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Sounding the alarm on forced evictions
Nairobi, 7 April 2005 --UN-HABITAT Executive Director
Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka on Thursday sounded the alarm over increasing cases
of forced evictions of the poor around the world saying the practice was
thwarting efforts of the Millennium Declaration seeking to improve the
lives of slum dwellers.
Saying that the Millennium Development Goals targeted the significant
improvement of millions of slum dwellers by the year 2020, the Executive
Director said not only was the global community falling short of this
target with an additional 50 million people having been added to the slums
of the world in the past two years, but that the practices of forced evictions
were worsening the lives of millions of urban poor each year.
“Acts such as forced evictions, pose one of the main barriers to
the achievement of this target. Unfortunately this practice continues
in a number of countries where the rights of citizens continue to be ignored
– more particularly the rights of those who often do not have the
capacity or voice to speak for themselves,” she said.
Her remarks were made at a news conference to announce the launch of
the First Report of the Advisory Group on Forced Evictions (AGFE). Mrs.
Tibaijuka expressed satisfaction with unprecedented progress and change
among UN-HABITAT partners, but hastened to add that she was dissatisfied
with practices in a number of countries that continue to ignore the rights
of some citizens.
“In such cases, it is the role of the United Nations to remind
our partners of their obligations and encourage them to fully comply with
those international agreements they have entered into,” she said.
She said UN-HABITAT had a long track record in working with its partners
to improve the quality of life in world cities. The programmes it has
initiated have directly enhanced the housing situation of urban populations
all over the world and have contributed to sound policies, better management
practices and more inclusive political environments.
“In many countries, our two campaigns for Secure Tenure and Urban
Governance have been successful in raising awareness, bringing stakeholders
together, creating conditions conducive to positive dialogues and positive
attitudes and giving the urban poor a respected and responsible role,”
she said.
AGFE group was established at the request of the UN-HABITAT Governing
Council during its 19th session, following recommendations of the first
World Urban Forum. Its mandate is to monitor and identify, and, if so
requested, to promote alternatives to unlawful evictions. The group is
composed of slum dweller associations, governments, local authorities,
NGOs, and private sector professional organizations.
The report details the group’s work in the past year with an accounting
of the successful fact finding missions to Curitiba, Brazil, Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic and Rome, Italy at the request of the authorities in
those countries. The report says the missions have resulted, for example,
in a commission being sent up in Dominican Republic to discuss the enactment
of a law on forced evictions and secure tenure and a moratorium on forced
evictions for 12 months in Rome. In Curitiba, City Hall has requested
that AGFE assist in the analysis of local housing legislation for further
improvements.
“I want to assure the group that, I will give the utmost priority
to reviewing the recommendations of the report and will make sure that
UN-HABITAT will carry forward, in close collaboration with all partners
those recommendations that I see leading to sustainable solutions.
“The Governing Council is working on a resolution that encourages
Governments to support the conciliatory approach being promoting by the
Advisory Group on Forced Evictions,” Mrs. Tibaijuka said.
For further information, please contact: Sharad Shankardass,
Spokesperson & Head, Press & Media Relations Unit, or Ms. Zahra
Hassan, Media Liaison, Tel: (254 20) 623153, 623151, Fax: 624060, E-mail:
habitat.press@unhabitat.org,
Website: www.unhabitat.org
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