Discussing Human Settlements, Delegates in Second Committee Say Rapid Urbanization Phenomenon Driving Force of Sustainable Development
Greater cooperation among all stakeholders was needed for an open and comprehensive intergovernmental preparatory process to the Habitat III Conference, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) heard today as it took up its agenda item on the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
The representative of Ecuador, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said it was essential to address the phenomenon of rapid urbanization through development and implementation of effective public policies. Those policies should focus on addressing social distress, geographic exclusion and environmental degradation in the urban-rural spectrum.
The Latin American and Caribbean region was among the most urbanized regions in the world, with 80 per cent of the population residing in urban settlements, a figure that was expected to rise to 85 per cent by 2030, he said. By 2025, cities like Lima, Bogota and Santiago would become mega-cities with a population of at least 10 million people.
Delegates said that cities were engines of economic growth and sustainable societies with the representative of Indonesia, speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), pointing out that the top 2,000 cities in the world accounted for 75 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).
While the rapid rise in urbanization was a welcome trend, the influx of rural populations to cities had created a resource shortage, he said. The outpacing of economic development by migration could also lead to the formation of slums. There were environmental pressures that required cities to be adaptable and resilient. Investing in sustainable urban infrastructure could not only help reduce emission, but prevent future losses.
Other representatives pointed out how their countries had completely transformed in the span of a generation, with Singapore’s delegate pointing out how urban sustainability made a “catalytic” contribution to the sustainable development of her country. Singapore had been among the few high-density cities that were able to achieve high liveability standards, even with major resource and land constraints.
China’s representative said that her country had over the past 30 years experienced the biggest and quickest urbanization in history. As of 2014, there were 653 cities in China. She said the solution to human settlements lied in narrowing the gap between the rich and poor and, to that end, developed countries had to create favourable economic conditions, market openings and debt reduction.
Also speaking today were representatives of South Africa (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Sierra Leone (on behalf of the African Group), Maldives (on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States), St. Kitts and Nevis (on behalf of the Caribbean Community), Russian Federation, Brazil, Japan, Colombia, India, Israel, Thailand, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Albania, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ukraine, Paraguay, European Union and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The representative of the Russian Federation exercised the right of reply.
The Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat earlier in the morning introduced two reports and one note by the Secretary-General on the Programme.
The Second Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 4 November, to discuss its agenda item “towards global partnerships”.
Introduction of Reports
JOAN CLOS, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), via video link from Nairobi, introduced two reports (documents A/70/8 and A/70/210) and one note (document A/70/264) by the Secretary-General on UN-Habitat. The documents were “Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme”, “Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)” and “Coordinated implementation of the Habitat Agenda”.
He provided several highlights on the financing situation of UN-Habitat, noting that current projections for core income for the biennium 2014-2015 stood at $55.4 million for non-earmarked income and $213.2 million for earmarked income. The Programme had implemented a more streamlined and proactive approach to secure financial commitment for the budget approved by the Governing Council. He highlighted several recommendations for Member States to consider. Among them, they were requested to give further consideration to sustainable urbanization and human settlements in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the national and subnational levels, and to initiate or enhance programmes and projects at those levels to strengthen the capacity of rural service centres. Furthermore, Member States were encouraged to provide support to UN-Habitat through increased voluntary contributions and accord priority to contributions to the general purpose fund of the Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, in order to provide predictable multi-year funding.
Statements
PRAGASHNIE ADURTHY (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, stated that the Member States of her Group knew fully well the challenges of trying to realize Sustainable Development Goal 11, “to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and sustainable”. With rapid urbanization in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and hunger and poverty spreading from rural to urban areas, it was crucial to enhance the resilience of cities. That required an integrated approach that took into account access to water, transportation, health, energy, service delivery and education.
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda, she added, had widened the scope and responsibilities of UN-Habitat, which must reposition itself in order to fulfil the expectations of the broader mandate. Stressing the urgency of governance reform, she added that her Group looked forward to the speedy implementation of the Governing Council resolution 25/7. That text sought to strengthen the role of the Governing Council and the Committee of Permanent Representatives through the establishment of a working group on programme and budget to increase oversight of UN-Habitat during intersessional periods.
