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Decision Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision Making: Strategies, Policies, and Plans
Chapter 3 of Agenda 21 emphasizes the relationship between poverty and the environment. Canada has a variety of programs to address the need of Canadians with low incomes. However, Canada's primary focus on poverty issues in the context of Agenda 21 is international and centres on contributions made through its ODA program.
Decision Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
The overriding objective of Canadian ODA is poverty-reduction. This is reflected throughout the six program priorities for Canadian ODA (basic human needs; women in development; infrastructure; human rights, democracy, and good governance; private sector development; the environment). Canada's strategy in multilateral agencies has been to push for integration of poverty into mainstream programming, with greater focus on participatory development and specific targeting. Canada has advocated the use of policy dialogue and reforms for poverty reduction.
Status
No information is available.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-Building, Education, Training, and Awareness-Raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
Canada's bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA)
program is managed by the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA), which works with a variety
of different partners. It uses a
number of approaches including the provision of funding to Canadian
non-governmental organizations
working with partners at the grassroots level in developing
countries. These projects are designed and
implemented in close association with local communities. CIDA
favours projects that are aimed at reducing
poverty for a clearly identified target group and that offer a good
delivery mechanism.
Through development assistance programming that seeks to address
the closely linked problems of poverty
and environmental degradation, CIDA is promoting development that
will be sustainable over the long
term. For example, CIDA completed a Poverty Reduction Policy
in 1995 that guides work with people
who can be most affected by environmental degradation.
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This information was provided by the Government of Canada to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1997.
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Decision Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision Making: Strategies, Policies, and Plans
In its recent statement on foreign policy Canada in the World, the Government of Canada has committed 25% of its official development assistance resources to meeting basic human needs, with family planning and primary health care identified as key components of Canadian population programming, as they are vital components of action to reduce poverty.
As long as a country's population growth is greater than its economic growth, its gross domestic product per capita will continue to drop and it becomes increasingly difficult to fight poverty effectively -- the central objective of Canadian development assistance. Population growth places pressure on the biophysical environment, often leading to unsustainable land management and agricultural practices, increased pollution, and the over-exploitation of natural resources. Canada's primary objectives with regard to addressing unsustainable demographic dynamics are:
To promote a better understanding of the impact of population dynamics on progress towards sustainable development;
To support the development of policies and strategies aimed at addressing pressures of population on sustainable development;
To support the provision of comprehensive client-oriented reproductive health care for women, men, and adolescents, centered on high-quality family planning services that include information, education, and communications components; and
To support development programmes that emphasize health, education, and income generation for women, in order to foster population levels consistent with sustainable development.
By its active participation in the Cairo Conference and the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing, the Government of Canada has committed itself to a significant contribution toward improving the status of women, women's health and reproductive health, as well as to a balanced response to issues of population and sustainable development. The approach to development cooperation in the area of population will ensure that Canada works with developing countries to attack both the direct and indirect causes of unsustainable population growth.
Decision Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
Chapter 5 of Agenda 21 focuses on the relationship between population issues and sustainable development. The Program of Action adopted by consensus during the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1994 represented a new approach to population issues, focusing on empowerment of women, a commitment to women's health, and the achievement of development goals rather than demographic targets. Canada was instrumental in formulating the consensus reflected in both documents, and takes population issues into consideration in its development assistance programming in the area of population with respect to girls' education, reducing poverty among women, integrating women in developmental activities, and promoting women's rights.
Status
Population growth represents a significant threat to global security and sustainable development. Almost all projected population growth is occurring in developing countries, many of which, if current trends continue, will see their populations double before stabilizing. This has major implications for food security, access to social programs such as education and health, and for the environment and economic development. Canada recognizes that to address the problem of unsustainable population growth, all countries must cooperate to implement the program of action set out in Cairo. The approach described in Canada in the World should ensure that Canada is able not only to do its share but also play a leadership role in global efforts to address this issue.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-Building, Education, Training, and Awareness-Raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
Canadian development assistance in the area of population for the 1996/97 fiscal year is expected to total some $29 million, including core contributions to both the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Canada to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1997.
Click here for the ECE Statistical country profile for Canada.
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Decision Making: Coordinating Bodies
Provincial governments in Canada are largely responsible for delivery of health care. The federal government, through Health Canada, works with them to develop guidelines and recommendations on health issues. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Population Health are important federal/provincial/ territorial bodies that meet to develop national strategies. All levels of government have continued to contribute to activities in the Canadian health sector since the last report to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Health Canada works closely with provincial ministries of health through the Committee on Environment and Occupational Health in setting guidelines and for exposure to environmental contaminants. In 1995, all federal government responsibilities for the registration of pesticides were centralized in a single agency, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). The PMRA is responsible for assessing the potential for pesticide residues to occur in food commodities.
Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations
Health Canada has proposed the introduction of a Drinking Water Materials Safety Act to regulate chemicals and materials that come into contact with drinking water. Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality have been updated and now also include guidelines for radiological characteristics. Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 44 priority substances were assessed for their risks to health and additional substances have been identified for future assessment. In June 1995, a federal Parliamentary Committee conducted a five-year review of CEPA and produced a report titled, "Its Our Health - Toward Pollution Prevention". The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) was proclaimed in January 1995, allowing Health Canada to assess the risks to human health of approximately 100 federal projects annually.
Decision Making: Strategies, Policies, and Plans
The federal government, through Health Canada, began a multi-year program (1992-1997) called the Action Plan on Health and the Environment (APHE) in 1992. APHE comprises 15 initiatives, grouped under four broad headings: Regulation and Monitoring, Groups at Risk, Facilitating Individual and Community Action and International Liaison. Post APHE, Health Canada has identified health and environment activities to be undertaken under the following "strategic priorities": Control of Toxic Substances in the Environment, Assessment and Management of Bioregional Health Effects, Environmentally Related Disease Surveillance and Control, and Community Action and Social Marketing.
Decision Making: Major Groups Involvement
The Canadian Public Health Association is working with Health Canada to undertake a conference in 1997 on Intersectoral Cooperation on Health For All. Organizations such the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors and the Canadian Water and Waste Water Association are consulted on specific health and environment issues. In collaboration with Environment Canada, Health Canada coordinated a multistakeholder advisory committee to identify priority substances to be assessed under CEPA. Health Canada has recently produced a paper titled, "Forging A Collaborative Population Health Framework for Health and the Environment," to stimulate discussion with interested groups.
Programmes and Projects
Health Canada, through its Great Lakes Health Effects Program, is a major partner in the Great Lakes 2000 initiative and has undertaken numerous investigations into the health of residents in the Great Lakes Basin. It also collaborates with the Ministre de la Santé et des Services Sociaux du Québec and the Quebec health network in the health component of St. Lawrence Vision 2000. Key programs related to First Nations peoples include the Effects on Aboriginals from the Great Lakes Environment (EAGLE) and the Drinking Water Safety Program for Native People.
The Air Health Effects Program has characterized the health effects of exposure to a number of air pollutants and has demonstrated an association between hospitalization and recent exposure to air pollution. The Federal Nuclear Emergency Response Plan has been revised. Programs have been developed to warn Canadians to use appropriate-strength sun screen and avoid prolonged unprotected exposure to the sun. The Environmental Related Disease Surveillance initiative has been instrumental in identifying risk factors associated with asthma and in identifying strategies to reduce asthma morbidity and mortality in Canada. A national collaborative effort has resulted in an enhanced cancer surveillance system linked to an environmental quality database. A Market Basket Survey undertook the identification of minute amounts of contaminants in foods consumed by average Canadians and has estimated the extent to which they are present in daily diets. Under an initiative on Pregnancy and Child Development, the relationship between reproductive health and the physical and social environment is being investigated. Research undertaken through the Northern and Arctic Pollution initiative, on exposure to pollutants in Canada's northern region and the Arctic, will provide residents, especially Aboriginal people, with information on the risks and benefits of consuming traditional foods.
The Healthy Environment Program and the Active Living Environments Program have promoted the involvement of individuals and communities in collaborative efforts, to make them more aware of health and environment issues and provide information on how they can take action to influence their health. Healthy outdoor activities, that are environmentally friendly, are encouraged.
Status
A number of significant activities took place within the provinces on health and environment initiatives. Examples are described below:
In Alberta, a major study was undertaken titled, "Northern River Basin Human Health Monitoring Program", to assess health effects linked to environmental contaminants in Northern Alberta. A "Review of Regional Environmental Health Programs in Alberta" was published and a State of Environment Report for Alberta was released in 1995. Two new regulations under the Waste Reduction and Prevention Act have been developed to establish stewardship corporations, independent of government, to manage recycling programs. A study on disinfection by-products in Alberta drinking water was undertaken in 1996.
