United Nations		ADDENDUM
GENERAL ASSEMBLY		Supplement No. 8 (A/46/8/Add.1 & A/46/8/Add.1/Corr.1)
Forty-sixth session		20 June 1991
Official Records		NEW YORK

1. The General Assembly, in paragraph 7 of its resolution 43/181 of 20 December 1988, requested the Commission on Human Settlements, as the body designated to coordinate the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, to report biennially to the Assembly on progress made in its implementation. The Commission on Human Settlements formulated its first report during its twelfth session held at Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from 24 April to 3 May 1989. That report, entitled "First report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000", was submitted to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session.⁽¹⁾ The General Assembly considered the report and adopted resolution 44/173 of 19 December 1989, commanding action already taken and urging further action by Governments, the organizations of the United Nations system and bilateral and multilateral agencies.

2. The present report is submitted by the Executive Director to assist the Commission in formulating its second report to the General Assembly. The Commission's report, to be finalized during its thirteenth session, should cover approximately the period between the twelfth and thirteenth sessions.

1. Official Records of the General Assembly. Forty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 8 addendum (A/44/8/Add.1).    [Go back to text]

ANNEX

Second report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000

I. Introduction

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1. In paragraph 7 of its resolution 43/181 of 20 December 1988, the General Assembly requested the Commission on Human Settlements, as the body designated to coordinate the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, to report biennially to the Assembly on progress made in its implementation. In accordance with the above resolution, the Commission on Human Settlements submitted its first report to the Assembly at its forty-fourth session.⁽¹⁾ The Assembly considered the report and adopted resolution 44/173 on 19 December 1989 in which it commended Governments that were reviewing, revising, consolidating and implementing their national shelter strategies and urged all Governments to do so; recommended that all Governments set up a monitoring system; invited Governments to make voluntary contributions to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation to facilitate the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter; and urged the organizations of the United Nations system, particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other multilateral and bilateral agencies to provide financial and other support to the implementation of the Plan of Action of the Global Strategy.

2. The present report is the second and covers the period from May 1989 until the Commission's thirteenth session, which concluded in May 1991.

3. The main objective of the Global Strategy is to facilitate the provision of shelter for all by the year 2000. "Shelter for all" means affordable shelter for all groups in all types of settlements, meeting the basic requirements of affordability, tenurial security, structural stability and infrastructural support, with convenient access to employment and community services and facilities. Each Member State will have to adopt its own timetable for the implementation of its national strategy, but the general framework for the Strategy is as follows:

• (a) 1989-1991: Formulation of national shelter strategies, design of new institutional arrangements and implementation of national programmes;
• (b) 1992-1994: Introduction of new institutional arrangements and strengthening of existing national programmes: (c) 1995-2000: Full-scale operation of national programmes and progressive strengthening of institutions beyond the year 2000.

4. The Strategy includes a Plan of Action and a proposed timetable for its implementation. The Plan of Action and the timetable for 1992-1993 is included as an annex to the present report.

5. The main principles of the Strategy may be summarized as follows:

• (a) Enabling policies, whereby the full potential and resources of all governmental and non-governmental actors in the field of human settlements are utilized, must be the core of national and international efforts. The public sector, rather than attempting to shoulder the entire burden of shelter production and distribution, should concentrate on areas, such as infrastructural provision, that other sectors are usually not able to provide. The public sector should also encourage and facilitate the shelter production efforts of other participants, including the formal and informal private sector, small-scale entrepreneurs, community-based organizations, voluntary organization and private individuals;
• (b) Shelter and development are mutually supportive and interdependent, and policies must be developed in full recognition of the important links between shelter and economic development;
• (c) Sustainable management of the environment should be an important factor in designing programmes for shelter and infrastructure provision leading to sustainable urban and rural development;
• (d) Women, as income earners, home-makers and heads of households, have a crucial role in solving human settlements problems, which should be fully recognized and reflected through the equal participation of women in elaboration of housing policies, programmes and projects.

6. The operational focus of the Strategy is on national action by all Member States. National shelter strategies will devise appropriate institutional arrangements, define targets for shelter output, allocate resources to meet those targets and set out the responsibilities and time-frame for implementation. International support is crucial for the success of the Strategy, but must be designed to enhance national capacities to formulate and implement national action components of the Strategy. The Strategy can be reinforced by technical cooperation among developing countries as well as through multilateral and bilateral arrangements between recipient countries and donor and international agencies and organizations.

II. Implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 (1990-1991)

A. Action by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)

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7. The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), as the agency responsible for coordinating the relevant programmes and activities, has followed the Plan of Action for 1989-1991, contained in the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000. The Centre's medium-term plan for 1992-1997 and its work programmes for 1990-1991 and 1992-1993 place maximum emphasis on the Global Strategy for Shelter. As the operational focus of the implementation of the Strategy is at the national level, the Centre has directed its research, training, technical cooperation and information-dissemination activities towards assistance to Member States in the formulation and implementation of national shelter strategies. The Centre has maintained constant contact with the network of national Habitat Focal Points who have been provided regularly with documentation and publications relevant to the Global Strategy.

1. Subregional seminars

8. In order to assist Member States in strengthening national initiatives, the Centre, in cooperation with host Governments and external support, organized a series of 10 subregional seminars on the formulation and implementation of national shelter strategies. Those seminars considered, inter alia, the experiences of countries in the application of the guidelines for national action, and the roles of and scope for partnership between Governments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. In addition, some of the seminars had special features. For example, the seminar for eastern African countries, held at Nairobi, made an extensive review of the draft shelter indicators and provided suggestions for their improvement; the seminar for southern African countries, held at Harare, considered access by the poor to basic infrastructure and services; the seminar for English-speaking countries in west Africa, held at Accra, considered possible improvements in policies on land, finance and building materials; the seminar for French-speaking countries of Africa, held at Ouagadougou, considered the issue of rental housing, which constitutes some 50 per cent of the housing in urban Africa and also agreed to undertake a regional project on the formulation of national shelter strategies; the seminar for east Asian countries. held in Bali, reviewed the links between environment and shelter and made a number of recommendations for action by Governments in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in 1992; the seminar for south Asian countries, held at Colombo, laid particular emphasis on the application of enabling strategies, as put into operation in Sri Lanka; the seminar for Eastern Europe, held in Moscow, considered the many reforms necessary in the shelter sector in the transformation to a market economy; and the seminar for the Caribbean countries, held at Kingston, formulated an action-oriented plan of national action and regional cooperation for consideration by the Caribbean Housing Ministers. The seminar for Portuguese-speaking countries, held at Lisbon, agreed on new initiatives to be taken to assist those countries in the formulation and implementation of that national shelter strategies, and the seminar for Latin American countries, held at San Jose, laid strong emphasis on access by the poor to basic services. A seminar for Arab States had to be postponed owing to the situation in the Persian Gulf area.

9. The seminars have enabled Governments to obtain a sound understanding of the application of the guidelines for national action contained in the Global Strategy, especially on how to involve the private sector and non-governmental organizations in the shelter-delivery process. Manly countries have already begun follow-up action after the seminars, some with further assistance from UNCHS (Habitat), as indicated in section II.B.

2. Technical cooperation

10. In the field of direct technical assistance to Governments upon request, the Centre is currently supporting technical cooperation activities in the preparation and implementation of national shelter policies and strategies in the following countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ecuador, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Oman, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe. Six of these countries - Costa Rica, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Philippines, Uganda and Zimbabwe - are participating in a Government of Finland/UNCHS (Habitat) support programme for the preparation of national shelter strategies. The lessons learned from the experience of these countries are being disseminated to other interested countries.

3. The Urban Management Programme

11. The Urban Management Programme, being undertaken jointly by UNDP, the World Bank and UNCHS (Habitat), addresses some of the key issues in shelter provision, such as land management, municipal finance, infrastructure, the urban environment and capacity-building. Work under this programme involves research and analysis to understand existing information bases and gaps, advice on strategic options, case-studies, and the development of technical and management manuals for implementing strategic options in the substantive areas. The capacity-building component focuses on strengthening national human resource capacity through collaborative programmes with national training and research institutions.