VANDI CHIDI MINAH (Sierra Leone), speaking on behalf of the African Group and associating himself with the Group of 77, said that his continent’s rapid rate of urbanization was posing challenges to its policy-making architecture. The population drift must be seen in the context of the natural instinct for seeking greener pastures and better living standards. Therefore, it was necessary to redouble efforts and increase resources to accelerate rural development while also expanding the provision of utilities and services in urban areas to cope with the increasing population.
Urban settlements in the world and in Africa in particular, he added, were confronting climate change, resource depletion, food insecurity, economic instability, unprecedented levels of unemployment and rising crime. To address those challenges, it was important to provide integrated infrastructures and services that targeted marginalized groups, including the poor, youth, women and elderly people. Africa alone could not handle those challenges, and the support of development partners was necessary. His Group looked forward to participating actively in the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) to be held in Ecuador in 2016.
AHMED SAREER (Maldives), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States and associating himself with the Group of 77, said that as many small island developing States were remote and isolated, it was important to understand that exact variation in human settlements when addressing urbanization to ensure a mechanism for implementation was effective. To achieve the 2030 Agenda, Member States must seize the opportunity to spur the advancement of climate adaptation across urban settlements of all sizes by ensuring new and existing buildings, transportation lines and utilities were environmentally sustainable and resilient. Climate change and related extreme weather events were not momentary “blips” for small island developing States — they meant halted or reversed economic growth, redirected resources to emergency efforts, overburdened institutions, and loss and damage of vital communication.
While small island developing States required robust infrastructure, they also faced more traditional concerns such as limited affordable housing, he continued. Moreover, those States had to grapple with pre-existing social challenges in isolated areas. He welcomed the upcoming Habitat III Conference as a chance to reconsider urbanization for all categories of human settlements, as already highlighted by the Conference’s thematic meeting to be held later this month. He urged the need to support technical capacity in developing States, so that municipalities could collect and analyse their own data to improve policy and track progress.
ESTEBAN CADENA (Ecuador), speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said that for his region, it was essential to address the phenomenon of rapid urbanization through development and implementation of effective public policies. Those must aim to prevent social distress, geographic exclusion and environmental degradation in the urban-rural spectrum. The Latin American and Caribbean region was among the most urbanized regions in the world, with 80 per cent or more of the population residing in urban settlements, a figure that was expected to rise to 85 per cent by 2030.
Additionally, it was projected that by 2025, cities like Lima, Bogota and Santiago would become megacities with a population of at least 10 million people, he said. That represented a set of unprecedented sustainable development challenges in all human settlements. In that regard, it would be important to have an open and comprehensive intergovernmental preparatory process to the Habitat III Conference. Member States, the private sector, policymakers and expert practitioners must actively contribute to the preparation of the Conference. That would advance the thought that cities were engines of economic growth, poverty eradication and sustainable societies.
Speaking in his national capacity, Mr. Cadena said that the recent and rapid rate of urbanization had presented myriad challenges including real estate speculation, pressure on natural resources and overcrowding. In that respect, Ecuador’s policies aimed to empower all citizens to enjoy the city and have access to land. All people had the right to live well and in harmony with nature, with access to safe water, sanitation, transport and food. Eradicating extreme poverty was the world’s greatest challenge, he said, urging Member States to focus on urban exclusion and segregation, as both factors had led the poor deeper into poverty.
DESRA PERCAYA (Indonesia), speaking on behalf of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and associating himself with the Group of 77, said that historically speaking, economic growth had gone hand in hand with the rise of cities. The top 2,000 cities in the world could account for 75 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and therefore, cities could support countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda. While the rapid rise in urbanization was a welcome trend, it had to be accompanied by the capability to realize inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. In order for developing countries to ride the urbanization wave, it was essential to manage the balance between rural and urban areas.
The influx of rural populations to cities, he added, had created a resource shortage. The outpacing of economic development by migration could also lead to the formation of slums. There were also environmental pressures that required cities to be adaptable and resilient. Investing in sustainable urban infrastructure could not only help reduce emission, but prevent future losses. Further, as urban populations became more prosperous, demand for items beyond basic necessities was certain to rise as well. To encourage cities to be promoters of sustainable development, its consumers and producers needed to be educated about their impact on the ecosystem.
