Press Release
HAB/IST/5
Conference on Human Settlements HAB/IST/5 1st Meeting (AM) 3 June 1996
President Suleyman Demirel of Turkey Welcomes Participants "The Time for Talk is Long Past and Time for Action is Here", Says Conference Secretary-General, Wally N'Dow
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali this morning declared open the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT II), urging its discussions and debates to be inspired by the "Spirit of Istanbul". In his opening speech, the Secretary-General said the "Spirit of Istanbul" is one of learning from the past, from previous United Nations conferences and the priorities in their agendas and programmes. The Conference will last from 3 to 14 June.
The Secretary-General said that HABITAT II had gone farther than other conferences in recognizing the universality of the issue of human settlements and was a new departure for the United Nations. As a conference of partners, it included a range of participants from national committees, local authorities, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
Also this morning, the Conference elected President Suleyman Demirel of Turkey as its President.
Addressing the Conference, President Demirel said that since Governments are overwhelmed by ever-increasing urban challenges, HABITAT II should seek imaginative and practical and effective measures to counter them. He also described the Conference as a strategic initiative that will guide urban policies for the twenty-first century, which should be inclusive and capable of generating sustainable economic growth, alleviating poverty and improving the urban environment.
"We are here in Istanbul not merely to talk about these things. The time for talk is long past and the time for action is here," said the Secretary-General of the Conference, Wally N'Dow. He added that cities, with their densely packed populations, were social time bombs capable of setting off collisions of powerful forces that might otherwise peacefully coexist. That had serious implications for the stability of the international system and for the United Nations itself.
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Also this morning, the Conference began its general exchange of views. Statements were made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, speaking for the European Union; the Minister of Public Works and Settlement of Turkey; the Minister of Construction of China; and the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research of the Department of Housing and Urban Development of the United States. The representatives of the Costa Rica and Colombia, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China and the Non-Aligned Movement, respectively, also made statements.
In other business, the Conference elected, by acclamation, 26 Vice-Presidents from the following Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, China, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Nepal, Peru, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Yemen and Zimbabwe. One Vice-President from the African States Group is still to be elected.
The Conference also elected, by acclamation, as a Vice-president ex-officio, Professor Emre Gonensay, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkey. The National Director of Land Management of Uruguay, Ricardo Gorosito, was elected the Conference's Rapporteur-General.
Also elected by acclamation were Shafqat Kakakhel (Pakistan), as the Chairman of the Committee I, and Martti Lujanen (Finland), as Chairman of Committee II. The Committee I, would continue the negotiations on the Habitat Agenda and Committee II would conduct hearings and receive reports from partners and interested parties on the Agenda's implementation.]
Following the adoption of its agenda, the Conference approved the accreditation of international associations of local authorities and non-governmental organizations. The accreditation of the non- governmental organization "The Federation of Westthrace Turks in Europe", which had been deferred by the Preparatory Committee, was also approved. The representative of Greece expressed objections before the action. The representative of Turkey expressed a reservation regarding the granting of accreditation to three Turkish-Cypriot non-governmental organizations that had not been recommended by the United Nations Secretariat for accreditation.
The Conference will meet again, at 3 p.m. this afternoon to continue its general exchange of views.
Statement by the Secretary-General
Secretary-General BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI: It was significant that the United Nations Conference on cities should be held in Istanbul, a city with over 20 centuries of history. Habitat II is the last in a series of United Nations Conferences which have shaped, during the 1990s, an agenda for development. The decisions taken here will be significant not only for the world of today, but for the world in which our children must live and prosper.
Three points can provide useful background to the conference debates: Habitat II as a link in a series of international conferences; Habitat II as an innovation; and the Habitat Agenda as a
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follow-up to this conference. Following the end of the cold war, it is important to view development as a cooperative venture, where all partners can benefit from the fruits of growth. Starting from that vision of development, the United Nations launched a series of world conferences and summits linked to development, in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, in Vienna in 1993, in Barbados, Yokohama and Cairo in 1994, Copenhagen and Beijing in 1995 and South Africa in 1996.
