Centre, as a consequence of efforts over the past year, had made great progress in
overcoming past deficiencies, and he called on the Commission to give favourable
consideration to the revitalization measures proposed by the Acting Executive Director and
to ensure that the Centre had sufficient financial resources to move forward. He further
appealed to the Commission to reach consensus on the various proposals on strengthening
its dialogue with local authorities and other parties at the current and critical
seventeenth session.

Annex IV
[ Up ]Annex IV
[ Up ]
Message from the Secretary-General to the Commission on Human
Settlements at its seventeenth session
1. As we prepare to
leave the twentieth century, half of humankind already lives in cities. As we enter the
twenty-first, many more are set to follow them. Dealing with urbanization will be one of
the biggest global challenges in the new millennium.
2. Alleviating poverty, protecting the environment, ensuring broad
participation in local governments, all these will be vital if the majority of the
worlds people are to achieve prosperity without damaging the planet, our common
home.
3. The Commission and the Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) have a
crucial role to play helping us meet those challenges, in pursuing the global plan of
action adopted at Istanbul three years ago.
4. And Habitat is rising to the occasion. As the city agency of the
United Nations, you are building indispensable partnerships with local authorities and
with civil society. Such partnerships point the way forward for the United Nations as a
whole.
5. The global issues facing our planet not only challenge us, they also
unite us. Habitat has understood this well; it is already acting upon it. And so, as a
city dweller, world citizen and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I send my
best wishes to this seventeenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements. I am sure
that your deliberations will bring great benefit to future generations of city dwellers
around the world.
Annex V
[ Up ]Annex V
[ Up ]
Childrens Declaration presented to the Commission on
Human Settlements at its seventeenth session
We, the children from Msongari
Primary, Hospital Hill Primary, Ngunyumu Primary, Korogosho Primary, Parklands Primary,
African Growth Ministries for Street Children and Sambamba Boys Street Theatre of Nairobi,
would like to present the following declaration to the Commission on Human Settlements at
its seventeenth session.
In preparation for and during our childrens event on 7 May 1999,
we identified the following requirements for the children:
Good, healthy homes
Sufficient food
Good clothing
Parental love
Medical services
Education
Clean, safe water
Essential amenities
An environment free from pollution
Reduced crime in cities
Recommendations for child-centred city management
We children would like to be more involved in the decision-making
processes in cities. This will help local authorities and non-governmental organizations
develop. We children have a right to participate in decisions affecting our lives. If
given the opportunity and the means to help create and carry out programmes, we children
can make these programmes more responsive to our needs. By participating in this way, we
also gain self-esteem and valuable skills. In the case of street children, the path
leading from the streets to schools, friends, community work and responsible adulthood has
to be built by us children. As adults, you can help us build this path, but you have to
allow room for setbacks and provide children with opportunities to devise creative ways to
overcome them. We propose that decision makers promote projects developed by children for
children in difficult circumstances.
We children would like to see that the management of a city and all
those involved are more focused on the needs of the children. We certainly believe that in
order to keep childrens well-being a priority, municipal staff at all levels need
training in how to work with local communities and respond to childrens needs and
the rights of children, especially those of poor families. City governments need to
provide low-income groups, women and children with access to information, employment,
resources and services. City governments should be transparent and accountable towards
children.
Children should be involved in project implementation. The most
effective projects bring together a wide variety of partners cutting across socio-economic
lines and all levels of government. Non-governmental organizations, businesses, the media,
municipal leaders, including mayors, and agencies at the national and international levels
must work together to plan, carry out and monitor projects. Such involvement can help
ensure that people are held accountable for the impact of their actions on us children and
our families. Children have a lot to contribute to these partnerships and must be allowed
to participate to the full extent of their abilities. It is important that we feel like
active contributors, not "token" or passive participants in need of adult
assistance. When these projects are planned and reviewed, children must be given every
reasonable chance to evaluate and criticize them.
Conclusion
We challenge the planners and the Government to provide a good setting
and opportunities that will allow us children to achieve physical, emotional, spiritual
and mental growth.

Annex VI
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Statements made by the representatives of India and the
Russian Federation in explanation of vote on the motion to take no action on draft
resolution HS/C/17/L.4/Rev.1 entitled "Assistance in the Balkans in connection with
the conflict in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"
A.