CARLISLE LLEWELLYN RICHARDSON (St. Kitts and Nevis), speaking on behalf of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and associating himself with the Group of 77, Alliance of Small Island States and CELAC, said that developing countries, and small island developing States in particular, faced overwhelming challenges given the linkages between population growth and the increase of slums, poverty and the lack of access to basic essentials such as water and sanitation. The implementation of the internationally-agreed goals on the provision of adequate shelter for all required an all-inclusive and integrated approach, supported by nationally owned and led policies.
Applauding the efforts being made by UN-Habitat to sensitize the international community on the impact of rapid urbanization, including the growth of megacities and urban sprawls, he noted that by 2030, the majority of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean region would live in urban areas. The promotion of sustainable patterns of consumption and production, according to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, would be crucial to the implementation of the UN-Habitat agenda. Calling on development partners to provide the financial and technical support needed, he added that the Community had consistently argued for greater predictability and reliability of funding for the operational activities of UN-Habitat.
ANTONIO PARENTI, a representative of the European Union, reiterated his strong commitment to the preparations of Habitat III, which would be the first United Nations Conference after the adoption of the Agenda 2030 and the new climate change agreement. Cities and urban development played an increasingly important role in European Union policies, within the Union as well as in its external dimension. He looked forward to discussing relevant issues with all stakeholders in shaping a New Urban Agenda together, one that shared the aspirations of all countries’ local authorities and their people.
The New Urban Agenda must anchor issues of human settlement and urbanization within the sustainable development Agenda, he said. European policymakers and stakeholders had an important window to support global, national and local efforts in order to shape the cities of tomorrow. Implementing Habitat II and working towards the elaboration of Habitat III could not be done by national Governments alone. All stakeholders must be engaged at all stages of preparations of the New Urban Agenda. The international community could not afford to fail on delivering its promises, he said, calling for new inclusive and improved modalities.
JACLYN SEOW (Singapore), associating herself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, said the cross-cutting issue of urban sustainability could make a “catalytic” contribution to the other Sustainable Development Goals. Her country was a densely-populated metropolis with more than 5 million inhabitants on 719 square kilometres of land. In liveable city surveys over the last few years, Singapore had been among the few high-density cities that were able to achieve high liveability standards, even with resource constraints. However, there were always new challenges, including ways to optimize the use of land and subterranean space. Singapore had recently unveiled a national model that businesses, Government and the public could use to develop solutions to urban environmental challenges. She looked forward to the Habitat III Conference in 2016.
SERGEY B. KONONUCHENKO (Russian Federation) said the inclusion in the 2030 Agenda of Goal 11, on making cities sustainable, would mobilize the efforts of all interested parties to find long-term solutions. There was also considerable progress towards Habitat III, which would enable the international community to work on transforming cities into hubs of environmental, economic and social sustainability. Noting that his Government was actively preparing for the upcoming Conference, he added that the national policy on urban development was focused on providing accessible and high-quality urban housing and effective utility services. That coincided with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 11. The Russian Federation had also established a programme that provided grants and subsidies for urban infrastructure development.
SÉRGIO RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS (Brazil), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, noted that for the first time in history, more than half the global population lived in cities, with 95 per cent of the urban expansion in the next few decades projected to take place in the developing world. “It is in cities that social and economic inequalities reached their highest levels,” he stressed, adding that integrated urban planning was an essential requirement for enabling cities to play their role as drivers of sustainable development. Habitat III was a timely occasion to put cities at the centre of collective efforts to build a new development paradigm. His delegation firmly believed that the resolution on UN-Habitat, to be adopted by the current session of the Assembly, should support the preparatory process of Habitat III.
