 | l-r: Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka and Ms. Angelina Wapakhabulo of Uganda. |
The new Permanent Representatives to UN-HABITAT, Ms. Angelina Wapakhabulo of Uganda and Ms. Diamballa Maimouna of today presented their credentials to the Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka. Briefing the Ugandan envoy on the activities of UN-HABITAT in the East African country, Mrs. Tibaijuka stated that at present the organization has more than 15 projects in Uganda covering various areas of human settlements development.
These include the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Programme, which is also supporting the preparation of City Development Strategies and Plans for several towns on the shores of Lake Victoria. Other projects include the Urban Youth Development activities, which support women’s groups in accessing affordable housing and that the organization also support to the National Urban Policy for preparing and implementing a national slum upgrading programme. Mrs. Tibaijuka stated that other programmes include the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme and the sister programme for Shelter Profile Study. She said that, in keeping with current trends, the country’s capital city, Kampala, is one of the cities piloting the Cities in Climate Change Initiative. The Executive Director noted that the Lake Victoria activities include an income generating project to enhance incomes through the production of banana juice. Mrs. Tibaijuka informed the envoy that the Uganda Women’s Efforts to Save Orphans (UWESO) was a winner of Habitat Scroll of Honour during the 2009 World Habitat Day held in Washington D.C., U.S.A. She said that the award was made to UWESO in recognition of its outstanding work with orphans and vulnerable children. Responding, Ms. Wapakhabulo thanked the Executive Director for the warm reception accorded her and pledged to do all she can to promote the cordial relationship between Uganda and UN-HABITAT. The envoy was particularly delighted that UWESO was the Habitat Scroll of winner as she was at a time the Chairperson of the organization.  | l-r: Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka and Ms. Diamballa Maimouna of Niger, after the presentation of the credentials |
Briefing the new Permanent Representative of Niger, Ms. Maimouna, the Executive Director stated that Niger is a very important country to
UN-HABITAT and that, in collaboration with the European Union, the organization was involved in a number of slum upgrading programmes in the country. Mrs. Tibaijuka stated that UNHABITAT has good relationship with the Government of Niger. She said that the West African country actively participates in UN-HABITAT’s main events such as Governing Council and the World Urban Forum (WUF). She said that two city profiles, for Niamey and Mirriah, and a national urban sector profile have been published. The Executive Director said that the first UN-HABITAT technical assistance project in Niger (Project Yantala) that helped to improve housing and living conditions of urban poor in the informal settlements in the capital, Niamey, ended some years back. In her response, Ms. Maimouna assured the Executive Director that she will make efforts to promote UH-HABITAT and ensure that Niger participate more actively in the organization’s activities. The Executive Director presented the envoys with some UN-HABITAT publications and invited them and their countries to participate fully at the Fifth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF5) to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 22-26 March 2009. |