Although the conferences have been criticized for their cost and for lack of achievement, they are central to the Organization's work, "essential to the fulfillment of its mandate, and crucial for the determination of the future of life on this planet". Through them development cooperation will be revitalized and reinvented. Conferences are deciding the form of development cooperation to be adopted by the United Nations and setting the standards by which the actions of States, organizations and individuals will be judged.
Habitat II has gone farther than other Conferences in recognizing the universality of the issue of human settlements. Its range of participants shows it is truly a conference of partners -- national committees, local authorities, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. The active participation of non-State actors in the work of the United Nations is essential for democratizing the international system. In addition to the spirit of partnership, there is a turn towards realistic solutions rather than good intentions. Many of the Best Practices Initiatives show nations how we can act on the issues already identified in Agenda 21, and in the agendas for action on population and development, social development, small island states, and women, adopted by preceding United Nations Conferences.
Human settlements, and especially cities, are becoming a key factor in the complex equations of growth and development, environmental sustainability, human rights, and the eradication of poverty. The crises of urban development affect all States, rich and poor. However they are most severe in developing countries. The world is united in the awareness that human settlements will be central to growth and sustainable development. Policies must reflect this.
The "Habitat Agenda" is a vision of the common future. It must be the Spirit of Istanbul. Before the end of the Conference there will be full agreement on what will be known as the Istanbul Plan of Action. While success is not in doubt, its success will be measured over the years by the degree to which participants in Habitat II live up the commitments they make in Istanbul. Central and local governments, municipal authorities, civic and other non-governmental organizations, bear the responsibility of implementing the decisions of Istanbul. The United Nations agencies and programmes share this responsibility and will play a central role in the monitoring and accountability process. The people of the world will be watching and will call all to account.
(The complete text of the Secretary-General's statement is contained in Press Release HAB/IST/3).
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Statement by Conference President
SULEYMAN DEMIREL, President of Turkey: It is inspiring and exciting that HABITAT II is being held in Istanbul, which has been the capital of empires, with its richness in cultural diversity. Istanbul offers all the examples of the accomplishments and shortcomings of the urbanization process. One of the biggest and densely populated megacities of the world, it is the mirror image of the cities of the world. With its unique geography, spanning two continents, it is a cultural crossroads between the East and the West, the North and the South. This is why it appropriate for the nations of the world to meet in the city and unite their efforts to address the issues of sustainable human settlements development and of providing adequate shelter for all.
The Istanbul conference provides an opportunity for world leaders to commit themselves to the urgent cause of making the world's cities, towns and villages, healthy, secure and sustainable. All countries face similar problems related to human settlements. It is imperative to seek a global approach and consensus on the ways to solve the problems that accompany rapid urbanization all over the world. "We must seize this opportunity fully, not only by adopting the Habitat Agenda and the Istanbul Declaration, which will guide our endeavours in this respect, but also by resolving to implement without delay the commitments contained therein."
As a consequence of the trend of democratization in the world, the need for increased participative democracy is gathering greater importance. Thus, the fulfilment of the aspirations in the field of sustainable human settlements development, requires not only the active participation of national governments, but also of parliamentary bodies, local governments, regional and international organizations, the private sector, research and academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, individuals and intellectuals. HABITAT II offers an invaluable occasion for all of these partners to undertake common commitments for achieving sustainable societies.
Since the First United Nations Conference on Human Settlements held in Vancouver in 1976, mass exodus to cities has led to greater urban poverty, misery, more homelessness, inadequate infrastructure, more unemployment, accelerated social disintegration and increased crime. Governments are overwhelmed by the ever-increasing challenges they face. It is against this background that HABITAT II will search for imaginative and practical counter measures. It also constitutes a strategic initiative that will guide settlements and urban policies for the twenty-first century, which should be inclusive and innovative, capable of generating sustainable economic growth, alleviating poverty and improving the urban environment.