4. Shelter indicators

12. The Global Strategy provides the framework for continuous progress towards the goal of facilitating adequate shelter for all by the year 2000. In order to assess the progress made, national and international action will need to be monitored on a regular basis. The Centre has prepared a set of indicators for use by Governments as guidelines to review progress in the formulation and implementation of. their strategies for shelter and services (HS/C/13/4). The Centre has also embarked on a programme to develop and apply indicators to assess the performance of the shelter sector. This exercise is being undertaken, in a few countries, in cooperation with the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

5. Special advisory services

13. In order to assist Member States further to initiate follow-up action to implement the recommendations and conclusions of the series of Global Strategy subregional seminars, the Centre is making available short-term advisory services to countries that have not yet commenced far-reaching initiatives. These services include assistance in the formulation or revision of national shelter strategies, application of shelter indicators to assess the performance of the shelter sector and provision of substantive inputs at national shelter strategy seminars and training workshops. Advisory sources are also provided in finance for shelter and human settlements, including the development of financial institutions, the use of local building materials and technology, and computer applications in the field of human settlements information and statistical databases.

6. Research and development

14. Under the Centre's research and development programme for the implementation of the Global Strategy, new publications have covered low-cost building materials, water supply, sanitation, solid-waste management, building and infrastructure operation and maintenance, transport, energy, mobilization of finance, community participation, cooperative housing, rental housing, sustainable development and decentralization policies.

15. Research work under way includes a review of the experience in the application of enabling strategies through in-depth case-studies in Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey and Zimbabwe. Special emphasis is given to an assessment of strategy elements that demonstrate promising results in reorganizing the shelter sector as an enabling concept. Another issue addressed is replicability and the limitations of conventional project-by-project approaches in reorganizinq the shelter sector at the national level.

16. The central issue of organizing shelter delivery through support to communities and mobilization of community-based resources continues to be addressed by the joint UNCHS (Habitat)/Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) community-participation training programme. In this community-based programme, effective forms of participation and cooperation between local governments, communities and their organizations are being generated with the help of in-service, non-formal training structures. The programme provides direct assistance to Governments who embark on the implementation of community/local-government partnerships to improve shelter and living conditions in urban low-income settlements. For this purpose, a wide series of training materials has been produced which covers the technical, organizational and communication aspects of human settlements work with local communities. Operational activities under this programme are currently being Carried out in Bolivia, Sri Lanka and Gambia, where they make a basic contribution to the institutionalization of practical forms of enabling shelter strategies.

17. Issues concerning women in human settlements continue to receive priority attention. As a conclusion to the five subregional seminars, the Centre organized the Interregional Seminar to Promote the Participation of Women in the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000. The recommendations of the seminars have been widely distributed. They have also been incorporated into the Centre's work programme for the biennium 1992-1993 with emphasis on four main lines of action:

• (a) Training in gender-awareness and in community-oriented approaches to human settlements development (directed specifically towards senior officials in Governments, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, both women and men);
• (b) Capacity-building for women already involved in the shelter sector, through workshops that provide special training in managerial and strategic planning skills;
• (c) Promotion of women's employment in the construction sector, through "hands-on" training in construction skills, supported by placement services;
• (d) Improvement of women's access to land tenure and housing finance, by changing existing requirements and laws or by enacting new ones on the basis of positive experiences.

18. The Centre, in cooperation with the Governments of Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, organized the Intergovernmental Meeting on Human Settlements and Sustainable Development and subsequently submitted a document, "People, Settlements, Environment and Development" (see HS/C/13/14/Add.1), to assist the Commission on Human Settlements to formulate its contribution to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The document focuses on the living and working environment of people in developing and developed countries.

19. Within the UNCHS (Habitat)/Katholieke Universiteit Leuven training programme "Housing in Development", supported by the Belgian General Administration for Development Cooperation, one workshop, one course and two seminars (in Kenya, Belgium, and Algeria and Indonesia respectively) were held on innovative housing policies, programmes and projects.

7. Training

20. A series of subregional training workshops were held on urban management and finance in Kenya and Malawi, with the assistance of the Government of the Netherlands, for English-speaking African countries; in Burundi for French-speaking African countries; in Tunisia and Morocco for north African Arab States; and in Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador for Latin American countries. All these activities were hosted by national and regional training institutions in the host countries. Some were organized in collaboration with the Economic Development Institute (EDI) of the World Bank, Regional Housing and Urban Development Offices of USAID and other assistance agencies. Several activities were focused on training of trainers.

8. Information

21. Information on the Global Strategy is being disseminated continuously. Information items include the Strategy document printed in an attractive and durable form, a popular version of the Strategy document (entitled "Shelter for All" (HS/190/90E), two audiovisuals on the Global Strategy, an information kit, articles in UNCHS Habitat News and in the Shelter Bulletin and posters for wide circulation.

22. The Global Strategy was highlighted in the observance of World HABITAT Day in both 1989 and 1990 under the themes "Shelter, Health and the Family", and "Shelter and Urbanization", respectively. World HABITAT Day kits, distributed widely, contained information for the use of national organizations and the media to disseminate information on the selected themes. The theme of the World HABITAT Day in 1991 is "Shelter and the Living Environment".

B. Action by Governments towards national shelter strategies

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23. The operational focus for the implementation of the Global Strategy is upon action by Governments. The Strategy urges Governments to adopt enabling strategies which mobilize the resources of the private sector, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations and individual households towards the production and improvement of shelter. The following is a brief account of the most important actions taken by individual Governments towards formulating or implementing a national shelter strategy or for improving particular aspects of the shelter-delivery process. The information is based on reports provided by the Governments themselves to the Centre and to the Commission on Human Settlements at its thirteenth session.

24. Afghanistan has commenced the formulation of a national shelter strategy and is undertaking a project to improve the output of traditional building materials, to improve affordable waterproofing of traditional roofs, and to disseminate building techniques. A number of pilot low-cost housing proposals for different locations have been prepared as well as a comprehensive plan for solid-waste management in Kabul.

25. Algeria has undertaken surveys and an assessment of raw materials and resources for the building industry, and has strengthened research and training activities for the development of local building materials and the construction workforce.

26. Angola organized a national workshop on shelter and services and has set up a multisectoral Housing Committee for the formulation of a national shelter strategy. A variety of legislative and administrative reforms are being initiated to encourage the involvement of the private sector.

27. Anguilla has enacted legislation on land development and has upgraded the existing Building Ordinance and Regulations in an effort to encourage orderly development of housing.

28 Argentina has established a National Committee for Habitat made up of governmental and private organizations, with the objective of implementing the guidelines contained in the Global Strategy for Shelter within the concept of sustainable development, with special emphasis on the integration of the shelter sector with economic development, improvement in living conditions and efficient planning and management of settlements.

29. Australia has established a Ministerial Advisory Committee on Housing Access, which will provide a focus for directing particular attention to ways of dealing with homelessness and inadequate housing, encourage cooperation among non-governmental organizations working in the housing sector, and formulate non-government sector views on policy issues relating to the objectives of the Strategy.

30. Bangladesh has developed mechanisms for the issue of housing loans without collateral to enable the poor first to increase the material base and then to improve the essential parts of a relatively permanent house through the Grameen Bank Housing Programme. It has also effectively involved community groups, non-governmental organizations and private-sector firms in the new area development project in Chittagong and is implementing a municipal services programme in Dhaka and Chittagong with particular reference to environmental-improvement components affecting about 100,000 residents.

31. Bahrain has adopted a comprehensive National Land-use Plan for the Year 2001, which will channel development into areas that are most suitable and also reduce negative environmental impacts.

32. Barbados has endorsed a national housing strategy that integrates the housing sector with economic development, and financial institutions have been developed that ensure that there is no fall-off in the construction sector.

33. Benin is undertaking a project for the provision of community infrastructure in the less privileged areas covering 40 programmes that have been able to mobilize people's participation and achieve partial cost recovery. Simple but appropriate designs of infrastructure have been developed.

34. In Bhutan, a special programme is being implemented to develop a cadre of skilled civil servants with the ability to plan, execute and evaluate all training programmes.

