The Government of Netherlands commits $7.8 million to strengthen UN-HABITAT's Sustainable Cities Programme.

Nairobi, 4 December 2002: The Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation and UN-HABITAT have signed an agreement that commits about US $7.8 million to strengthen the institutional capacity of local authorities and their partners for urban environmental planning and management through the Sustainable Cities Programme over the next four years.

The Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) is a joint UN-HABITAT and UNEP initiative launched in 1990. The new funding from The Netherlands will cover the implementation stage which started 1 November 2002, and which will run through to 31 December 2007.

Since 1990, the SCP has been working with over 50 local authorities to promote environmentally sustainable development, including 29 main demonstration cities around the world with nine national level implementation activities that reaches an additional 25 secondary cities. The success of SCP has led to increasing interest and there are currently 12 pipeline project requests.

SCP aims to assist cities in achieving environmentally sustainable growth and development. Through programme activities UN-HABITAT/UNEP support local authorities to implement well balanced environmental management strategies, including meaningful public participation in development decision-making and planning. The success of participatory environmental planning has resulted in ordinary citizens in helping to design a long term vision for their city; this has led to broad based city development strategies. This includes a wide range of cross sectoral interventions, typically involving improvements in such areas as solid waste management and environmental health, water resource management, urban transport and air pollution, and activities specifically targeted at benefiting the urban poor.

The new funding will allow SCP to have wider impact. Phase two will move beyond city level demonstration projects, and focus more resources towards developing capacity for national replication. The new phase will also help to develop national and sub-regional institutions, and other local and international partners so that can help local authorities with sustained training and expertise in urban Environmental Planning and Management. It is also hoped to establish regional resource networks among cities.

For further information, please contact: Mr. Sharad Shankardass, Spokesperson or Ms. Zahra Hassan, Press & Media Liaison, Press & Media Relations Unit, Tel: (254 2) 623153/623151, Fax: (254 2) 624060, E-mail: habitat.press@unhabitat.org, Website: www.unhabitat.org