At a time when approximately one quarter of the world's population is either inadequately housed or is homeless, the growing global shelter crisis resulting from uncontrolled urbanization and rural poverty is imparting new urgency to the mandate of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), under the direction of Mr. Wally N'Dow.
To address these far-reaching challenges, the Centre has embarked on a number of major initiatives. Central to these are preparations now under way for the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), also known as the "City Summit". Through its declaration of principles and commitments and its global plan of action, Habitat II is expected to reaffirm the importance of human settlements in national and international development policies and strategies.
The recently concluded second session of the Preparatory Committee of the Conference mobilized those whose collaboration is essential to the forging of new partnerships for managing the urban environment: national Governments, local authorities and their international associations, private-sector enterprises, civic groups and non-governmental and community-based organizations. Through a series of regional meetings, supported and/or organized by the regional economic commissions, countries are now taking stock and identifying common concerns with respect to their regions.
Preparations have begun on several Habitat II-related conferences, including the International Conference on Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment, to be convened in Dubai in November. Organizations and agencies of the United Nations system, as well as professional associations and research institutions, are collaborating with the Centre in sponsoring an extensive series of workshops, seminars, colloquiums and round tables related to the Conference's two main themes: adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlement development in an urbanizing world.
The Centre continues to monitor and coordinate the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, which will also be reviewed by Habitat II in 1996. Technical assistance activities geared to that end were undertaken by the Centre in 91 countries over the reporting period, especially in the areas of urban management, environmental planning and management, disaster mitigation and reconstruction, housing policy and urban poverty reduction. Significant interregional programmes are currently being implemented, in urban management, sustainable cities and the housing and urban indicators programme. Among the major reconstruction projects under way in 1995 were those in Afghanistan and in Rwanda.
Capacity-building activities were expanded in the countries in transition of eastern and central Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Progress was achieved in introducing gender issues in human settlement-related training programmes. New initiatives have been launched with UNEP and WHO to promote environmental health in human settlements and work is proceeding on the second Global Report on Human Settlements, which will be launched at Habitat II.
Africa is an important focus of the Centre's activities. Over the reporting period, new responsibilities have been entrusted to the Centre by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. The Centre will be the associate lead agency responsible for urban management and human settlement programmes and policies and for the continuum from relief to development.
Securing adequate levels of funding to carry out its expanding mandate and role within the development agenda of the United Nations, including support for Habitat II, is one of the most important challenges facing the Centre. The urgent need for United Nations and bilateral donor emergency assistance to redress the effects of civil wars and natural disasters has resulted in continuing reductions in the level of funding available for the Centre's development cooperation activities of a longer-term nature.
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