35. Bolivia has undertaken an assessment of past and current programmes, projects and activities in the human settlements sector. A proposal for strengthened planning and monitoring of sectoral capacity has been incorporated in the Executive Decree for Economic Reactivation, under which the National Housing Fund and the Social Housing Institute were created. It has also prepared the legal framework and methodologies and training activities for new cadastral system and has produced the guidelines for the formulation of a national housing plan. Bolivia has introduced new financial arrangements under which the Fondo National de la Vivienda receives a 3 per cent payroll tax amounting to $US 12 million per annum, as well as other financial resources to be channelled into a system of low-interest loans for low-cost housing projects.

36. Botswana is implementing its national housing policy with gradual improvements to facilitate the involvement of non-governmental actors. It has adopted the New Land Allocation Policy for Urban Areas to facilitate the availability of land to shelter developers. It has also investigated the existing practice in planning and design of plots, infrastructure standards and construction practices, and has adopted a number of cost-saving design and construction standards.

37. Brazil is undertaking a major revision of its national housing policy with the objective of setting up a new national housing system capable of responding to the needs of all strata of society, with priority given to the needs of the poorest. The new national housing system will address the estimated housing deficit of 10 million units and will be fully integrated with national economic and social development plans, with monitoring of progress through periodic data analysis. Full participation of all segments of society, improved planning and management of support arrangements for states and municipalities, reduction of construction costs through technological development and consolidation of legislation on urban development are some of the key instruments of the Strategy that is being devised. With a target of 4 million housing units for the period 1990-1995, about 30 per cent of the current deficit and accumulated demand in that period is expected to be met. Meanwhile, a Plan of Immediate Action is being implemented and, in its first six months, produced 20,000 new houses for the most needy.

38. Brunei Darussalam has introduced various incentives in order to encourage people to build their own houses. Housing policies and strategies are currently being reviewed with special emphasis on promoting the involvement of the private sector and of non-governmental organizations.

39. Bulgaria is undertaking a number of reforms for the introduction of a market economy in the housing sector. These include the sale of municipal rental housing, the provision of loans for home purchase and the lifting of restrictions on the price and exchange of individually owned housing.

40. In Burkina Faso, a pilot project in the secondary cities of Yako and Koupala has reinforced the institutional framework at the municipal level, assisted in the preparation of physical projects and provided staff training for improving urban management.

41. Burundi is implementing its national shelter strategy with emphasis on strengthening its institutional and technical capacity to orient the development of secondary cities, mobilizing finance for urban and rural shelter, supporting the private sector and strengthening the institutional framework for shelter, infrastructure and finance.

42. The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic is encouraging cooperative housing societies to adopt free-market practices. Individual licences for land occupation are being granted and new legislation is planned to introduce the concept of land price.

43. Cameroon is promoting the creation of private building societies and of private land-development companies in order to increase the availability of house sites. A programme of decentralization is placing more responsibilities upon the municipalities for the development of sites-and-services programmes. Standards for land development and infrastructure are being lowered in order to increase the number of sites available for occupation.

44. Canada has undertaken several initiatives to broaden access to affordable housing for all sectors of the population, including the Accessibility and Choice Today programme, which permits senior governments, municipalities and the building industry to work in partnership to demonstrate how regulatory modifications can improve the affordability and choice of housing.

45. Cape Verde is undertaking a project to improve access to basic infrastructure to three urban areas with the bulk of construction activities for roads, drainage, water and electricity supply being undertaken through community participation. After a national workshop held in December 1990, reforms are being introduced to expand the roles of the agencies involved in housing production and housing finance and of the local authorities.

46. Chile has increased the variety of housing solutions for low-income housing during 1990. The programme includes 19,000 basic houses, 15,000 houses for special workers' housing scheme, 6,000 rural houses and 3,800 houses under settlement-upgrading programmes. During 1991 an additional 10,000 basic houses and 10,000 programme houses are planned.

47. China is increasing the scale of housing construction and is undertaking a variety of reforms to its housing policy particularly in the legal and financial areas, in order to encourage private ownership of housing.

48. Colombia has formulated the Social Housing Programme to build 500,000 new houses in four years through reorganization of the shelter sector, decentralization, community participation, private-sector involvement and increased responsibilities for municipalities. It has implemented monitoring and assessment methods for the national housing policy and has designed manual and computerized procedures for the administration of financial issues within the sector. The Land Credit Institute will stop providing houses and will manage the subsidies from different sources. House construction will be taken over by the private sector and community-based organizations, acting together with local authorities.

49. Congo is undertaking a shelter-needs assessment and is using the shelter sector performance indicators developed by UNCHS (Habitat), focusing on institutions, housing finance, infrastructure, land and the building industry, with the objective of analysing bottlenecks and providing guidelines for realistic improvements.

50. Costa Rica has prepared a national shelter strategy. Action taken to facilitate strategy implementation and improve efficiency within the shelter sector includes strengthened shelter sector institutions and the creation of technical, legal, institutional and administrative mechanisms.

51. Côte d'Ivoire undertook a human settlement sector analysis during 1990, which will be the basis for further work on, inter alia, the preparation of a national shelter strategy.

52. Cuba has prepared a programme for housing up to the year 2000, which, inter alia, includes repair and maintenance of existing housing stock by neighbourhood groups, the increase of housing construction by the State and cooperatives, and promotion of self-help in housing by the provision of land, credit and building materials. During the period 1986-1990 the housing stock increased by 170,000 new units.

53. Czechoslovakia has undertaken reforms to encourage private construction and ownership of houses, which have resulted in an improved quantity and quality of housing, and better standards of infrastructures and maintenance.

54. Denmark has taken action to integrate construction policy with the newly adopted plan of action on energy entitled "Energy 2000 Plan of Action for Sustainable Development". The Plan of Action states that energy needed to heat new buildings should be reduced by 25 per cent by 1993 and later by 50 per cent. Recently, production of sound building materials has been improved and adapted to the requirements of sustainability. By the year 2000, Denmark is expected to have increased the housing stock up to a level that corresponds to the number of envisaged households.

55. Djibouti has prepared a comprehensive sectoral urban development programme and an investment action plan for 5 to 10 years.

56. Ecuador has started a review of the housing sector's operating norms as well as resource management within the relevant institutions as a prelude to the formulation of a national shelter strategy. Ecuador undertook a programme of repair to earthquake-damaged housing through an in-service programme of training and dissemination of technical guidelines for better use of traditional building materials. Some 800 houses have been completed and some 120 communities will be positively affected by the housing and infrastructure works.

57. Egypt is undertaking the following major actions to improve the housing situation:

• (a) Provision of land suitable for construction outside arable areas by developing 12 new cities in the desert areas and building 10 residential agglomerations around Greater Cairo;
• (b) Replacing dilapidated housing stock and construction of 1.5 million housing units under the five-year (1987-1892) plan, with 60 per cent (180,000 units annually) to be undertaken by the private sector and 40 per cent (120,000 units annually) by the public sector;
• (c) Provision of building materials, training of labour and upgrading of the construction sector;
• (d) Development of new low-cost housing models;
• (e) Installation of waste-disposal and drainage systems to serve 70 per cent of the population by the year 2000;
• (f) Amendment and modification of horsing legislation in harmony with market mechanisms.

58. Equatorial Guinea has undertaken a sectoral study on human settlements, and studies on housing finance and rental housing are to be undertaken.

59. Ethiopia is identifying affordable construction materials manufactured locally that could encourage small-scale industries in the production of low-cost building materials.

60. Fiji undertook a housing needs assessment baseline study and sectoral studies have been initiated in urban land markets, urban infrastructure, housing finance, municipal management and legislation.

61. Finland is implementing some fundamental reforms, including a complete overhaul of the financing system. A National Housing Fund has been established, which mobilized resources from the commercial market, leaving budget funds to be used only for indirect subsidies. A system similar to a graduated mortgage payment has been adopted in order to increase affordability of loans in the first critical years. At the international level, Finland has continued, in cooperation with UNCHS (Habitat), with the implementation of the Support Programme for Preparing National Shelter Strategies, provided support for the Global Strategy for Shelter subregional seminars and for the development of shelter indicators.

