Press Release
HAB/IST/16
Conference on Human Settlements HAB/IST/16 10th Plenary Meeting (AM) 10 June 1996 HABITAT II OBSERVES INTERNATIONAL DECADE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE Conference continues general exchange of views The land of indigenous people is the crux of their life -- "a living entity" and "a synonym of life" -- and should be protected, the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) was told this morning as it observed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. The observance followed the general exchange of views on the state of human settlements. Addressing the Conference, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and the Coordinator of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, Ibrahima Fall, said it was appropriate for Habitat II to deal with the specific needs of the indigenous people. Habitat II's global plan of action and national plans should reflect their yearnings. The Conference should also address indigenous people's specific needs in urban settings in ways that would respect their right to preserve their own identity. All States must involve indigenous populations in planning and implementing all plans affecting them. The Conference's Secretary-General, Wally N'Dow, said that the Habitat Agenda is relevant to indigenous people. Habitat II's messages of enablement, empowerment and equal access to resources are critical to their aspirations and livelihood. The United Nations and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) will incorporate the concerns of indigenous people into the Habitat Agenda. Statements were also made during the observance by the Minister of Housing of Chile; the Minister of Housing and Building of Denmark; and the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of China. The representatives of Brazil, Canada and Norway also spoke. During the general exchange of views on the state of human settlements, statements were made by the Vice Prime Minister in charge of Urbanism and the Habitat of Cameroon and the Minister of Housing and Settlements of Trinidad and Tobago. The representatives of Malta, Pakistan and Madagascar also spoke. The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) also participated in the exchange. Representatives of the following non-governmental organizations also made statements: the International Religious Foundation; the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University; and the Human Settlements Caucus. The representative of Nigeria exercised the right of reply. The Plenary will meet again, at 10 a.m., tomorrow, 11 June, to continue its general exchange of views. General exchange of views ELIZABETH DOWDESWWELL, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Access to drinking water and sanitation should be improved by designing systems to meet the needs of the community and households, particularly women. Communities and the private sector should join local authorities in dealing with solid waste. Air pollution should be reduced and housing and industry located away from environmentally sensitive areas. Urban growth should be directed towards greater use of public transportation. Diverse partners should play significant roles and substantial investments made in human resources. "Sustainable Cities Programme", a joint project of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and UNEP, is developing a responsive system for urban planning. UNEP is also playing a key role in the Special Initiative for Africa. JOSEPH CASSAR (Malta): The Malta Government continues to give sustainable settlements the highest priority. The Government is also committed to decentralization, democratization and depolitization and to ensuring that policies are sustainable in their impact on urban and rural settlements. Initiatives and policies which were instituted include: laws and policies focussed on the environment; the adoption of a first Structure Plan in 1992 as the framework within which a policy of sustainable development was to be effected; and the creation of a Planning Authority, also in 1992, as an autonomous body comprising independent technical and infrastructure personnel and mandated to implement the development policies. The diverse nature of the issues of sustainable development require the support of Government and non-government actors. Non- governmental partners are and should continue to be the major interlocutors in the development process. The 1992 Structure Plan provides a framework for such a participatory approach. It provides for public consultation on draft local plans. TAKEHIRO TOGO (Japan): International cooperation is essential to the resolution of the problems of human settlements. Japan's policy regarding human settlements include two basic approaches: comprehensive basic policies for balanced national growth and policies on the regional level to encourage growth that take optimum advantage the unique features of each region. Japan has implemented basic policies which represent public investment and provide guidelines for investment by the private sector. Recent attempts have been made to promote well-balanced development of cities. There has been an attempt to decentralize and relocate functions that have become concentrated in metropolitan areas while a set of regional promotion policies are also being actively advanced. In the area of international cooperation, Japan has provided considerable aid in fields that have a deep relation to human settlements, such as regional development planning, urban hygiene, urban transportation and pollution and disaster preservation. Crucial to the