12 October 2004, Nairobi: UN-HABITAT and the
Government of Norway today signed a Framework Agreement to improve the
lives of slum dwellers and the urban poor through the implementation of
projects of common interest to both the Norwegian Ministry of International
Development and UN-HABITAT.
The agreement was signed by Hon. Hilde Frafjord Johnson, the Norwegian
Minister of International Development, and Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, the Executive
Director of UN-HABITAT, in the presence of Norwegian Prime Minister H.E.
Kjell Magne Bondevik during a visit to UN-HABITAT’s headquarters
in Nairobi, Kenya.
The new Agreement is a milestone towards the implementation of the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals, in particular Goal 7 Target 11,
in which world leaders committed themselves to achieving a “significant
improvement” in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers
by the year 2020.
While Norway has always been an important supporter of UN-HABITAT’S
mission and its activities, the partnership has been strengthened with
recent contributions increasing from about US $ 130,000 in 1986 to almost
US $ 2,000,000 today.
This new agreement will further enable the organization to address a
large number of normative and operational activities in developing countries
in areas such as tenure rights, shelter and infrastructure improvement,
and the engagement of women and youth. Activities are also planned to
monitor urban development with a view to providing policy guidelines for
local authorities and national governments.
The objective is to support the realization of the Habitat Agenda and
the Millennium Development Goals in developing countries through the work
of UN-HABITAT with particular emphasis on meeting the twin goals of the
Habitat Agenda: adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements
development in an urbanizing world.
The overall aim is to contribute to poverty eradication through economic
growth and a permanent improvement in the economic and social conditions
for the poorer sections of the population in developing countries through
long-term, target-oriented support. All programmes will be designed to
encourage dialogue with partners, including the urban poor, in order to
help set priorities within development plans and national poverty reduction
strategies.
BACKGROUND
Norway has always been an important supporter of UN-HABITAT’S mission.
The following are some of the many activities it has supported in the
past and continues to support.
UN-HABITAT Water and Sanitation Trust Fund
Norway’s contribution to the Water and Sanitation Trust Fund began
in 2003 with an initial contribution of $280,000, followed by a commitment
to contribute in a predictable manner, to the tune of around $1.5 million
per year. So far, the total Norwegian contribution to the fund stands
at approximately $1.8million.
The Trust Fund has helped UN-HABITAT to forge strategic partnership arrangements
with the African Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank, promoting
pro-poor investments in urban areas through its Water for Cities Programme
in Africa and Asia respectively. Thirteen African countries ¬- Burkina
Faso, Cameroun, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Zambia,
Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Mali are currently involved in the programme.
Norwegian contribution to the Fund has also supported the development
of the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative. Under the
Initiative, secondary urban centers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will
get grant support to help them extend water and sanitation service coverage
to those currently un-served and ultimately contribute to meeting Target
10 of the Millennium Development Goals which is committed to halving the
number of people living without clean water and adequate sanitation.
At first, the initiative will target 5 urban centres in each of the three
countries with a total population of nearly 1 million. A rapid appraisal
carried out by UN-HABITAT indicates that with a modest investment in expansion
and rehabilitation of existing water and sanitation facilities, approximately
at $50 per person, water and sanitation related MDGs could be achieved
in these towns within 2 to 3 years.
Through Norwegian contribution to the Fund, a similar Initiative- Mekong
Regional Initiative- is being developed in Asia and is set to cover Lao
PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Yunnan province in P.R. China.
The Global Campaign for Secure Tenure
The Global Campaign for Secure Tenure has benefited from a Norwegian contribution
of US$ 253,000 that enabled the Shelter Branch to start organizing the
campaign including discussion and networking with partners and setting
up the initial programme plan. In addition, part of the fund has been
used to raise awareness of partners, essentially civil society, by supporting
their participation at the first World Urban Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya
in 2002. This participation of NGOs and Grassroots successfully contributed
in putting secure tenure very high in the agenda of the World Urban Forum.
This resulted in recommendations, which have eventually led to the formation
of the Advisory Group on Forced evictions. Detailed activities conducted
include:
- Preparatory and advocacy activities for the launch in the
Philippines,
- The introduction of the campaign principles at regional level,
- The establishment of an International Advisory Group on Forced
Evictions.
- Preliminary consultations and workshops for the preparation
of the campaign launch in Uganda,
- Activities of the Regional Action Committee for Secure Tenure
Campaign in Latin America in advancing the principles of the campaign
and coordinate the preparation of campaign launches in select Latin
American cities,
The Safer Cities Programme
The Norwegian Government supported the Safer Cities Dar es Salaam project
by funding a United Nations Volunteer Safety Expert, who was instrumental
in initiating several of the local pilot projects and assisting in training
the community in safety initiatives, including book-keeping, tracking
income and disbursements.
The Safer Cities Programme is embarking on a potential collaboration with
the Norwegian Christian Relief Network (CRN) which will include conducting
a broad survey on youth at risk in Uganda (in the two towns of Masaka
and Kampala). The survey will identify risk and resilience factors regarding
victimisation and the development of criminal behaviour in the lives,
environments and circumstances in which young people grow up. The survey
is expected to give a better understanding of the problem and will give
the basis for a formulation of realistic strategies and priorities of
action that need to be taken by the government and other stakeholders.
Gender Mainstreaming Unit (GMU)
The GMU received US $ 70,000 that helped fund the Expert Group Meeting
(EGM) on gender and women’s issues in human settlements organized
in February 2003.
One of the main outcomes of the EGM was to give priority to the empowerment
of urban women entrepreneurs through housing development and land rights
in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania using funds provided by, among others, the
Norwegian Government
Norwegian funds have also contributed to the strengthening of gender
mainstreaming in UN-HABITAT programmes and activities. This involves baseline
surveys, staff self-assessment, design of tailor made courses and training
staff in different branches and units and preparation of a handbook on
gender mainstreaming in human settlements for use by governments UN-HABITAT
and NGOs.
Funds were also used to gender mainstream women’s participation
in the second World Urban Forum held in September 2004 in Barcelona, Spain.
This included promotion of gender mainstreaming in dialogues and parallel
events organized by UN-HABITAT including identification of relevant institutions,
panelists and liaison with UN-HABITAT Divisions and Branches. The sale
of East African women handicrafts were also funded in the Universal Forum
of Cultures that took place from 9 May up to 27 September 2004.
Other activities include advocacy, networking and fundraising for gender
mainstreaming and women’s empowerment programs undertaken by the
GMU and Regional Offices including development of advocacy materials and
tools on gender issues in human settlements. Research has also been undertaken
on how to empower women in slums and informal settlements in Kenya and
Tanzania.
For further information, please contact: Mr.
Sharad Shankardass, Spokesperson & Head, Press & Media Relations
Unit, or Ms. Zahra A. Hassan, Media Liaison, Press & Media Relations
Unit, Tel: (254 20) 623151, Fax: 624060, E-mail: habitat.press@unhabitat.org,
website: www.unhabitat.org
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