June 6, Nairobi/Moscow: A Conference on Sustainable City Development in Russia took place in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses in Moscow on 5 June 2002. The Meeting was opened by the Prime Minister of Russia, Mr. Mikhail Kasyanov and by the UN Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan. Key note addresses were also delivered by Mr. Anvar Shamuzafarov, the Chairman of Gosstroy (the State Committee for Housing, Construction and Municipal Economy of the Russian Federation), and Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. .

The main aim of the Conference was to discuss the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and sustainable city development in the Russian Federation. The delegates unanimously passed the "Moscow Declaration of the All-Russia Conference on Sustainable City Development in Support of the Habitat Agenda and the World Summit on Sustainable Development", which called for the strengthening of international cooperation to ensure economically, environmentally and socially sustainable city development in the region. .

Over 5,500 participants attended including 73 Governors from the different regions of Russia, Presidents and Prime Ministers of the majority of the Autonomous Republics, Mayors of major cities, key researchers, other urban development professionals, private sector partners and civil society activists. Also participating were Ministers responsible for Human Settlements in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and of Latvia and Lithuania. Mayors and Deputy Mayors of foreign cities, amongst others of Rio de Janeiro, were also present as were several Ambassadors including those from Afghanistan, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Mongolia, Sweden, and USA. .

In his Opening Statement the Prime Minister Kasyanov underlined the importance of the Habitat Agenda and the urgent need for sustainable urban development for the future of Russia. He also praised the work of UN-HABITAT's projects that are being implemented in collaboration with Gosstroy. .

Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, highlighted five areas of particular concern for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda in Russia: security, good urban governance, poverty reduction, and a healthy urban environment. He also called for greater local democracy and more creative partnerships with private firms and community-based organizations. .

Mr. Anvar Shamuzafarov, Chairman of Gosstroy presented an overview of the problems confronting central and local governments in their bid to attain sustainable urban development. He emphasized the need for greater international cooperation if the conditions in the cities of Russia were to improve. The significant contribution of UN-HABITAT was noted with appreciation. .

In her opening address, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, congratulated Gosstroy, the City of Moscow, and the Government of the Russian Federation, for organizing such a high level conference to promote the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. Mrs. Tibaijuka pointed out that the notion of urban sustainability was not just about the environment, it also meant that ordinary citizens should be protected from deprivation and homelessness, unemployment, and injustice, crime and violence. The aim was to make cities inclusive through prevention, negotiation and the enforcement of human rights. .

Mrs. Tibaijuka went onto to state that amongst the key challenges facing the region was the development of a well functioning housing finance system through public-private sector partnerships. This included the development of mortgage institutions, and of effective real estate management that would encourage an increase in the production and maintenance of housing stock, including accompanying services and infrastructure, at a cost affordable to the majority of the population. .

At the same time, Mrs. Tibaijuka emphasized that an important environmental priority for the CIS region was the substantive reconstruction of the areas affected by the Chernobyl disaster. However, in order to be successful, both such reconstruction would need capacity building and she called for further international cooperation in this area and pledged that UN-HABITAT will continue to work on this issue. .

Finally, Mrs. Tibaijuka referred to the success of the on-going collaboration between UN-HABITAT and the Russian Federation in helping to improve the capacity of Russian cities to implement the Habitat Agenda. She concluded by calling on all Russian cities to use the occasion of this year's World Habitat Day, with its theme of City to City Cooperation, to promote sustainable urbanization. .

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