Statement by Secretary-General of the Conference
Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), WALLY N'DOW: Much as the world has changed since HABITAT I in 1976, human settlements issues have remained essentially the same. They demand radical changes in the way human
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settlements problems are approached. In the course of the preparatory work for the Conference, a fallout of the urban explosion that in less than half a century has changed the world has been seen: cities springing up everywhere; with exponential statistics of hopelessness and inadequate shelter affecting hundreds of millions of people. The situation in many developing country rural settlements is even more desperate.
"We are here in Istanbul not merely to talk about these things. The time for talk is long past and the time for action is here. For our cities, with their densely packed concentrations of humanity, are nothing less than social time bombs, capable of setting off collisions of powerful forces that might otherwise peacefully coexist, with all that this implies for the stability of the international system and for the United Nations itself."
The unresolved problems of human settlements also threaten a new global division between rich and poor, within and between nations. With more people living in poverty, it is a division that may become the dominant characteristic of the new global urban world order, with consequences at least as dangerous as the period of East-West rivalry. The end of the Cold War did not bring an era of relative peace since there have been mostly internal. The conflicts have destroyed the lives, hopes and human settlements of millions of people. Rebuilding peace in shattered countries means repairing the shattered homes and families, cities and villages.
HABITAT II is bringing together different strands of development: the issues of population movement and urbanization, employment generation, environmental infrastructure, living conditions, governance, finance and sustainable use of resources. The issues must be considered in the light of trends in globalization, liberalization and privatization. The Conference is addressing the economic and social survival of millions of people, in particular the poor and disadvantaged, in both the developed and the developing nations. Since the recipes of the past no longer suffice, a new global social contract for building sustainable human settlements must be forged. It must reflect the transformation of the world's political, economic and social environment over the past 20 years: the globalization of the market economy and the recognition of the role of private economic forces in development and growth and the increasing vitality of civil society. Local authorities and communities must be engaged as active participants and partners. Partnership and enablement are the keys to forging a strategy for sustainable human settlements.
The road to Istanbul has been marked by many innovations. One of them is the change in the rules of procedure in recognition of the important role of local authorities and non-governmental organizations, both in the debate and in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. As a result, the organizations of civil society will receive unparalleled recognition at the conference and nominate representatives to a formal session, in this case in the work of Committee II. The change also enables local authorities to take the floor in their own right and speak for millions of people. HABITAT II will focus on
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demonstrated solutions. The Best Practices initiative has started identifying where commitments have been made to improve human settlements around the world. Hundreds of communities and cities have taken part in a mutual learning process and exchange of concrete experiences on how to solve common problems. The Best Practices initiative underscores that the Conference will be an action conference dedicated to solutions.
Also, in collaboration with prominent regional and global financial institutions, new and innovative financing strategies for human settlements development have been taken up in the preparatory process. The aim is to allow countries to tap into new financial markets, especially in the area of infrastructure. The aim of the preparatory period has been to build the foundation for continuity and implementation in the post-Istanbul period. The Conference should accelerate the momentum by marshalling political will and commitment for the work to be done.
The draft Habitat Agenda before the Conference identifies the human settlement issues of the highest priority around the world. As a consequence of the preparatory process in which it evolved, it gives voice to the aspirations of global civil society. The Agenda took shape as a framework for commitments - an indicative plan that will serve as a guide to all key groups in making commitments to improve the living environments of all people. It acknowledges that Governments have the primary responsibility for implementation through their own actions, through enablement of partnerships and participatory processes and through coordination at each relevant level. A key to the Habitat Agenda is its recognition of the fact that most of the implementing activities will take place at the local level and must involve a variety of partners, which States must facilitate, enable and support. The United Nations system should support national and local authorities in their efforts to implement the Habitat Agenda. It must strengthen and adequately equip the institutions which already has for this purpose, such as the Commission on Human Settlements and its executing arm, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).
