The Habitat Agenda recognises
that the struggle for sustainable development
will be attained or flounder in towns and cities.
Humanity has entered the 21st century, the urban
millennium. And there is growing consensus that
in order to reap the fruits of the world summits
of the last century and the Millennium Declaration,
a grand partnership is called for - a partnership
that transcends barriers among governments,
civil society and the private sector.
When they adopted the Habitat Agenda
in Istanbul in 1996, 171 States recognised the
importance of such partnerships. The `City Summit'and
its preparatory process have been hailed as
one of the most participatory world conferences.
And the drafting of the Habitat Agenda
marked the first time that non-governmental
organisations were given the freedom to contribute
directly at a meeting of world governments.
The successes that we have witnessed in the
implementation of the Agenda during the eight
years since its adoption are the result of stronger
partnerships. Initiatives in Karachi, Rio or
Johannesburg, just to name a few cities, all
tell us this story.
The Habitat Agenda is an inclusive document
precisely because Governments and civil society
co-operated in building it. The gains made in
Istanbul by local authorities, women, youth,
parliamentarians, and other stakeholders were
impressive. Not least, attempts to roll back
some of these were roundly rejected during the
five-year review session of the United Nations
General Assembly in New York in June 2001.
It is UN-HABITAT's experience, derived from
over 25 years of work with towns and cities
around the world, that the key to realising
an inclusive city is neither money nor technology,
but rather good governance and political commitment
to provide secure livelihoods for all citizens.
The success of the Agenda's implementation
will also depend on how best the sustainable
urbanisation constituency is mobilised. Habitat
National Committees were a good beginning. But
for a handful of countries, these committees
are almost defunct. Establishment of these committees
or strengthening them where they are established
is a task that the Governments and other Habitat
Agenda partners will need to concentrate
on in years to come.
Indeed, the Habitat Agenda's foresight
in tackling urbanisation challenges makes it
a guide for action. The links between a rapidly
urbanising world and economic globalisation,
are increasingly shaping our societies. Urbanisation
and globalisation, with growing access to information,
have generated greater claims by people to participate
in decisions that affect their lives.
This era of the new globalisation of the economy
and of information is being matched by localisation
of social and political life—a phenomenon
which has often been described as `glocalisation'.
It presents the UN system and the international
community a fantastic challenge. This is the
context of our work. The Habitat Agenda
helps us to define the parameters of this work.
During the week of 13-17 September, 2004, at
the World Urban Forum in Barcelona we will be
examining these issues together with Governments,
some of the world's leading thinkers and many
partners to take stock of the state of our cities,
of urban poverty, of post-conflict interventions,
of urban resources, of urban governance, and
of urban sustainability as more and more people
enter our towns and cities for a chance at a
better life.
Held every two years, the Forum is a key event
on the international calendar, a new ground-breaking
global initiative to address and keep abreast
of the main challenge of the new Millennium
- our planet's transition to an urban world.
The theme of this year's Forum raises a question:
Cities: Crossroads of cultures, inclusiveness
and integration?
I wish to pay tribute here to the City of Barcelona
and its Mayor, Joan Clos, for inviting us to
hold the meeting in Barcelona as part of the
2004 Universal Forum of Cultures. Visitors to
Barcelona can now see some of the world's latest
developments in urban innovation at a dazzling
exhibition of best practices and ideas from
countries around the world.
UN-HABITAT's Best Practices City and Water
Exhibit, officially opened on 9 May, features
over 50 ideas representing examples of proven
solutions to common social, economic and environmental
problems of an urbanising world. This exhibition
demonstrates that the Habitat Agenda
is alive and well.
Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
Executive Director |