62. France is placing emphasis, inter alia, on the social equilibrium of cities through specific programmes in the fields of housing and urban development. New legislative and regulatory measures are being developed in order to extract a contribution from the beneficiaries from land-value appreciation to be used towards urban development.

63. Gabon is removing the subsidies that benefited a small minority and is moving towards a policy of cost recovery.

64. The Gambia has prepared a national housing policy and is following up with a reorganization of the existing institutions in the shelter sector. It plans to set up a suitable housing finance system.

65. Germany has been coy sinuously improving its housing policies and programmes with growing emphasis on increasing private-sector construction for ownership and rental, modernization of old stocks, urban renewal and liberalization of the general tenancy law. New measures have been taken in order to address the new housing need arising from both the reunification and the influx of migrants from neighbouring countries. These measures include tax incentives for private investors in the form of increased depreciation rates, public subsidies granted to investors in housing in return for limiting rent levels and improvement and modification of existing housing.

66. Ghana has commenced the preparation of a national shelter strategy to redirect the public sector towards an enabling policy framework and has developed a local-level planning system and a district development planning manual for decentralization of development. It has embarked on a project to develop and evaluate policy options and to strengthen the operational capacity of housing-sector institutions to prepare, monitor and supervise the implementation of shelter programmes. Ghana is also cooperating with UNCHS (Habitat) and the World Bank in the development and application of shelter sector performance indicators. In addition, Ghana is setting up a project planning and evaluation unit capable of maintaining and updating a shelter database.

67. Grenada has commenced a programme of housing repairs and has formulated a series of recommendations for avoiding scattered settlements, reducing conflicts in land uses, developing sites close to existing settlements and reducing the space requirements of dwellings.

68. Guinea is strengthening the organizational, management and planning capacities of the crucial economic sectors, including housing and urban development. This process includes an evaluation of the role of the shelter sector in overall economic development and the preparation of a national housing development strategy. A major programme to provide 1,040 plots equipped with infrastructure and social facilities is under implementation and the evaluation of this project is expected to assist the Government in the formulation of a national shelter strategy.

69. Guinea-Bissau has undertaken a policy of encouraging the private sector through deregulation of the housing sector. The establishment of a housing bank is under consideration.

70. Hungary has been undertaking reforms gradually to transform the housing sector to a market economy. These include the sale of existing rental housing stock as well as newly constructed housing. Hungary, along with other countries, is cooperating with UNCHS (Habitat) and the World Bank in the development and application of shelter sector performance indicators.

71. India's housing policy has been under review. Meanwhile a number of national-level initiatives have been undertaken. The Human Settlements Management Institute and the Habitat Polytechnic have been established for broad training programmes. Special provisions to protect the tenurial security of women have also been introduced. Low-cost technology information is being introduced in formal and in-service professional training curricula in engineering and architectural colleges. India's National Housing Bank, established in 1988, has opened a housing account for public-sector agencies, a refinancing scheme for housing by commercial banks and housing-finance institutions, and a land-development and shelter programme for public agencies. A number of regional housing-finance institutions have also been established. The Delhi Rent Control Act has been amended in order to promote investment in rental housing. The Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council has been set up at the national level in order to strengthen the technology-transfer mechanism. A variety of new initiatives have been introduced at the state and municipal levels. A national workshop on building maintenance strategy was organized at Bombay in March 1991.

72. Indonesia is developing a shelter strategy for the province of Central Java as a pilot exercise prior to the formulation of a national shelter strategy. A project to decentralize the provision of essential urban infrastructure will develop sound infrastructure investment and management practices in at least 30 local governments, create guidance, monitoring and assistance capabilities in at least six provincial governments, and train approximately 350 local- and provincial-government managers and staff. Indonesia is implementing a $US 135 million infrastructure project as part of the Integrated Urban Infrastructure Development Programme.

73. The Islamic Republic of Iran is strengthening the research capabilities of the Building and Housing Research Centre in Tehran for training in areas of small-scale cement production and improved lime production, and introducing quality-control measures in construction.

74. Israel has undertaken a policy of establishing a special housing programme for the provision of shelter for the influx of immigrants coming to the country. The programme includes both temporary housing to provide immediate shelter and permanent housing in accordance with new town plans. In order to enhance rapid construction, deregulation of the housing sector and revision of the Building and Planning Law was approved by the Knesset during 1990. Policy measures at the national level are under review, including mortgage schemes, the promotion of rental options, increasing access to building lands and the continuation of urban revitalization programmes.

75. Jamaica's national shelter strategy is under implementation in stages. Issues currently being addressed are the gradual development of a facilitator role for the Government, upgrading squatter settlements, home improvement and the development of a land-information system. It has also undertaken a review of the rent-control legislation with a view to encouraging rental housing production by the private sector.

76. Japan is addressing the land price problem as a matter of high priority and has taken the following measures:

• (a) At the end of 1990, the Basic Policy on Land was adopted, covering all possible measures to prevent a continuing rise in land prices:
• (b) The Government announced a set of policies to decrease land prices so that ordinary households could afford to buy their own homes in large metropolitan areas;
• (c) The Government initiated reforms relating to land taxation, including additional special levy on land.

In addition, Japan continues a very tight financing policy against land speculation in spite of a slight stagnation of the Japanese economy. With regard to housing supply, the Government announced the Five-Year Housing Supply Plan, starting from financial year 1992.

77. Jordan has prepared a national shelter strategy and has developed the institutional framework for implementing the strategy. It has also undertaken a project demonstrating the feasibility of appropriate technologies in low-cost sanitation.

78. Kenya has activated the Steering Committee to complete the formulation of a housing-policy document for. formal approval. A national workshop on building maintenance strategy was organized at Nairobi in March 1991.

79. Kiribati has prepared a preliminary shelter strategy and a proposal for a comprehensive, long-term housing policy is under consideration.

80. The Lao People's Democratic Republic has recently initiated action towards formulating a national shelter strategy after its successful experience with the construction of low-cost demonstration houses using local building materials such as soil blocks and rice-husk-ash-cement and fibre-cement roofing tiles.

81. Lesotho has prepared a national shelter strategy as well as a national human settlement policy to develop a balanced national settlement structure, to improve the management of natural resources and to provide a framework for distributing capital investments to promote balanced regional growth. A new set of building codes and regulations has been prepared and training courses have been organized for the staff of the newly established Maseru Municipal Council in the capital city.

82. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya has prepared the Draft National Physical Perspective Plan (1990-2010) and has set up a comprehensive urban information-management system and a programme of evaluation and coordination of regional and master planning.

83. Madagascar is formulating a national shelter strategy based on setting up a financing system and real-estate agencies, drafting urban development codes, promoting small- and medium-sized building enterprises, and redefining the responsibilities of the executing agencies.

84. Malawi's shelter strategy is focused on the Rural Housing Project, under which rural people receive loans in the form of building materials to undertake incremental building of simple shelter popularly known as "the house that grows". A National Physical Development Plan and three district physical development plans have been prepared to provide a spatial framework for the coordination and implementation of sectoral programmes and development projects. Malawi is setting up a monitoring and evaluation system to cover the physical development plans.

85. Malaysia is implementing a national housing policy based on strong financial institutions that support action by the state governments, local authorities and an active private sector. The implementation process is under constant review in order to address the shelter problems of special groups among the poor. The private sector allocates 30 per cent of all its housing development for low-cost housing. Developers achieve this through cross-subsidization in the project and through benefits from a package of incentives. A national workshop was held to determine the criteria for setting up a Housing Information System.

86. Maldives is approaching the problem of shelter provision through strategies such as integrated urban planning, growth-centre planning and development, urban decentralization and model island development. It is developing a new solid-waste management system that will replace current disposal practices that have had adverse environmental impacts.

87. Mali has decided to formulate a national shelter strategy that will improve the coordination of public agencies, promote decentralization by transferring responsibilities to local authorities, increase land supply, encourage use of local building materials and support private-sector initiatives.

