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UNHSP/04/02
"City to City Cooperation" theme for this year's
World Habitat Day (WHD)
Nairobi, 12 March 2002 --
"City to City Cooperation" is the theme for this
year's World Habitat Day (WHD), which is to be celebrated
on 7 October, 2002. This year the global observances will
be held in Brussels, Belgium, and will be jointly hosted by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Belgium
and the European Commission.
Cities and local authorities have been fostering
international cooperation since the foundation of the first
international association of local authorities in 1913. Early
exchange among cities in developed countries were followed
by links with cities in developing countries. In an increasingly
urbanizing world, this year's WHD theme is meant to encourage
more city to city cooperation or C2C as it is commonly known.
C2C may take place between cities in neighbouring countries
or between cities at opposite ends of the globe. Town twinning
is one of the earliest examples of C2C. In recent years the
scope of C2C has widened considerably on the initiative of
city leaders with the encouragement and assistance of international
associations and networks of local authorities. Partnerships
between cities is gaining increasing recognition as a potentially
cost-effective way of actively exchanging 'lessons learned'
and of improving the management capacity of cities for sustainable
urbanization.
With over half of the world's population now
living in cities and towns, the United Nations has prioritised
sustainable urbanization. Earlier last year, at Istanbul +
5, the Special Session of the General Assembly, Governments
issued a Declaration on Cities and other Human Settlements
in the New Millennium which endorsed the specific Millennium
Declaration target of making a significant improvement in
the lives of 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. The theme
of this year's World Habitat Day is dedicated to helping the
world meet these targets.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme,
UN-HABITAT, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to assist
countries and communities to solve some of the root causes
of these problems through concerted action and policy improvements
in the human settlements sector. Every year, since 1985, when
it was designated by the General Assembly, World Habitat Day
has been celebrated on the first Monday of October. This day
has been set aside by the United Nations for the world to
reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right
to adequate shelter. This year Governments and local authorities
are called upon to hold observances to encourage greater awareness
about the need to improve our living environment through more
City to City cooperation.
For
further information, please contact:
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Sharad Shankardass, Spokesperson
or Ms. Zahra A. Hassan
Media & Press Relations Unit
UN-HABITAT
Tel: (254 2) 623153
Fax: (254 2) 624060
E-mail: habitat.press@unhabitat.org
Website: www.unhabitat.org
Mr. Amrik Kalsi, Coordinator
World Habitat Day
Tel: (254 2) 623124
Fax: (254 2) 624060
E-mail: Amrik.Kalsi@unhabitat.org
Website: www.unhabitat.org
Mr. Michael Parkes
UN-HABITAT Brussels Office
Tel: (32 2) 50 31004, (32 2) 5034624,
E-mail: unchs@skynet.be
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