improvement of human settlements is human resources development; consideration of the environment; the socially vulnerable people and women in development; and activities at the grass-root level. International cooperation should give consideration to those three elements. It should not consist solely of the support traditionally extended by the developed countries but also include south-south cooperation as well as triangular cooperation among developed countries, more advanced developing countries and other developing countries. To promote South-south cooperation, Japan will earmark $2 million from the Human Resources Development Fund established by the United Nations Development Programme. ALI HAMID AL SHANSI, Under Secretary-General in the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of the United Arab Emirates: Human settlements have received important recognition since the first Habitat Conference. Peoples' expectations have not been met since that conference. Important changes have occurred in the last two decades. The international community should take advantage of the new international economic order to achieve sustainable development and rechannel resources from arms to social needs. The United Arab Emirates have set aside the necessary funds to ensure adequate housing for each citizen as well as modern facilities and infrastructure. Every effort is being made to adopt the necessary policies for the optimum use of resources for the development of human settlements. The Conference is of great importance to the United Arab Emirates. It hosted the preparatory conference in October in 1994 and another related conference in Dubai in 1995 in which it was decided to award prizes to the best human settlement practices. We reiterate our support for the Habitat II's lofty objectives. In deciding on the Habitat Agenda, account must be taken of the religious and cultural legacies of all individuals and societies. The Conference must ensure effective follow up to all the plans and strategies that it will adopt. The Centre for Human Settlements must be given support to implement the mandates. PIERRE VINDE, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): It would be illusory to think that economic growth, on its own, is enough to alleviate all the social and environmental problems found in cities. The obstacles to better urban economies that can create jobs and well-being often include social and environmental factors that can only be addressed through integrative policies that are effective on the local level. This Conference is the sign that rural and urban affairs are part of the agenda of broader and deeper international interdependence. The rapid expansion of the global economy has blinded us to the fact that most economies still remain profoundly local and domestic. But it is in cities that the global and the local economies connect. Governments' have an important role to play in developing new responsibilities and new opportunities to construct a better future. Most countries have the resources to address the problems of urban and rural development. It is a matter of setting priorities. Effective policies must also address both the strengths and weaknesses of rural areas. JOHN HUMPHREY, Minister of Housing and Settlements of Trinidad and Tobago: In Trinidad and Tobago, squatter households are about 20 per cent of all households. They have demonstrated that with access to land and minimum infrastructure even the very poorest can begin to address their own shelter needs. The State, which owns over 50 per cent of the country's land mass, is about to distribute land in a planned and sustainable manner. Women head almost 60 per cent of squatter households. The Government is committed to treating women as equal partners in the provision of adequate shelter of all our citizens. The land needs of all sectors, including for agriculture, industry, and for religious purposes are being addressed. Local financial resources and technical capability for designing and delivering development projects are being utilized. Access to external technical assistance and expensive foreign financing is not working in the country's interest and needs urgent reform. The Government is now implementing a settlements project -- Sou Sou lands -- which is the application of an indigenous form of saving to housing and land development. HAMADOU MOUSTAPHA, Vice Prime Minister in charge of Urbanism and the Habitat of Cameroon: The control of urban growth, the provision of equipment and the building of adequate shelter for their peoples were challenges to many African countries. They need international solidarity in order to tackle the high rates of urbanization and their attendant problems. Cameroon has taken up the challenge of providing shelter in the midst of its structural adjustment programme, which has constrained its efforts. Cameroon's human settlement development strategies take into account the need to involve all sectors of the society in managing the environment, providing shelter and reducing poverty. The efforts of the Government must be supported by the international community. The implementation, monitoring and appraisal of the Conference's plan of action must be emphasized. The programmes should be incorporated in the work of national, regional and global networks. New sources of public, private, national, bilateral and multilateral financing should be found to help make the Conference's outcomes concrete. YOLANDE RASENDRANIVO, Director for Urbanism, Habitat and Housing of Madagascar: The populations should be involved in the decision-making process and in the implementation