88. Mauritania's national shelter policy has identified priority areas for implementation. These include urban planning and an increase in land supply for new settlements, scaling of housing-construction activity, supporting private-sector developers by streamlining purchasing procedures and building permits, promoting the use of local materials and mobilizing savings for shelter.

89. Mauritius has introduced a range of incentives to encourage construction and housing-development companies to build for low- and middle-income households. These include a reduction of corporate tax, exemption of import duty on construction equipment and loan facilities from the Development Hank of Mauritius. The National Housing Corporation has been privatized and will operate as a building society. Some $US 23 million annually will be directed from the National Pension Fund to the housing sector during the period 1990-1993.

90. Mexico has increased the efficiency of coverage of public shelter programmes for the poor through the creation of conditions for intensive cooperation between the public agencies, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. The Government's capacity as a facilitator has been strengthened through improved coordination in the national housing system, and modernization of the shelter-financed system and of the production and distribution of building materials and increased land delivery. Other specific actions include the introduction of financial mechanisms for private-sector investment in rental housing, strengthening rural housing programmes, decentralization of administrative procedures and a national programme to support housing research.

91. Montserrat has carried out analyses of housing demand and supply and identified specific bottlenecks in access to land and credit.

92. Morocco is undertaking studies as the basis for the preparation of a national land-use plan that will aim at reducing regional disparities, promote development and encourage public participation in development. Morocco has developed new mechanisms to involve all the actors: private-sector intervention has been liberalized through incentives and local governments are playing an increasing role, while the public sector is responsible for the improvement of the squatter settlements and inadequate shelter.

93. Mozambique has decided that housing should be given nigh priority in national development and is preparing a comprehensive national policy and implementing strategies. An initial policy-formulation framework was considered at a national workshop on shelter and finance and is being used as a basis for fully elaborated proposals. A study of institutions and agencies in the shelter sector has been undertaken.

94. Myanmar has undertaken a comprehensive human settlement sector analysis as the first step towards the formulation of a national human settlement policy and a national shelter strategy.

95. Namibia has undertaken a preliminary study on policies and strategies for shelter and human settlements and is embarking upon the preparation of a national shelter strategy.

96. Nepal has launched a project to develop a national housing policy and, as a first step, has established the Land Management Development Company as a joint public--private venture. New government policies, supportive of private developers, have resulted in the establishment of several land-development companies. The Housing Development Finance Company has been set up to mobilize capital for long-term finance for housing. A building code will include appropriate earthquake- and other disaster-resistant standards for various parts of the country.

97. The Netherlands has reviewed its long-term housing policy and has prepared policies to be implemented during the 1990s. A wide-ranging review will be made in 1995. The number of households is growing rapidly even though the population will gradually decrease in the near future. Under the revised policies, the housing stock is expected to increase from 8.4 million in 1986 to more than 6 million in the year 2000. Initiatives that are proposed or are being undertaken to implement: the new policies include granting autonomy to municipalities and housing associations, targeting housing subsidies with emphasis on means-tested grants, a focus on special groups such as the elderly, the physically handicapped, young people living alone, ethnic minorities and refugees, a better turnover of housing to achieve a balance between housing needs and house types, liberalization and deregulation in rent policies, encouraging home-ownership and improving the town as a residential environment.

98. Nicaragua has decided to formulate a national shelter strategy and human settlement and housing programmes. This exercise will be coordinated with the ongoing administrative decentralization process to strengthen the regional and municipal authorities.

99. Niger is promoting measures to facilitate the development of the social housing sector through reducing the size of land plots to encourage densification, revising taxes and fees on property in order to provide incentives for housing investment, revising credit mechanisms to attract private savings, codifying tenant status and promoting partnership between the public and para-public sectors.

100. Nigeria has undertaken reviews in the housing sector with a view to selling rental housing to sitting tenants. It is also finalizing a new national housing policy based on greater participation and a strengthened institutional framework.

101. Norway published a White Paper setting out the framework for housing policy to the year 2000. Among the goals of the policy are active use of subsidies or affordable housing loans for the poor, enhancing local-level initiatives in housing finance, meeting the needs of special groups and new legislation for protection of consumers in the housing market.

102. Oman has undertaken an assessment of the current housing situation, housing-delivery systems and programmes, housing finance and subsidies.

103. Pakistan has made substantial progress in the formulation of a national housing policy. The provision of small short-term loans for home improvement or construction is the cornerstone of a number of successful shelter programmes for the poor. These include the Incremental Housing Scheme of the Hyderabad Development Authority. Reviews have been undertaken with a view to selling public rental housing to sitting tenants. A computerized urban database and a land-use demand and supply model have been set up to assist planners to focus allocations using varied policy assumptions. Detailed urban development plans have been prepared for secondary cities in Sindh Province, incorporating a multisectoral investment package to secure capital funding for infrastructure development.

104. Papua New Guinea is implementing a national integrated housing development plan focusing on the development of customary land for housing in partnership with the traditional owners, mobilizing housing finance, developing the building industry, and improving human resources. A national body of non-governmental organizations has been formed to address a variety of problems in the shelter sector, including the rights of squatters.

105. The Philippines has formulated an innovative regional shelter strategy that is now being implemented. Based on this a national shelter strategy is being developed by further reviewing and analysing the constraints in the housing-delivery system in three regions. The newly introduced Community Mortgage Programme circumvents the inability of individual poor families to meet collateral requirements for housing loans and, instead, provides a loan to the community, which mortgages the land as collateral and undertakes, as a community, to repay the loans. The Philippines is cooperating with UNCHS (Habitat) and the World Bank in the development and application of the shelter sector performance indicators.

106. Poland is proceeding with the privatization of the rental-housing sector, the establishment of liberal pricing in housing and limitation of subsidies, provision of credit for housing investment and assigning more responsibilities to local authorities.

107. Portugal has taken a number of measures to improve housing delivery. These include greater support to the private and cooperative sectors, which together produce 96 per cent of the total new housing, reforms to encourage the production of rental housing and rehabilitation of old housing areas close to employment sources.

108. The Republic of Korea has adopted a programme of "permanent rental housing" to provide low-rent public-rental housing to the bottom 10 per cent of the urban population.

109. Romania is proceeding with a range of transformations in the housing sector, which include transferring resources and responsibilities to local authorities and the private sector, privatization of large sections of state-owned housing, simplifying the procedures for planning and building approvals and relaxation of the banking system in order to diversify credit availability.

110. Rwanda's new shelter strategies include regional planning to achieve a more balanced urban structure, strengthening urban institutions based on local responsibility and cost recovery, increasing the supply of land and basic infrastructure, and enabling access to credit by creating a system of savings for shelter.

111. Sao Tome and Principe undertook an analysis of the housing sector and a national shelter strategy is to be prepared as follow-up action.

112. Senegal has established a unit to promote cooperative housing and, with the assistance of the Government of Germany, has embarked on a pilot project with five cooperatives.

113. Seychelles has set a target of 500 new houses a year in its National Development Plan 1990-1994 and particular emphasis is being placed on acquiring suitable land for the five-year programme. The private sector and non-governmental organizations will be encouraged to play an active role.

114. Sierra Leone has considerably improved the operation of the Savings and Loans Sank, initially set up in 2986, and has developed innovative lending techniques for low-income earners.

115. Singapore had formulated the technical standards and mechanisms necessary for the operation of an integrated Land Information Database and a fully operational system has been set up. A national workshop on building-maintenance strategy was organized in cooperation with UNCHS (Habitat) in September 1990.

116. Somalia has successfully established a materials-production centre in which the training of women has been particularly successful for the upgrading of 200 rural housing units. This project is a model for a wider programme to be developed.

117. Sri Lanka has launched the One-and-Half Million Houses programme, which demonstrates many aspects of the application of the enabling strategies. An extensive, country-wide programme of community groups and individuals building houses through basic assistance from public agencies is under implementation. Training workshops have been organized in some locations to enable the community to contract from the Government the construction of public facilities or infrastructure improvements. Sri Lanka has also carried out pilot engineering studies for low-cost, innovative waste, sewage and waste-disposal systems. These are being evaluated for broader applications. The National Building Research organization has developed new construction techniques to lower construction costs by promoting greater use of previously underutilized building materials. The quality of traditional materials has also been improved.