TOMOKO ONISHI (Japan) said that her Government attached great importance to inclusive and safe human settlements which made communities more resilient to crises, including natural disasters. Without safe human settlements, people could not be protected and empowered. Her country in March had hosted the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. That meeting resulted in many outcome measures to make communities more resilient to natural disasters, including the concept of “building back better” based on Japan’s many experiences of severe natural disasters. Her State had been a dedicated partner of UN-Habitat and was committed to engaging in the preparatory process towards Habitat III, including through the submission of an interim national report and providing technical inputs to the Habitat III policy unit.
CARLOS ARTURO MORALES LÓPEZ (Colombia), associating himself with CELAC and the Group of 77, said that currently half the global population lived in urban areas. In a generation, the world’s cities would double in size. Urbanization had accelerated in his country and by 2050, almost nine out of 10 Colombians would live in cities. The Committee must therefore focus on the challenges faced by cities and promote sustainable urban development that integrated all three dimensions, namely social, economic and environmental. To create resilient cities, it was necessary to provide an adequate quality of life while fostering local economic development and provision of quality social services. Sustainable urban development recognized that cities and rural areas were interdependent.
RAHUL KASWAN (India), associating himself with the Group of 77, said a successful approach to urbanization recognized the links between cities and their surrounding ecosystems. Thus, managing urbanization required a rural development strategy, as well as policy interventions that mainstreamed sustainable consumption and production patters. The cities of developed countries must lower their ecological footprint, invest in renewable energy and renovate infrastructure, while developing countries must strive to minimize pollution as they created jobs and services for urban areas. In India, urban areas generated two thirds of GDP. Its “Smart Cities” initiative aimed to build 100 “happier, healthier and wealthier” cities using information technologies to improve efficiency.
GERSHON KEDAR (Israel) said the issue of sustainable urban development was of utmost importance, especially as the percentage of the world’s population living in cities grew from year to year. His country was committed to achieving Goal 11 of the 2030 Agenda, which sought to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. To that end, Israel had hosted a series of thematic meetings in September, which would contribute to the New Urban Agenda to be agreed upon at Habitat III. In addition, the Israel Urban Forum would be launched later this month, with the aim to promote urban inclusiveness by bringing together relevant Government ministries, municipalities and local government, academia, non-governmental organizations and the private sector in a multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary environment.
XIE ZHENGWEI (China), associating herself with the Group of 77, said the question of human settlements was far from being solved, and emerging challenges required the strengthening of international cooperation. Safe, inclusive and resilient human settlements must be the focus of the international community as it implemented the 2030 Agenda. She suggested that efforts be made in solving the issue of human settlements through economic development, eradicating poverty and narrowing the gap between the rich and poor. Developed countries had to create favourable economic conditions such as market openings and debt reduction to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to address human settlements. China was the largest developing country, she said, adding that over the past 30 years, it had experienced the biggest and quickest urbanization in history. As of 2014, there were 653 cities in China.
YUTTALID BUNNAG (Thailand), associating himself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, said that of his country’s population of 64 million, 9.4 million lived in Bangkok. He highlighted four key points that Thailand considered important elements in drafting the New Urban Agenda. That included adequate and affordable housing for all, enhanced urban resilience, climate change adaptation and mitigation from urban areas, and lastly, an integration of public transport. Thailand had recently introduced a common ticketing system in Bangkok for all modes of public transport from land to water to rail to promote urban compactness and connectivity of urban systems. Thailand firmly believed that sustainable urbanization and human settlements were the most successful when all levels of Government had shared goals and policy frameworks.
ARTHUR AMAYA ANDAMBI (Kenya), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said that urban areas were drivers of economic growth, job creation, social progress and environmental sustainability. In Kenya, urban areas accounted for a substantial portion of physical, financial, intellectual and technological capital. And globally, urban-based economic activities accounted for the bulk of the GDP of countries globally. Currently 32 per cent of Kenyans lived in urban areas. That was expected to exceed 50 per cent by year 2030. While rapid urbanization presented many development opportunities, it also resulted in many challenges. The Government had developed a blueprint that aimed at ensuring secure, well-governed, and sustainable urban areas and cities that would contribute to the realization of national development goals in all 47 counties.