Statement by the representative of India
[ Up ]
The problem sought to be addressed by the
Russian Federation in its draft resolution is a matter of gravest concern for the
international community. Apart from the various reports in the media of the ecological
disaster unfolding in the region, there have been several reports on the destruction and
damage of human settlements and civilian facilities in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
That a team of United Nations officials is likely to visit the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia for the purpose of assessing the damage and taking preliminary steps towards
reconstruction is a further pointer to the devastation of human settlements in the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
We are fully sympathetic to the initiative of the Russian Federation in
bringing before this Commission the problems faced by the people of the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia. We would have expected a consensus in the Commission on a subject of such
great importance and immediate relevance. As in the case of the Commission on Sustainable
Development, however, we have been presented with a procedural device of a no-action
motion to block consideration of the Russian text by the same delegations who argue
elsewhere that it would thwart the democratic process if procedural no-action motions were
moved against their drafts, targeting other countries. We have accordingly voted against
the no-action motion. If the Russian draft had been put to a vote, we would have voted in
favour of it.
B. Statement
by the representative of the Russian Federation
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]
Let me first express my
gratitude to those delegations who voted against the motion regarding the Russian draft
resolution (HS/C/17/L.4/Rev.1) on assistance to Yugoslavia. Our particular gratitude is
due to the delegation of Kenya, the warm hosts of Habitat here in Nairobi.
My delegation is struck with a feeling of deep disappointment and
regret at what has just taken place in this room.
We are disappointed, because our opponents were unable to summon up the
strength for a civilized dialogue with those who oppose the military adventure in the
Balkans, which has cost the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of people, and who
call for the damage to be repaired.
It is hardly surprising that the opponents of the resolution include
the representatives and allies of the countries whose bombs and missiles are raining down
on the peaceful towns and villages of Yugoslavia. But we might well ask what the other
delegations hope to find by joining their ranks and that, I regret to say, is in
all likelihood a matter of politics.
One way or another, our opponents were unable to find either convincing
arguments to justify their positions or the will to hear out the arguments of others. The
Commission has been blocked by a procedural decision, without even the recourse to any
substantive explanation as to why it should not be allowed or, to be more precise,
why it is not desirable for Habitat to mobilize the efforts of the international
community and to develop measures to rebuild the ruined human settlements within
Yugoslavia, which is what is called for in the Russian draft resolution.
The voting machine has slavishly done its work and the goal has been
achieved the resolution is "dead". Before the eyes of the entire
civilized world, a simple manoeuvre has been used to block a humble attempt made
not at someone elses bidding, but as a result of our own conviction of the need to
find a rapid way out of the situation created by the war, without using force or threats
but through international humanitarian assistance. The silent majority of those abstaining
and, in particular, those siding with the procedural obstruction can rest assured: their
loyalty will be rewarded. Perhaps when a new victim is being chosen.
We find it regrettable, because those representatives who purport to
favour an end to the bombing and a speedy return of peace to Yugoslavia did not want to
state their position openly during the voting.
You should not labour under any illusions, distinguished colleagues:
what has happened in Yugoslavia today could happen to any country, including your own. And
when you need help to rebuild your towns and villages, your factories and manufacturing
facilities, just as Yugoslavia does today, the experts in procedural niceties will
unceremoniously deny a hearing for yourself and your plight. The most painful form of
remorse springs from the realization that an opportunity has been missed, when the desire
to be in the majority has led to the wrong choice being made and then to a sense of regret
for what happened as a result.
And so, before voting for the procedural motion, or looking for an
escape route among the abstainers, it would have been worth giving some thought to the
fact that the fate even of your own country is possibly being decided here today.
Yet today, we have knowingly I would even say deliberately
let slip a chance to take a real step towards achieving that goal; we have proved
unable to restore the faith of nations in the truly limitless potential of wide
international cooperation, based not on the right to force, but on the force of right.
It is particularly regrettable that, in disposing of the Russian
resolution, the members of the Commission have in essence refused to support the efforts
of the Habitat administration, already being undertaken on the direct instructions of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, to develop measures to repair the destruction
caused by the aggression against Yugoslavia.
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