118. Swaziland has established a Human Settlements Authority to ensure orderly development. of future urban and rural settlements and establish a mechanism for ensuring the supply and maintenance of improved shelter and infrastructure. It has also established the National Housing Authority.

119. Sweden is experiencing an increased demand for housing arising from the following factors: an unusually large number of young people entering the housing market, a continuing trend towards smaller households, increased immigration, greater in-migration and a preference among the elderly and disabled for community rather than institutional care. Parliament has adopted a new housing finance system aimed at further facilitating access to housing by the lower-income and other special groups. Other recent initiatives include the introduction of regulations for new construction, the implementation of the new Planning and Building Act, and reorganization of state administration at the county level.

120. Thailand has successfully encouraged the formal private sector to undertake medium- and low-cost housing, and private housing developers are now producing some 70 per cent of all formal housing in Bangkok. The Regional Cities Development Programme is promoting five outlying centres with three interrelated elements: (a) improvement of infrastructure to encourage economic expansion and to protect the environment: (b) strengthening the management, planning and revenue-generating functions of the five municipal governments: and (c) creation of employment by encouraging the formation of small industries. The Government is also attempting to involve the private sector in the efficient provision of public services in a number of regional cities. Thailand is establishing a national housing information system to support the formulation and implementation of housing and development plans.

121. Togo reviewed its shelter problems at a national workshop and has subsequently undertaken a sectoral study on human settlements. The formulation of a national shelter strategy is under consideration.

122. Trinidad and Tobago has adopted a policy of fostering the growth of well-integrated and socially active settlements with the necessary requirements, including shelter. It has established a Squatter Regularization Unit within the National Housing Authority and has commenced a programme of releasing state lands. Some 100 sites covering more than 3,000 hectares are to be developed to yield 15,000 plots.

123. Tunisia has set up an Inter-Ministerial Commission to review and analyse the housing sector and to formulate a national shelter strategy. It has also undertaken a study on methods of reducing construction costs.

124. Turkey's national housing policy is based largely on the guidelines provided in the Global Strategy. Further action is being taken for diversification of channels and schemes for provision of shelter and land, for private-sector contributions to employee housing credits, for training of technical personnel from local communities and municipalities, and training for housing construction in disaster-prone areas.

125. Uganda has embarked on the formulation of a viable national shelter strategy to enable the full participation of local authorities. During the preparatory phase a shelter strategy for the district of Masaka is being implemented. Non-governmental organizations, community based organizations and women's groups have been very extensively involved with national- and district-level government officers in the training workshops conducted in different parts of the country on critical shelter issues. Uganda has produced new building codes and regulations framed with due regard to the "enabling" features of the Global Strategy and these are expected to be of great value to the Government as well as private developers. A shelter. sector database has been set up to facilitate the formulation of the national shelter strategy.

126. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic is planning major transformations in the construction sector with improvements to the quality of prefabricated construction panels, production of local building materials such as bricks and cellular concrete, and the construction of more low-rise, energy-efficient buildings.

127. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics issued a Presidential Decree in May 1990 setting out the major strategies for public and private investment in housing, the new qualitative parameters and the approach to legislation. During the period 1991-2000 it is planned to increase the existing housing stock by 50 per cent and the target is to provide an adequate house or flat for every family at an average rate of 18 square metres per person. A number of reforms required to transform the housing sector to a market economy have been initiated. A workshop on international cooperation for technology transfer in the production of indigenous building materials and components in developing countries was held in May 1990.

128. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has made substantial progress in facilitating the transfer of ownership of public housing to sitting tenants and has taken new financial and institutional initiatives to address the problem of the homeless. Partnership arrangements have been facilitated between local authorities and private investors, and private finance has increasingly participated in the subsidized rental sector, through new revised private/public funding mechanisms. The responsibility for providing new subsidized rental homes is gradually shifting from local authorities to independent housing associations. These associations are registered and monitored by the Housing Corporation, a central government agency. Homeless International is the main body acting as the umbrella organization of shelter related voluntary organizations.

129. The United Republic of Tanzania is placing emphasis on its sites-and-services and settlement-upgrading programmes. A successful project on low-cost housing development undertaken by housing cooperatives using local building materials has been completed in the capital city, Dodoma. The Ardhi Institute, a regional training facility based in the United Republic of Tanzania, is being strengthened to widen the scope of training in all aspects of human settlements. In cooperation with the Waste Foundation of the Netherlands, the United Republic of Tanzania has developed a manual plot-emptying technology in the unplanned areas of Dar es Salaam. Private plot emptiers have been trained to operate the technology, which consists of a handpump through which the sludge is pumped into a drum for disposal. The Ardhi Institute is being strengthened at Dodoma.

130. The focus of the United States of America is twofold: a careful examination of policies for sheltering its low-income populations and the programmes to implement them: and increased efforts to work with the Governments, private sectors and non-governmental organizations of developing countries to help improve their ability to serve the shelter needs of the poor. Recent policy initiatives lie at the heart of the Global Strategy for Shelter. They rely on the private sector to produce housing, with the Government playing a facilitative role. The United States' experience has shown repeatedly that programmes that are centralized, paternalistic and top-down rarely work well. This is no less true in developing countries, where the United States supports limiting the role of the Government to the provision of land title and infrastructure, leaving housing finance and construction to the private sector.

131. Uruguay has strengthened the Sectoral Housing and Construction Commission so that the housing and construction sector is now capable of a continuous and systematic planning, research and updated information and monitoring process.

132. Vanuatu has reviewed its housing policies, with emphasis on land markets, shelter finance and building regulations, prior to major investments in the sector.

133. Venezuela enacted new legislation on housing policy, the objectives of which are to define the roles of the public and of non-governmental actors in the shelter sector, coordinating and planning the production of shelter with national plans and policies, developing integrated shelter programmes and mobilizing low-cost resources for shelter. It is planned to meet the shelter needs of 3 million families in 15 years.

134. Viet Nam is addressing specific issues in order to remove critical bottlenecks in shelter and services. Viet Nam's Institute of Building Materials Research has undertaken research and trial production of natural-fibre-concrete roofing sheets, using jute fibre, coconut fibre and bagasse, as an alternative to clay-tile production. Prototype typhoon-resistant community buildings have been successfully constructed by local artisans. Viet Nam is formulating solutions to the disposal of largely organic solid waste in many Cities. It plans to demonstrate the feasibility of a forced-air composting process in an existing plant, and to conduct pilot experiments to treat 30,000 cubic metres of refuse to produce 7,500 tons of organic fertilizer per year. A comprehensive sector review has been carried out.

135. Yemen has undertaken a survey of local materials, set up the necessary building-material laboratory facilities and provided training to 40 engineers and technicians in quality control for the wide use of local building materials.

136. Zaire is implementing an infrastructure and services upgrading project affecting three years with a total population of 900,000 with the works being decided upon by the communities themselves and implemented by non-governmental organizations or small-scale entrepreneurs under the supervision of the Governorate of Kinshasa.

137. Zambia has established the Zambia Housing Development Fund (ZHDF) to address the specific problems associated with shelter delivery to low- and middle-income groups. The operations of the Zambia National Building Society have been improved and coordinated with those of ZHDF. It has also constructed demonstration houses using local materials and trained small-scale entrepreneurs and assisted them to establish themselves in the community and commercially produce low-cost building materials. The UNCHS (Habitat) training modules on community participation are being used in seven major urban areas to train housing officers, community development workers and building technicians. All these training programmes pay special attention to women's needs.

138. Zimbabwe is preparing shelter strategies in four typical provinces and several local authority areas prior to launching a national-level exercise. Simultaneously, studies have been initiated on the promotion of low-cost building materials and the provision of affordable infrastructure solutions for the poor. More than 75 officers have undergone training in shelter strategies in three workshops conducted in the provinces. Zimbabwe undertook a pilot project in the application of shelter sector performance indicators and is extending the exercise to a wider area.