In Ontario, an Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) Act was proclaimed in February, 1994. The Act provides for: public participation in decision making; an electronic registry for information on environmental decisions; increased government accountability, increased access to courts and increased employee protection. Air pollutants continue to be an area of concern and a comprehensive provincial strategy for smog is underway.
In Nova Scotia, a new Environment Act was proclaimed in January, 1995 which combined and enhanced existing legislation. An Air Quality Index was implemented in 1996 and studies were undertaken on the association between trihalomethanes (THMs) levels in water and congenital birth defects. A Solid Waste-Resource Management Strategy was released in October, 1995.
In the Northwest Territories (NWT), a Human Health Baseline Monitoring Study was undertaken to monitor selected environmental contaminants in maternal and umbilical cord blood. A major report, "Mercury - A Health Concern" in the NWT was published.
In Saskatchewan, the Ministries of Health and Environment are jointly monitoring the human health and environmental effects of uranium mining in the northern region of the province. A new Radiation Health Act is being developed.
In Quebec, a health survey of the Inuit of Nunavik was undertaken by Santé Québec in 1992 to estimate human exposure to contaminants in the food chain. In its upcoming General Survey (1998), Santé Québec will be measuring environmental risk factors in the home associated with asthma and allergies.
In Manitoba, new legislation titled, the Sustainable Development Act, is proposed to enable "one stop" approvals procedures for new commercial/industrial developments. The fourth Manitoba State of the Environment Report is due in 1997 and is a collaborative effort with the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
In 1993, the Government of New Brunswick tabled a Clean Air Strategy in the Legislative Assembly. Stakeholder consultations on a Clean Air Act were begun in 1995.
The Yukon Government recently passed regulations under the Environment Act including the Pesticides Regulations (1994), the Special Waste Regulations (1995) and the Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations (1996).
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-Building, Education, Training, and Awareness-Raising
No information is available.
Information
A publication was produced by Health Canada in 1992 titled, "A
Vital Link - Health and the Environment
in Canada". This publication provides a comprehensive "state of
human health" report for Canadians
related to interactions with the environment and offers suggestions
on how to reduce risks to health. In
1994, The Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on
Population Health produced
"Strategies for Population Health - Investing in the Health of
Canadians". The physical environment is
identified as one of several key determinants of health. A National
Forum on Health has been created to
make recommendations on the future of health care in Canada.
A document titled, Principles of Cooperation on Health and the
Environment has recently been endorsed
by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). It
acknowledges the necessity of
intersectoral collaboration to address health and environment
problems/issues. It builds on the Pan
American Charter on Health and Environment in Sustainable Human
Development, adopted by Canada in
October, 1995.
Research and Technologies
Health Canada is very active in undertaking scientific investigations into the dynamics of health and environment interactions. In the areas of air quality, water quality and soil quality it is essential that basic data are available to assist in evidence-based decision making. The sciences of toxicology and epidemiology are the critical components of the risk management process utilized in Health Canada.
Financing
Health Canada utilizes resources for a number of health and environment activities that comprise part of its ongoing programs. Most of these reside in the Health Protection Branch. Provincial governments also expend resources, within their Ministries, on health and environment programs. The federal government allocated approximately (Cdn) $100 million in the 1991-92 to 1996-97 period for the specific activities under the Action Plan on Health and the Environment.
Cooperation
Canada is an active partner in the programs of the World Health
Organization and the Pan American
Health Organization. The International Program on Chemical Safety
utilizes the expertise within Health
Canada on the risk assessment of chemicals. Health Canada,
Environment Canada, and the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) have provided resources to host
the Second Meeting of the
Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety, to be held in Ottawa in
February, 1997.
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), recently
released a draft discussion paper titled,
"Strategy for Health". It identifies the importance of environment,
housing, water and sanitation as integral
components of primary health care in developing countries.
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This information was provided by the Government of Canada to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1997.
Click here for Country Profiles of the Pan American Health Organization, including Canada.
Click here to go to the Health and health-related statistical information from the World Health Organization.
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Decision Making: Coordinating Bodies
Elementary and secondary school education falls under the jurisdiction of Canadian provincial governments. To ensure information sharing and collaboration in the environmental education field in Canada, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment has established an Education and Communications Task Group. It also works in collaboration with the Canada Council of Ministers of Education.
Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision Making: Strategies, Policies, and Plans
Apart from the national strategy, Canada has also developed a strategy for climate change education, which includes support for a climate change curriculum for secondary schools, a similar curriculum for elementary schools, public awareness materials, home audits on energy, as well as school recognition programs sponsored by non-governmental organizations. Awareness of consumption of energy is featured in the climate change education strategy, but education for sustainable consumption and production patterns has not yet been developed. Water conservation awareness is also promoted.
