Parallel Event

Special meeting of the Advisory Committee of Local Authorities
5 June 2001
9:30 - 1:00

1. In his introductory remarks, Mayor Joan Clos, Chairperson, welcomed the participants to the special session of the Advisory Committee of Local Authorities, and qualified the "local government day" as an important day in the relations between the United Nations and Local Governments. Mr. Clos reported on the meeting held between the Secretary General and representatives of Local Authorities, and welcomed the decision by the Secretary General to make UNCHS (Habitat), the focal point within the UN system for Local Authorities. He also welcomed the new Committee members.

2. Mayor Clos passed the floor to Mrs. Dr. Anna K. Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UNCHS (Habitat), who welcomed the participants both to the special session meeting of Local Authorities and to the Special Session of the General Assembly on the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. The Executive Director of Habitat welcomed the new members of the Advisory Committee of Local Authorities, and awarded the Advisory Committee of Local Authorities Certificates to the Mayors of Fukuoka (Japan) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). She thanked, especially, the City of Fukuoka, in Japan, not only for hosting, but also for contributing to the financing of the UNCHS (Habitat) Office in Fukuoka.

3. In her introductory remarks, Mrs. Tibaijuka stressed the role of Local Authorities in ensuring the full implementation of the Habitat Agenda.

4. After the adoption of the draft Agenda, the discussions continued including several different Agenda Items:

1) Discussions on the World Charter of Local Self-Government and follow-up to the Commission resolution 18/11;
2) Progress report on Cities Alliance Initiative; 3) Global Campaigns on Secure Tenure and Urban Governance;
4) Discussions on the follow-up to the Declaration on the Declaration on Cities and other Human Settlements in the New Millennium and the Millennium Declaration, including the Habitat contributions to the Secretary General's Report on the Road Map for the implementation of the Millennium Declaration;
5) Presentation of the beta-version of the Committee' s interactive web-site;
6) Discussion on the future institutional status of Local Authorities within the UN system.

5. One of the key decisions of the Committee was to establish a working group on city-to-city co-operation, which will meet in Venice in January 2001 at the kind invitation of the City of Venice. The results of the working group meeting will be discussed at the next meeting of the Committee, to be held in Dubai, at the kind invitation of the City of Dubai.