C. Action by the United Nation system

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139. The Centre has been a regular participant and contributor to the work of the Committee on Development Planning, on matters relevant to the human settlements sector, and specifically in relation to the formulation of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade. A number of organizations and agencies within the United Nations system have undertaken activities directly in support of the Global Strategy. The following is a brief account of some of the main actions.

140. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) focused on two main activities, namely policy formulation and building-material development, and held an expert group meeting on the preparation of an integrated national policy and programme to fulfil the objectives of the Global Strategy. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) reviewed regional progress in the implementation of the Global Strategy and organized an expert group meeting on housing finance. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) undertook a variety of activities to improve housing in member countries, and organized a seminar on the distribution aspects of housing and taxation policies and a joint ECE/UNCHS (Habitat) expert group meeting on global energy sustainability in the long term. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) organized a meeting of government experts on an environmentally sustainable form of development. The Economic and Social Commission of West Asia (ESCWA) is preparing a geographical information system for use by Governments for, inter alia, better integrating shelter programmes with other land uses in growing settlements.

141. UNDP has supported a large part of the Centre's technical cooperation programmes and a number of new regional and interregional technical cooperation initiatives are under consideration. UNDP has extended support for the joint UNDP/World Bank/UNCHS (Habitat) Urban Management Programme to include focus on strengthening local government capacity, environmental management and planning.

142. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UNCHS (Habitat) have continued their cooperation in a number of areas, including: (a) application of environmental guidelines to selected metropolitan areas; (b) the impact of climate change and sealevel rise on coastal settlements; and (c) solid-waste management.

143. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UNCHS (Habitat) are jointly considering the links between the shelter sector performance indicators and UNICEF's major goals for children and development in the 1990s with a view to working with a common set of indicators applied at the national and local levels.

144. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UNCHS (Habitat) are co-sponsoring two important conferences under the UNIDO System of Consultations: (a) the Second Consultation of the Wood and Wood Products Industry in January 1991; and (b) the Second Consultation on the Building Materials Industry, to be held in October 1991.

145. Concerning cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNCHS (Habitat) has been a member of the International Steering Committee for Cooperative Action for the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, of which WHO is the coordinating agency. UNCHS (Habitat) is also a member of the Collaborative Council comprising bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental external support agencies that are currently engaged in the task of improving their cooperation at the country level in activities related to the water-supply and sanitation sector during the 1920s. UNCHS (Habitat) is a member of the steering committee organizing a conference on fresh water and the environment to be held at Dublin in January 1992, in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, UNCHS (Habitat) has been entrusted with the task of developing the underlying environmental issues related to the management of water resources for urban use. UNCHS (Habitat) is also preparing a publication on the environmental health aspects of human settlements and is also active in the organization of an expert group meeting on priority research issues in this area, to be held in London in early 1991.

146. The World Bank provided substantive inputs to the Global Strategy seminar for Eastern European countries and is also cooperating with UNCHS (Habitat) in the implementation of a major initiative to develop shelter sector performance indicators for policy-making at the national level. EDI has cooperated with UNCHS (Habitat) in the convening of a number of training seminars on urban finance and management, and two of the Global Strategy subregional seminars, namely those held at Ouagadougou for the French-speaking African countries and at San Jose for Latin America. The EDI substantive contribution to "access of the urban poor to shelter and services" was highly appreciated by participants at these seminars.

D. Action by bilateral and multilateral agencies and intergovernmental organizations

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147. A number of bilateral and multilateral agencies and intergovernmental organizations are supporting the implementation of the Global Strategy in a variety of ways. A brief account of the main activities follows.

148. The Council of Europe organized the International Conference on Managing Urban Development: North-South Solidarity. In November 1989, the Council adopted a resolution entitled "Rational use of land: basis and limiting factor of our development", which sets out the principles of a new land-use policy for application by the Council's member Governments at the local, regional and national levels. The policy sets out a new relationship between people and their environment and provides guidelines for land-use policy in built-up areas for urban development, housing, industry, tourism and infrastructure.

149. The United States Agency for International Development has increasingly adopted an enabling approach in its housing and urban development programmes in the developing countries. It is also collaborating with UNCHS (Habitat) in a number of programmes involving the training seminars on urban management and finance and in the above-cited exercise in developing shelter sector performance indicators.

150. The Commonwealth Science Council and UNCHS (Habitat) organized a regional workshop on cooperation in the African region on technologies and standards for local building materials. They jointly publish a Journal of the Network of African Countries on Local Building Materials and Technologies.

151. The Economic Committee for West African States (ECOWAS) resolved to form an ECOWAS Capital Cities Association and held its inaugural meeting at Freetown in January 1991. UNCHS (Habitat) is assisting in the development of the Association.

152. The Global Parliamentarians on Habitat and Development Conference, held in Tokyo in September 1990, was supported by UNDP and the Government of Japan, among others. Some 100 participants, including many ministers and speakers of parliament, representing more than 50 countries participated. The parliamentarians pledged to provide leadership and to provide support to their Governments and people towards the development and improvement of human settlements in general and, in particular, towards the achievement of the goal of adequate housing and services for all.

153. The African Development Bank (AfDB) is well aware that Africa currently has the highest rate of urban growth of all regions, but because Africa was two thirds rural in 1985, the full significance of the ongoing rural to urban transition is still not widely recognized. AfDB is addressing this issue and UNCHS (Habitat) has provided assistance to it in the preparation of the Bank's operational policy in the field of urban development. The policy document sets out the purpose of AfDB group activities in urban areas, the guiding concepts and principles, strategic policies for lending in urban areas, a strategy for the implementation of urban policies, programmes and projects, recommendations on urban project development and criteria for programme and project selection. The two organizations have also commenced work on the preparation of AfDB's shelter policy.

154. The Asian Development Bank (AsDB), UNCHS (Habitat) and the Government of the Philippines jointly prepared the Urban Sector Profile for the Philippines. In addition, UNCHS (Habitat) and AsDB are currently working together to develop a regional initiative on urban management, which is to be implemented within the framework of Phase II of the joint UNDP/World Bank/UNCHS (Habitat) Urban Management Programme.

155. The Caribbean Community has increased cooperation in the Caribbean subregion in the context of the project aimed at analysing constraints in the provision of affordable housing and at formulating feasible strategies in its member States. This project carried out analyses on the housing situation, shelter demand and shelter-provision modalities, identified specific bottlenecks in access to land and credit, and assessed the results and potential of current shelter strategies.

156. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States is collaborating with UNCHS (Habitat) and UNDP in providing programme support to the human settlement sector in the eastern Caribbean. A number of sectoral agencies were assisted on issues related to land development and management, standards and services provision, construction techniques with emphasis on hurricane-resistant technology, institutional development and housing finance. The preparation of a human settlement sectoral overview was undertaken. A number of project proposals for countries of the eastern Caribbean were formulated and approved, mobilizing resources for their execution. A number of proposals for donors' contributions were also formulated.

157. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and UNCHS (Habitat) undertake a regular exchange of information on programmes and projects relating to the development and improvement of human settlements in the satin American region. After ninny years of cooperation, the Centre and the Bank have initiated negotiations to enter into a formal agreement for collaboration. Among other things, such an agreement would allow IDB access to the technical resources of UNCHS (Habitat), particularly for undertaking feasibility studies and sectoral assessments and for extending technical support to capital investment.

158. The Company for Habitat and Housing in Africa (Shelter Afrique) has funded several projects in shelter and services, and has also joined UNCHS (Habitat) in an evaluation of the Namibia Building Investment Corporation. It has also extended loan facilities to the Government of Uganda in a major settlement-upgrading project being executed by UNCHS (Habitat).

E. Action by non-governmental organizations

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159. A large number of non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations are undertaking different initiatives in order to promote the implementation of the Global Strategy. The following is a brief current account of some of the major activities.

160. Habitat International Coalition (HIC), the umbrella organization of non-governmental organizations active in human settlements, has considerably expanded its range of activities, particularly in the areas of housing rights, women in development issues and the environment. HIC has drawn up a draft declaration of housing rights, which is being considered by the various groups of the coalition in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America for advancing to the next stage towards international acceptance. HIC has been preparing its position paper on human settlements, sustainable development and environment for presentation at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and considered that theme at its annual conference held at Mexico City in March 1991.