HESSA AL ATEIBI (United Arab Emirates), associating herself with the Group of 77, stated that rapid urbanization in her country had been accompanied by economic growth. However, that had increased the demand for water and energy and her Government had adopted policies to address that. The United Arab Emirates also participated internationally to ensure good cooperation with partners and to share the country’s experience in reducing the negative impact of urbanization through the promotion of clean energy. Renewable energy was also more affordable for consumers as it was among the least costly energies of the world. Her country was at the forefront of using renewable energy in its urban expansion.
INGRIT PRIZRENI (Albania) stated that planning and building a better urban future for current and future generations required an integrated approach to policymaking, especially in the case of developing countries. The new territorial and administrative reform in her country recognized the role of small and medium-sized areas in the context of overall national development. That meant improving the quality of the urban dimension in national policies and promoting cooperation between cities and rural regions. That was especially necessary because, due to the growth of urban populations, the Government was facing new challenges related to sustainable growth, urban identity, the national real estate market and tensions between protecting cultural heritage and advancing urban development.
GRACE REBEKAH THE MEI SHAN (Malaysia), associating herself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, said that her country was reviewing its national urbanization policy to promote affordable housing and sustainable infrastructure. To facilitate the mobility of urban communities, Malaysia had been expanding its public transportation networks. The Kuala Lumpur Mass Rapid Transit was being extended, in line the Government’s initiative to promote low-carbon cities. Her delegation called for meaningful international cooperation to enable developing countries to achieve human-settlement related goals.
BANKOLE ADEOYE (Nigeria), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that the rapid rate at which urbanization was taking place was unsustainable and required an urgent and immediate response. UN-Habitat was instrumental in addressing urban challenges such as youth unemployment and gender. It also worked to empower all people and improve their standard of living. To that end, a national plan gave due consideration to women, youth and other vulnerable groups. It was also undertaking a national urban review in preparation of Habitat III. It was imperative to work towards the evolution of a new agenda and adopt innovative approaches to eradicate slums and build access to key services. That would require the participation of Government, business leaders and civil society, he said, urging all stakeholders to contribute to UN-Habitat.
INNA SANDIUK (Ukraine) attached great importance to the process of urbanization as one of the most significant global trends shaping the twenty-first century. Her Government had been working consistently to steer Ukraine’s urban sector to create a sustainable living environment for all. Unfortunately, that work had been obstructed by the “treacherous” aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. As a result of the hostilities, more than 10,099 infrastructure objects had been damaged and destroyed in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. After putting an end to the military aggression, it would be extremely important to bring millions of people back to normal life, to restore destroyed towns and villages and to promote economic and social infrastructure development.
MARCELO ELISEO SCAPPINI RICCIARDI (Paraguay), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said that special attention should be paid to the most vulnerable populations, including women, children, the displaced, disabled, indigenous and elderly. Urban areas were drivers of economic growth, hence it was important to improve national capacity to collect, analyse and disseminate data in order to secure accurate information on urban and rural environments. That would be essential in the preparation process of Habitat III, he said, emphasizing that his country stood ready to contribute to the United Nations Conference in Ecuador.
ASHRAF ELNOUR MUSTAFA MOHAMED NOUR, International Organization for Migration (IOM), noted that his organization’s International Dialogue on Migration had taken place in October and the topic of discussion was “Migrants and Cities”. Among the points discussed was the fact that the New Urban Agenda needed to recognize migration as a key driver of cities’ growth. Migrants must be recognized as a category of individuals with specific needs, who could also be agents of development. Challenges included tackling discrimination, as well addressing the lack of access to employment, housing and social services. There was an ongoing need for policies that promoted migrants’ integration into local communities. He said that Habitat III would provide an opportunity to promote a new model of urban development that integrated all facets of sustainable development, of which migration was a key component.
Right of Reply
Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of the Russian Federation said that the delegate of Ukraine had made unfounded accusations against his country. The issues she had brought up were in no way related to the current agenda of the Committee. The events of the past two years in Ukraine were the result of the country’s policy of transforming the “maidan” into a new revolutionary movement. One of the meanings of “maidan” was “marketplace” and the Ukrainian delegation had also been trying to transform United Nations meetings into marketplaces. Instead they should share their experience in urban planning, such as organizing the fire in the trade union house in Odessa in May.