In 1997, the provinces agreed to a common science curriculum to be used throughout Canada. This precedent-setting move was made all the more interesting because it allowed for the integration of sustainability principles. It will be used as a model for the social sciences, which will also refer to sustainability.
Decision Making: Major Groups Involvement
At the national level, the Government of Canada made a commitment at the 1996 session of the United
Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to work with all jurisdictions and stakeholders to
develop a national framework for sustainability education over the next twelve months. At present,
Canada is engaged in consultations with interested parties throughout the country, including the provincial
ministries of education. From this national framework, interested groups will develop and implement their
own strategies.
Provincial governments are active at different levels in the promotion of environmental education through
their environment, natural resource, and education ministries. In addition, non-governmental organizations
such as Learning for a Sustainable Future work to integrate the concepts and principles of sustainable
development into the curricula at all grade levels.
Youth as the real stakeholders in the environment will play a key role in education and public awareness
activities. Community based and national non-government organizations are critical in advocating,
designing and delivering sustainability projects.
Programmes and Projects
Canada participates actively in the Blue Thumb Program, which educates Canadians about sustainable water consumption. This program is led by WaterCan, a non-governmental organization, and uses the Boy Scout and Girl-Guide movements to increase the public's awareness on this issue.
Since September 1995, the Federal Government's public awareness and community funding program, Action 21, has supported over 300 community based projects and launched a public awareness initiative aimed at a broad Canadian audience. The Canadian Youth Action Guide and the Youth Edition of Agenda 21 were distributed to schools. Fifteen Canadian schools are participating in the Rescue Mission Indicators Project to monitor and report to the federal minister on the state of their local environment. The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy has produced a guide for educators and facilitators on the round table process and sustainable development, and conducted workshops with more than 2000 high school students in Canada.
Occupational training related to environmental issues is growing. The Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry is an organization that brings together major employers, industry groups, educators and other interested organizations. It has been organized to identify and help find solutions to skill needs that limit the sector's growth, and to enable more people to develop the skills to enter these occupations. The Canadian Labour Congress has produced a program on workers' environmental rights which stresses the creation of joint union-management environment committees for extending the mandate of existing health and safety committees.
Status
Education is free, available, and compulsory for all Canadian children up to Grade 12. In addition, many organizations work actively for the promotion of literacy outside the classroom for those who may not have completed their schooling.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-Building, Education, Training, and Awareness-Raising
Innovative education, public awareness or training activities related to sustainable development include
the following:
The SEEDS Foundation, a nonprofit organization that manages a school recognition program,
has mobilized over 30,000 young Canadians to conduct heat/energy audits in their homes.
The Toronto Environmental Alliance has developed a program whereby young students determine
the ecological footprint of their school grounds based on transportation issues (number of parking
spots, amount of space devoted to parking vs. amount of space for recreational purposes in the
school yard.
Examples of the innovative approaches to educate and raise awareness of families and local communities
and to enhance their participation in planning and implementing education-related action plans include
the following:
In British Columbia, the School of Urban Ecology of Douglas College has implemented a
community program whereby people are educated about ecosystems in their neighbourhoods and
provided with materials to connect their backyards into an expanded ecosystem.
Rescue Mission's Indicators for Action from Peace Child International has been taken beyond the
classroom walls in Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia, where the school has been transformed into a
community centre for environmental education, thus giving an opportunity for all the citizens to
participate in environmental education.
Rescue Mission is also at work in two chronic care facilities in the nation's capital, Ottawa, where
young residents are conducting an assessment of the sustainability of their hospitals based on the
16 indicators in the program. They will request a day of access with the administrators of the
hospitals once the indicators activity has been completed.
The Environmental Studies Association of Canada promotes interdisciplinary approaches to education at the postsecondary level. The Canadian Labour Congress has undertaken a program for environmental education in the workplace. The Canadian Council for Human Resources on the Environment is attempting to develop guidelines for training.
Information
EECOM, which is the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication,
communicates the key messages of sustainability through its newsletters and through its conferences and
meetings.
Learning for a Sustainable Future, a nonprofit organization whose mandate is
to the facilitate the integration of sustainability principles in the formal
education system, has developed a Web site on environmental education: http://www.lsf.org.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Canada to the fifth and sixth sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: July 1998.
Click here for national information on Environmental Action and Awareness Raising.