161. A Women and Shelter Network has been established within HIC, initially for disseminating information among non-governmental organizations active in supporting grassroots women and shelter activities. It has also commenced issue of a newsletter, HIC Women and Shelter Network.

162. Through the activities of HIC and its regional coalitions there is now increased activity at the national and local levels by non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations active in shelter. These activities include creating greater awareness of the problem of homelessness, especially in the developed countries, providing legal and other support to evictees, acting as a bridge between governmental agencies and communities, and providing financial and professional assistance to community projects.

163. Homeless International (HI) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a registered charity based in the British housing and construction sector and active in the field of shelter and settlement development, working with non-governmental and community-based. organizations in developing countries. It is currently supporting settlement development initiatives in Chile, Colombia, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Montserrat, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe. The projects supported range from the provision of revolving loan funds for land purchase and self-help construction to training of women in construction skills, mapping of slum settlements and the development of training materials aimed at improving the safety of building techniques used by informal-sector builders. HI has supported the development of shelter needs analyses by disabled people, and has also supported the organization of forums where non-governmental organizations and government and private-sector representatives have come together to plan more effectively at the national level for shelter development initiatives. HI helped to develop at exchange programme between grassroots women organizing around shelter issues in Colombia and India. Apart from providing resources for projects, HI also seeks to provide opportunities for linkage between non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations in developing countries and housing organizations within the United Kingdom. A pilot volunteer scheme has been established for young British architects interested in working with non-governmental organizations in developing countries.

164. Canadian non-governmental organizations have established the Shelter for the Homeless Foundation, the objectives of which comprise a variety of initiatives that would benefit the homeless in Canada as well as in developing countries. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has cooperated with UNCHS (Habitat) in supporting the five regional courses and workshops held in the field of strengthening urban management in Latin America. Most Latin American countries have been represented in the courses and workshops. Over 130 participants of training of trainer courses and workshops have improved their capabilities as local government management trainers.

165. The Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF), of the United States, has launched the Shelter the World Fund. Support for the Fund within the United States is growing and contributors are making tax-deductible donations. CHF will use the Fund to provide loans to low-income families around the world through private-sector loan organizations and to neighbourhoods through community associations and cooperatives.

166. Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF), an independent research and education institution based in the United Kingdom has been providing two awards each year since 1985, now known as the BSHF Habitat Awards, to human settlement projects, in both developing and developed countries that offered sustainable futures to the residents and provided practical, imaginative solutions to current housing problems. In cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka, the Foundation organized an International Conference: Housing Through Support. In January 1991, it organized an international consultation on the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 at St. George's House, Windsor Castle.

167. Grassroots Women Organizing Themselves Together (GROOTS) International is a network of grassroots women in different parts of the world working towards strengthening low-income women's participation in the development of their communities.

168. The International Federation of Surveyors is currently preparing a special statement on land management. The purpose of the statement is to determine the basic prerequisites a country should meet with respect to land management. The statement will be addressed to surveyors and Governments and, in the long run, it could also influence aid programmes in the field of land management.

169. The National Association of Realtors (NAR), of the United States, organized the Third International Shelter Conference, held at Washington, D.C., in April 1090. UNCHS (Habitat) cooperated with NAR in the development of the agenda of this important Conference, which focused on the role of the private sector in the implementation of the Global Strategy. NAR participated in and made substantial inputs on the role of the private developers in the housing sector in market economies at the Global Strategy subregional seminar for Eastern Europe.

170. Unión Interamericana pare la Vivienda (the Inter-American Housing Union) published the main principles of the Global Strategy in a booklet as a contribution towards attaining the objectives of the Strategy in Latin American countries. It has argued that the housing problems of the continent might be met through the convergence of the activities of the private and public sectors. The Union organized the twenty-eighth later-American Conference for Housing at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in October 1990, focusing on the financial aspects of housing.

171. World Organization of the Scouts Movement and UNCHS (Habitat) launched a global competition within the context of the role of youth in the implementation of the Global Strategy. The objective of the competition was to encourage innovative contributions made by scouting towards improving human settlements in different countries. The winner of the competition was the scouts organization of Zaire and the two runners-up were the Bharat Scouts and Guides of India and the Gerakan Pramuka of Indonesia.

III. GLOBAL Strategy Shelter Plan of Action 1992-1993

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172. The Global Strategy for Shelter plan of action, 1992-1993 is contained in the annex. The plan of action for 1992-1993 will be carried out by the Member States and through intergovernmental cooperation, by the Commission on Human Settlements, by UNCHS (Habitat), United Nations organizations and agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The implementation of the Global Strategy through the plan of action will be progressively updated and refined by the Commission and, if necessary, by the General Assembly throughout the period up to the year 2000.

173. As called for by the General Assembly in its resolution 43/181, the Commission on Human Settlements will submit its next biennial report to the Assembly at its forty-eighth session, in 1993, containing a plan of action for 1994-1995.

IV. Conclusion

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174. The very brief account given in the present report on the activities undertaken at the national and international levels towards the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 is based on selected examples only. By way of an early assessment it may be concluded that the overall picture of national and international action is that a positive beginning has been made. As expected, the level of commitment and the depth and breadth of programmes and activities present a wide range. Bearing in mind the gravity of the shelter problems and the complexity of the issues involved in addressing them in the majority of the developing countries, much greater efforts need to be made to apply the guidelines for national action provided in the Global Strategy.

175. Actions required to be taken are naturally specific to a particular country. However, in general, the following areas need priority attention by most of the developing countries:

• (a) Linking the shelter sector policies to the overall macroeconomic policy framework in order to capitalize fully on the potential contribution of the shelter sector in sustainable economic and social development:
• (b) Identification of needs and resources, including human resources, and the deployment of resources in order to achieve adequate shelter through incremental improvements:
• (c) Participation of all relevant actors, including public agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations in the shelter strategy formulation and implementation process;
• (d) Provision of infrastructure and services to existing settlements as well as to potential new settlement areas in order to facilitate the release of more land for shelter and ancillary developments;
• (e) Releasing more land for shelter for the poor, with regulations permitting shelter construction and infrastructure development on an incremental basis;
• (f) Development of local building materials from indigenous resources and wide dissemination of appropriate technologies for their use;
• (g) Review of housing-finance mechanisms, mobilization of finance for shelter and services, and improved targeting of subsidies;
• (h) Application of shelter sector performance indicators, in order for Governments periodically to assess the impact of their national shelter strategies;
• (i) Greater decentralization and delegation of responsibility and resources to local authorities;
• (j) Preparation of a comprehensive national plan of action using the guidelines provided in the Global Strategy plans of action for 1989-1991 and 1992-1993;
• (k) Continuing international support to strengthen national efforts and capacity for the formulation and implementation of national shelter strategies.

176. The actions taken at the national and international levels for the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter show clearly the multisectoral nature of shelter provision. In order to address the problem of shelter properly, Governments are addressing all aspects of planning, development and management of human settlements, ranging from the macroeconomic planning issues and national settlement patterns, on the one hand, to detailed issues such as maintenance of services in small settlements, on the other. Regrettably, many Governments, for a variety of reasons, have not yet been able to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach to settlement planning and development in which the provision of housing is a component. One consequence is that the condition of shelter and services, especially for the poor, in many developing and some industrialized countries has not shown any marked improvement. Coupled with this have been the phenomena of increasing poverty, rapid urbanization, deterioration of the living environment and general economic stagnation or even decline in many developing countries..

177. It would therefore be opportune to review, in the near future, the impacts of recent development trends upon shelter and human settlements, the responses of. Governments and international agencies to such trends, and new directions in the planning, development and management of settlements that Governments might take in order to address current and future problems. An appropriate time for such a review could be the twentieth anniversary of Habitats United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, which was held at. Vancouver, Canada, in 1976; this review could cover progress made by Member States in the implementation of the New Agenda for Human Settlements and the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, adopted by the General Assembly in December 1988. This could be undertaken at the national, regional and international levels.

Notes

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1. Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 8, addendum (A/44/8/Add.1).    [Go back to text]

ANNEX

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