of programmes. Elected officials must better understand the problems of their constituents and ensure openness. Governments must pay attention to land use, provide security and find solutions to homelessness. Urban administrations should offer land for building shelter. Organized activities should be introduced to improve the job situation in the cities. Efforts should be made to develop facets of the domestic market that will ensure appropriate use of resources. Madagascar is trying to mobilize its resources and people to seek solutions and new ideas on Habitat and housing. Urgent solutions are required, and a sense of urgency must be included in the planning process. Participation should be one of the key words in the efforts to develop human settlements. REVEREND CHUNG HWAN KWAK, Chairman and President of the International Religious Foundation: People move to cities for economic, educational, and cultural reasons. If these could be acquired elsewhere, they would stay or move to the countryside. The economic destiny of nations is tied to cities, but this is unnecessary given contemporary technology. Already non-urban settings are preferred by many corporations, which save on commuting costs. Modern technology and computers make it possible for anyone to receive education remotely. Through such means, a rural dweller can gain similar sophistication to urban dwellers, thus eliminating a cause of urbanization. DADI JANKI, Brahma Kumaris: Urban problems have one root: a poverty of social and human values resulting from moral and spiritual decline. A firm spiritual and moral foundation should be laid to give strength the Conference's plans for action on those problems. The cornerstones of that foundation are to give up selfish desires and to deepen an understanding of humans as moral and spiritual beings. SANDRA HERNANDEZ, Human Settlements Caucus: With housing a human right, enabling laws must derive from the national level to make public and private sectors ensure access to adequate shelter for all. Agenda 2l urges sustainable settlements development through integrated urban, rural and regional planning. The process depends on partnerships between public, private sectors and communities; participation in decision-making by all citizens; and access to capital improvement programs. The issues that impact sustainable human settlements, as identified by participating non- governmental organizations and others, include land tenure; squatters' rights; forced evictions; infrastructure provision; rights of indigenous peoples; and affordable housing. Right of reply The representative of Nigeria: The statement by a representative of the Commission on Global Governance, a non- governmental organization, claims that there is insecurity in Nigeria and ridicules governance in that country by imputing political motives to the claimed insecurity. The posturing by that representative contravenes article 20 of the Conference's rules of procedure and politicizes the human settlements issues being discussed. Nigeria condemns the attempt to impugn a Member State and to inject politics into the proceedings. The incident the representative of the Commission referred to is not an assassination but a criminal act. Nobody is languishing in jail for winning elections. It is surprising that anyone will hold brief for a man who breached the Constitution of Nigeria by illegally proclaiming himself president, an action for which he is now facing due judicial process. Observance of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People IBRAHIMA FALL, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Coordinator of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People: This official observance was mandated by the General Assembly in 1995. The intention is to attract the world's attention to the habitat issues facing some 300 million indigenous people across the globe. Since 1982, the concerns of the indigenous people have been addressed in a range of United Nations forums, including the Human Rights Commission and all the recent international conferences. The international decade (1995-2004) has established a framework to bolster international cooperation to solve the problems of the indigenous people, in cooperation and consultation with them. However, indigenous people continue to face numerous problems such as forced expulsion from their land and dwellings. Protection of their land is the crux of their life and culture and the essence of their history. It is "a living entity" and "a synonym of life" which must be respected, not appropriated. It is therefore appropriate for Habitat II to deal with the specific needs of the indigenous people. The global plan of action should reflect their yearnings, as should the related national plans. Indigenous people are increasingly migrating to urban areas. In that setting they try to perpetuate their customs in spite of the pressures to conform to urban processes. The Conference should address their specific needs in urban settings, such as the preservation of their languages, social structure, and heritage. The approach should not make them separate citizens but should respect their right to preserve their own identity. All states should implement the International Decade and the programme of action adopted by the General Assembly. Indigenous populations should be involved in the planning and implementation of all plans affecting them. They have much to share. The rest of the world can learn from their harmonious structures, which are predicated on consensus. They can serve as a source of inspiration to all communities and contribute to the