FERNANDO BERROCAL-SOTO (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China: Developing countries fully support HABITAT II's objectives. They reflect the present socio- economic and demographic realities. The imperative of "Shelter for All" is urgent because developing countries have in our midst almost 100 million homeless, including 15 million refugees and displaced persons. The sustainability of human settlements is a prerequisite for socio-economic development. The challenges posed by rapid urbanization, caused by massive rural-urban migration, are especially acute in many countries. The eradication of poverty is the key to the provision of shelter and sustainable human settlements development.
The Habitat Agenda and the plan of action should seek improvements in people's living conditions in both rural and urban areas which are economically and socially interdependent. HABITAT II should consolidate the right to housing and syntheysize the messages from this decades' global conferences. In the absence of adequate shelter and sustainable human settlements, it is inconceivable to
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realize sustainable development, enjoyment of human rights, justice, equity, rational demographic policies and the full realization of the rights of women.
The Group of 77 and China will submit a draft proposal for the "Istanbul Declaration" as a joint effort of the New York and the Nairobi chapters of the Conference, to facilitate the Conference's negotiations. International cooperation is necessary for strengthening the capacity of developing countries to eradicate poverty, address their population problems, to achieve sustainable development and to stamp out homelessness and improve life in villages, towns and cities. Substantial financial resources should be mobilized by the international community to address the issue of human settlements. HABITAT II should consolidate the concept of partnerships as a key instrument for international cooperation within the United Nations.
ANTONIO DI PIETRO, Minister for Public Works of Italy, also speaking for the European Union: The issues of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development are fundamentally important to global social and economic development and environmental protection. The final Habitat Agenda should leave a mark in the international community and show the significance of the Conference and build on the work of all previous global conferences. The High-level segment may consider and approve a summarized document, which would represent in a concise but effective way, the political conclusions of the Conference and the lines on which governments intend to make progress. The recognition that the primary arena for action was local was important. National governments must give local authorities and communities on different scales adequate responsibilities and the capacity to fulfill their tasks accordingly. More attention must be paid to those living in poverty in urban areas.
The promise to the right to adequate housing has not been fulfilled in many countries. The realization of that right must take into account the balance between the responsibility of the community and the expectations and the role of individuals. In that context, the Agenda should contain a clear reaffirmation of the right to adequate housing as set out in international instruments. That right should be interpreted as a right of everyone to live somewhere in security, peace and dignity. Governments should take necessary steps to ensure that affordable and accessible housing are provided for and security of tenure guaranteed.
Enablement, participation and partnerships are the basic concepts that show how governments intend to fulfill their commitments on shelter. There should be democratic and transparent local governance of human settlements. The role of the Conference should be to underpin the prospects of the new global society. The future projects common a goal: access for all to advantages and opportunities and a better quality of life for poor people in the rural and urban areas. The measure in which the object of the Agenda can be translated into reality will depend on the way the actors and institutions will acquire the needed capacity. Global, regional and national institutions should support efforts to strengthen the capacity and credibility of local authorities and the effective participation of local actors. The
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recommendations that will be adopted on capacity building and institutional development must be innovative and realistic. The guiding principles for the follow-up of the Conference must be the complementarity of efforts between the national and international levels. The role of the local levels in implementing the Habitat Agenda should be underlined and there should be better coordination in the entire United Nations system, in the context of an integrated follow-up of the major United Nations conferences.
FABIO GIRALDO, Vice-Minister of Economic Development of Columbia, speaking on behalf of the Non-aligned Movement: The Movement of Non- Aligned Countries attaches a vital importance to the HABITAT II Conference. It considers shelter as a basic human right. The right to adequate housing should be a fundamental part of our principles and actions to address the problems of all those lacking minimum living conditions. It is an indispensable prerequisite for equity, development and peaceful coexistence. The Conference is an invaluable occasion for world leaders to adopt specific and solid commitments to make their cities and towns sound, safe and habitable.