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Decision Making: Coordinating Bodies
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is Canada's federal housing agency. CMHC is involved in the development, funding and operation of national social and market housing programs and the provision of mortgage insurance, as well as the support of research that improves market efficiency and creates better living environments. Canada's ten provincial and two territorial governments are responsible for the regulation of urban and rural development in most areas through planning legislation, and the regulation of building and housing standards through building and health codes. Municipal governments are generally responsible for regulating the use of land and the provision of hard services (for example, local roads, water and sewer lines), often with the support and direction of senior governments. Through agreements between federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government, as well as non-profit organizations, the delivery and administration of assisted housing programs and projects is shared.
A number of national, regional and local organizations and committees have been established to coordinate research and information transfer activities related to Canadian human settlement efforts, such as the National Housing Research Committee, the Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research, the Technical Research Committee of the Canadian Homebuilders Association, the Institute for Research in Construction (NRCan) and Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers meetings. The municipal, non-profit community-based and co-operative housing sectors have all played an important role in sustainable community development and management.
Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision Making: Strategies, Policies, and Plans
Canada is committed to promoting the development of more sustainable human settlements in which well planned communities and quality housing contribute to a healthy environment, a prosperous economy, and an improved quality of life. Achieving the goal of sustainable human settlements requires new approaches, particularly during these times of fiscal restraint. One of the key challenges is to plan and manage communities that will be more viable in economic, social, and environmental terms.
Decision Making: Major Groups Involvement
There are many stakeholders involved with housing and human settlements in Canada. These include the three levels of government - federal, provincial and municipal - and other actors, such as the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations.
Programmes and Projects
Canada is looking at ways to plan and build housing that consumes resources more efficiently, makes more effective use of land, and is also safe, healthy and affordable for all Canadians. Initiatives are under way to improve energy efficiency, conserve water and reduce indoor contaminants, control moisture and improve ventilation. Improving energy efficiency through better building practices and passive solar design, exploiting ambient energy through new technologies, such as ground-source heat pumps, and reducing the consumption of fresh water in homes, have all been the subjects of extensive research in recent years. Another high priority has been reducing the volume of residential construction waste and encouraging more recycled content in building materials.
Status
Discussions are currently underway to further rationalize the management of existing social housing resources.
New models of community design have been developed that encourage more environmentally responsible planning. This includes a variety of housing types and forms that reduce land requirements and encourage public transit, walking and cycling as alternatives to automobile use. Many communities are encouraging land-use intensification and providing for a greater mix of dwelling types - including attached houses, accessory apartments, and infill housing.
Better use is being made of existing infrastructure and economically productive communities planned so they do not demand transportation systems that consume non-renewable resources and contribute to air pollution. Finally, affordable solutions are being developed that respond to changing demographics and a diversity of needs and lifestyle preferences.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-Building, Education, Training, and Awareness-Raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
Active for over a decade in indoor air quality research, Canada is
promoting homes that can be made
"healthier" for their occupants. Areas of research include material
emissions and spillage of combustion
products from heating appliances, mold and moisture problems.
Over the past 50 years there has been continuous improvement in the
technical quality of Canada's
housing, including improved products and materials, advances in
construction systems and methods, and
the wide-spread dissemination of this information through
educational facilities and other channels. In
particular, the increased use of computer assisted design, improved
prefabrication, better ventilation and
the extensive use of power tools on the building site have all
contributed to more efficient building systems
and construction practices.
Financing
Canada's system of financing residential construction is part of the larger capital market. Mortgage interest rates fluctuate in line with general interest rate fluctuations and capital is generally readily available. There are a number of mortgage vehicles available, as well as loan guarantees and mortgage insurance.
Cooperation
Human settlements and urban development are issues of increasing concern to Canada's international cooperation initiatives. Support for sustainable human settlements in developing countries is provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), which encourages bilateral and multilateral partnerships as well as the efforts of Canadian civil society. CIDA believes that sustainable development can not be achieved without due consideration to human settlements, especially in urban or rapidly urbanizing areas. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) also supports responses to development problems through scientific research that generates knowledge and policy options for sustainable cities. CIDA, IDRC, and their partners have created programs and projects designed to reduce poverty in cities, to improve environmentally sound municipal management, urban facilities and infrastructure, and quality of life in urban and peri-urban environments.
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This information was provided by the Government of Canada to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1997.
Click here to access UNCHS "Best Practices for Human Settlements" in North America.
For information related to human settlements and refugees, you may access the UNHCR Country Index by clicking here:
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