Delegates from around the world will converge at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi for the 23rd Session of UN-HABITAT’s Governing Council from Monday 11 April – Friday 15 April 2011.
The Governing Council meets every two years to examine UN-HABITAT's work and relationships with its partners. It is a high-level forum of governments at the ministerial level during which policy guidelines and the organization’s budget are established for the next two-year period.
The new Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Joan Clos, former mayor of Barcelona, will outline his vision and set out the agency’s agenda for the coming years.
This year the theme of the Governing Council is sustainable urban development through expanding equitable access to land, housing, basic services and infrastructure.
The week-long 23rd session of the Governing Council will be attended by government ministers, senior officials and other representatives of governments making up the Council as well as UN-HABITAT Agenda partners who will deliberate on these issues as well as climate change and its impact on cities.
A special session of the African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) will be organized on Saturday 9 April in the margins of the 23rd session of UN-HABITAT’s Governing Council. The African Ministers participating will discuss the progress of the Bamako Declaration and Plan of Action on the role of land in the process of sustainable urban development in Africa, and review institutional and financial arrangements, in particular the hosting of AMCHUD’s secretariat.
Background
The Habitat Agenda promotes a positive vision where everyone has access to land and adequate housing in a safe and healthy environment. It also promotes basic services in which mobility is managed through better urban planning with public transport provision to avoid urban sprawl.
Rapidly growing cities need to be strategically guided for longer-term sustainability. Thirty percent of people globally live in slums and informal settlements due to inappropriate or inadequate land policy, administration and management. This percentage is even higher in post-conflict countries. Land policies need to be developed to facilitate land governance that enhances gender equality, a flexible land recording system, recognition of the range of land rights, decentralized land management and grassroots participation, urban equity, efficiency and sustainability.
Against the background of the global financial crisis and climate change, the vital role of cities is key to promoting the green economy; this is further supported by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially Goal 7 to ensure environmental sustainability, and targets on water, sanitation and slums.
| Tentative Programme & Events of interest to journalists |
| Saturday 09 April 2011: |
Special Meeting on African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) at the UN-HABITAT GC23
Opening Session 09:30-10:00, Conference Room 3
Detailed programme, please visit: www.unhabitat.org/amchud |
| Monday, 11 April 2011: |
Opening Session 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Conference Room 2
Welcoming and introductory remarks byHon. Clifford Everald Warmington, President of the Governing Council and Minister of State for Water and Housing, the Republic of Jamaica.
Opening Press Conference, Press Centre 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
There will be an opening press conference, hosted by Dr. Joan Clos with the newly elected President of the 23rd session of the Governing Council and the outgoing Chair and President of the 22nd session of the Governing Council.
Dr. Clos will also present the main findings of the new “Global Report on Human Settlements: Cities and Climate Change.” |
Background note for editors:
UN-HABITAT welcomes the active and effective participation of local and international journalists in covering the 23rd session of the Governing Council. Official GC documents and more details of meetings, press conferences, parallel events and backgrounders are available on the UN-HABITAT website: www.unhabitat.org
Organizational details
All journalists are expected to be registered and seated by 09.45. Accreditation for this event can be done on-line at www.unhabitat.org, under the icon “23rd session of the Governing Council”. There will be an accreditation desk at the UN complex visitor’s pavilion which will also be open on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 April 2011 from 09.00 to 12.00.
Registration: Journalists are requested to register on-line prior to the meeting at www.unhabitat.org. On-line registrations will close on Thursday 7 April 2011. On-site registration opens at 07.00 and journalists are requested to come to the UN complex in time to collect their badges and be seated by 09.30 am in time for the opening ceremony at 10.00 am
Logistics: There will be a press center set up for journalists at the Sergio Veira de Mello Library, United Nations Offices at Gigiri which will be operational from 09.00 to 17.00 from Monday 11 April 2011 through to Friday 15 April 2011.
Transport: A 25 seater-van will be available from Chester House to the United Nations Office at Gigiri at 08.00 daily from Monday 11 April 2011 to Friday 15 April 2011 and will return at 16.00.
For more information, please contact: Spokesperson & Head, Press & Media Relations Unit, Media Liaison,
Tel: (254 20) 7623153, 7623151;7625518 Mobile: 0733 760 332, Fax: (254 20) 7624060
E-mail: habitat.press@unhabitat.org |
UN-HABITAT’s Governing Council meets in Nairobi to discuss land access and urban planning