An adequate commitment on national policies is needed to address human settlement problems. Governments accept their responsibilities but domestic actions will only be fruitful in a favorable international environment that allows broader market access, greater resources flow, a solution to the debt problem, technology transfers under preferential terms. The role of international cooperation is crucial. Part of the resources for the development and management of human settlement and housing in developing countries should come from national resources. However, action by developed States must include the expansion of financial resources which have to be transferred to developing countries to implement national and global plans and achieve HABITAT II objectives.
The international community should complement developing countries' initiatives and actions by providing new and additional financial resources. An important priority should include information access to available technologies and options for their transfer as well as exchange of knowledge and best practices on human settlements management. The role of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements should be emphasized as an essential part of international assistance, particularly as promoter of resource flows and technical support towards the developing world.
MEHMET KECECILER, Minister of Public Works and Settlement of Turkey: Turkey recognized the right to adequate shelter as a constitutional right and has made impressive gains in trying to meet the growing demand for housing. Some 250,000 authorized units are added annually to the available housing stock. The erection of dwellings without proper permission was a problem and should be controlled. Turkey has been able to cope with the effects of natural disasters. For example, after a recent earthquake, many new houses were built and numerous others repaired. It has made progress by using a multi-sectoral approach, allowing the participation of various partners.
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Turkey has instituted a policy of developing medium-sized towns, with subsidies and other forms of support, in order to counter the migration of people to large cities, particularly Istanbul. Some projects such as that in Anatolia, done with the participation of the private sector. It has adopted a commitment to ways in which to develop towns and villages on equitable and sustainable bases. There are efforts to improve the financial administrative and legal capacities of local authorities. Those authorities should provide important input in decision-making at the local level. Turkey is working with some United Nations agencies and regional groups to address the problem of developing adequate human settlements.
MICHAEL STEGMAN, Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research of the Department of Housing and Urban Development of the United States: In its development work, with more than 80 countries during the past 40 years, the United States has learned that the international community's shared future will be determined by how if addresses the problems and opportunities in the cities. Three important themes should guide the Conference's deliberations. First, the conference must continue to emphasize the importance of sustainable development as it was embraced in Rio in 1992. Secondly, the importance of enablement and community empowerment should be emphasized. "Specific strategies for urban revitalization must reflect community-based planning and decision-making if they are to achieve lasting results." Democracy, protection and promotion of human rights, and the rule of law are vital to the enabling environment that must be created in all nations and communities.
Finally, the conference should reaffirm the existence of the right to adequate housing as a component of existing human rights. To achieve progress on this issue, serious dialogue should be started on the responsibilities and obligations of the various partners in the community-building process -- in civil society and in government at all levels -- that would flow from the progressive realization of this important human right.
HOU JIE, Minister of Construction of China: Economic growth and poverty eradication are the key to solving the human settlement problems. Only sustained and all-round development would help eradicate the problem of human settlements development and ease housing problems. Attention should be focused on helping the poor. Excessive population growth will worsen standards of living and the environment. Solutions to the issue need the extensive participation of the entire society, which should be mobilized. Central and local governments and other groups should take part in addressing the problems of settlements. The conditions in the countryside, too, should be addressed as they are worse than those in the cities, particularly in the developing world. The issues of human settlements should be addressed in the context of each nation's conditions. A single model should be not adopted and applied all over the world. Rather, various States should develop their own strategies while committing themselves to common global objectives. Effective international cooperation is essential, as the problems of human settlements are global in nature, requiring global solutions.
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The United Nations should play an important role in addressing the issues related to the development of housing. Its agencies should be equipped to play adequate roles. Since China accounted for one- fifth of the world's population, developments there could affect the overall condition of housing in the world. China has taken steps to improve human settlements by using a variety of policies. However, it still faces mammoth challenges. For example, more than 300 cities face water shortage, a phenomenon the Government was trying to counter. The Conference should further encourage interest in housing and adopt a Habitat Agenda that would meet the interests of all nations, particularly the developing countries.
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