social and environmental progress of all. WALLY N'DOW, Secretary-General of Habitat II: The Habitat Agenda is very relevant to indigenous people. The messages of Habitat II are critical to their aspirations and livelihood. That message is one of enablement, empowerment, of building new relationships and of equal access to resources. Other messages include the refusal to accept injustice, poverty, social exclusion, the barriers to political participation and to the erosion of the human spirit. The two basic challenges to the Conference lie in rethinking economics and ecology as they relate to indigenous people. Indigenous people must be allowed to utilize their own resources which should not be used for the benefit of modernity. They obtain value from those resources. The international community must question whether it should leave the indigenous people unchanged or drag them into the future to "guarantee so-called equality with others". Neither approach will work. They should exercise their own options. What do we loose if we act incorrectly? If we influence their situation and marginalize them, those responsible may be cutting off a vast body of knowledge and cultural adaptability that is of great value to mankind. What effect has new economics offered to this analysis? It treats indigenous resources as zero and that approach has seeped into the collective consciousness. The United Nations and the Centre for Human Settlements will incorporate the concerns of indigenous people into the Habitat Agenda. "They are teaching us how to live more correctly." GERARDO HOLANDA CAVALCANTI (Brazil): The Brazilian indigenous population, ranging about 230,000 persons, occupies roughly 11 per cent of the country's territory. Brazil's national human rights programme ensures the participation of indigenous people in planning and implementing policies to protect their rights. Brazil helped draft the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. In order to protect indigenous people's habitats, their traditional knowledge and lifestyles should be promoted. Their cultural diversity should be maintained. JEAN AUGUSTINE (Canada): Canada will continue to press for the appropriate recognition of the situation of indigenous people in the final outcome of Habitat II. Canada has proclaimed 21 June as National Aboriginal Day and will work with all of its aboriginal people in international efforts such as the United Nations "Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" and on further domestic action for the Decade. EDMUNDO HERMOSILLA HERMOSILLA, Minister for Housing and Urbanism of Chile: Chile, with 14 million people, has about 500,000 indigenous persons. Their distribution in the country is uneven, constituting more than 50 per cent in some areas and much less in others. Chile has set up an institution and written a law to promote their integration into society. It has undertaken several plans to promote the indigenous people's rights by fighting poverty, legalizing their land deeds, electrifying their villages, providing housing subsidies and setting up protective parks to prohibit the exploitation of their environment and identity. The private sector, foundations, corporations and companies should help promote the rights of indigenous people. OLE LOVIG SIMONSEN, Minister for Housing and Building of Denmark: Indigenous people have a special position in terms of Danish aid policy. Denmark's strategy is to improve their rights, including the right to self-determination. It aims to ensure the early adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous people and the establishment of a permanent forum for them within the United Nations system to create a platform of indigenous people in the United Nations. Habitat II should devote special attention to development activities of benefit to indigenous communities. LI ZHAOXING, Vice Foreign Minister of China: Many indigenous people are vulnerable and still face discrimination. Their living space is continually shrinking and their cultural characteristics are being threatened. Although in China there are no indigenous people, the Chinese Government and people are sympathetic to their historical sufferings. They are equal members of the human society. The international community should urge the governments concerned to adopt effective measures to ensure justice and an enjoyment of the rights of indigenous people. The action taken by the Human Rights Committee, to take up the issue of indigenous people's rights as a separate agenda item, will lead to a thorough and comprehensive solution to their problems. Habitat II should offer positive results to improve their living conditions. INGER LINDGREN (Norway): The Norwegian Government has been implementing a housing policy for indigenous people which, in general, maintains their cultural traditions and takes account of their particular needs. It applies to indigenous peoples who live in their traditional territories and are in traditional occupations. A priority has been the provision of dwellings for the Sami people of Norway. The shelter is suitable for the harsh climate and can accommodate reindeer processing and traditional Sami crafts. The adaptation of housing needs to natural surroundings could be called a "perspective from below" or a "perspective from within" on the planning of housing developments for indigenous people. As a policy, however, it is in keeping with both national and international Norwegian obligations towards the Sami. Norway's policy towards the Sami is embodied in its Constitution and is implemented through an act of Parliament relating to the Sami. *******