ASSEMBLY
Supplement No. 8
(A/48/8)
| United Nations | ADDENDUM | |
| GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
|
Supplement No. 8 (A/48/8) |
| Forty-eighth session | 4 June 1993 | |
| Official Records | NEW YORK | |
| Third report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 | ||
Note by the Executive Director |
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 Commission’s second report was formulated at its thirteenth session, held at Harare, Zimbabwe, from 29 April to 8 May 1991, and was submitted to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session.(2) The Assembly considered the report and adopted resolution 46/163 of 19 December 1991, commending action already taken and urging further action by Governments, the organizations of the United Nations system and bilateral and multilateral agencies.
2. The annexed report covers approximately the period between the thirteenth and fourteenth sessions of the Commission on Human Settlements. The proposed Plan of Action for 1994-1995 and timetable for its implementation (HS/C/14/4/Add.1 and Corr.2) appear in the appendix to the present document.
1. Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 8, addendum (A/44/8/Add.1). [Go back to text]
2. Ibid., Forty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 8, addendum and corrigendum (A/46/8/Add.1 and Corr.1). [Go back to text]
| CONTENTS | ||||
| Paragraphs | ||||
| I. | Introduction | 1-8 | ||
| II. | Implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 | 9-165 | ||
| A. | Action by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) | 9-41 | ||
| 1. | Promoting wider understanding of the links between shelter, the living environment and sustainable development | 10-13 | ||
| 2. | Provision of substantive support to Member States | 14-21 | ||
| (a) Technical cooperation | 15 | |||
| (b) Special advisory services | 16-18 | |||
| (c) Subregional seminars on national shelter strategies | 19 | |||
| (d) Monitoring national shelter strategies | 20 | |||
| (e) Shelter sector performance indicators | 21 | |||
| 3. | Research and development | 22-31 | ||
| 4. | Dissemination of information on the Global Strategy for Shelter | 32-33 | ||
| 5. | Women in shelter and services development | 34-35 | ||
| 6. | Cooperation with non-governmental organizations | 36-40 | ||
| 7. | Cooperation with other organizations | 41 | ||
| B. | Action by Governments towards formulation, implementation and monitoring of national shelter strategies | 42-133 | ||
| C. | Action by the United Nations system | 134-145 | ||
| D. | ction by bilateral and multilateral agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations | 146-165 | ||
| III. | Global Strategy for Shelter Plan of Action for 1994-1995 | 166-168 | ||
| IV. | Conclusion | 169-170 | ||
| Notes | ||||
| Appendix. Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000: Proposed Plan of Action for 1994-1995 and timetable for its implementation | ||||
* The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. [Go back to text]
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. In accordance with the above resolution, the Commission on Human Settlements submitted its first report to the Assembly at its forty-fourth session(1) and its second report at its forty-sixth session.(2) At its forty- sixth session, the General Assembly considered the second report of the Commission on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 and adopted resolution 46/163 on 19 December 1991 in which it commended Governments which were revising, consolidating, formulating or implementing their national shelter strategies based on the enabling principles of the Global Strategy, and urged other Governments to do so; recommended that Governments adopt a cost-effective system for monitoring progress of national shelter strategies and integrate fully the environmental dimension in the formulation and implementation of national shelter strategies; invited Governments to make voluntary contributions to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation in order to facilitate implementation of the Global Strategy, and urged the organizations of the United Nations system, particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other multilateral and bilateral agencies to provide increased financial and other support to Governments for the implementation of the Plan of Action of the Global Strategy.
2. The present report covers the period from May 1991 until the Commission’s fourteenth session that concluded in May 1993.
3. The Global Strategy for Shelter has as its objective to facilitate adequate shelter for all by the year 2000. The operational focus of the Strategy is on national action by all Member States and the Strategy contains extensive guidelines for the consideration of Governments to define the roles of the public, private, non-governmental and community sectors in the delivery of shelter and services within an enabling framework. Under such enabling strategies, the actual construction of shelter is undertaken by the people through their own initiatives in the formal and informal private sector, as cooperatives or other voluntary associations, as non-governmental or community- based organizations, or as individual households.
4. In order for Governments to become effective facilitators in the shelter sector, they are expected to undertake those activities which the people themselves cannot undertake effectively. In most countries these enabling actions include:
5. This report is a brief overview of actions by Governments to put enabling shelter strategies into effect and of the support that has been provided through international action. A noticeable feature in the implementation of the Global Strategy is the action already taken towards setting in place a monitoring framework for assessing the performance of the national shelter sector.
6. Agenda 21, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED),(3) has provided an additional dimension to the Global Strategy for Shelter by drawing attention to the living environment and ways of incorporating sustainable development approaches to the use of national and other resources for shelter and services development. In addition, the Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements, held at The Hague in November 1992, developed a range of modalities for increasing cooperation at the local, national and international levels. The recommendations of that Meeting(4) and of Agenda 21 adequately supplement those already contained in the Global Strategy.
7. In view of these developments, the Commission is not proposing any revision of the Global Strategy at this stage. The implementation of the Strategy has been guided by succeeding plans of action and the Plan of Action for 1994-1995 is contained in the appendix to the present document.
8. This Plan of Action should serve as a guide for Governments in the formulation and implementation of detailed national plans of action. In this activity international support is crucial, particularly for those actions which enhance the Governments’ capacity as enablers and facilitators in the shelter sector.
9. In its role as the coordinating agency for the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, the Centre has focused its activities on four areas. First, it successfully advocated the inclusion of the Strategy within Agenda 21, adopted by UNCED, thus increasing the understanding of the links between shelter, the living environment and sustainable development. Secondly, it has continued to increase the level of substantive support to Member States, upon request, for the formulation and implementation of national shelter strategies and for addressing specific aspects of shelter and services production. Thirdly, it has increased awareness of the need for public participation and private-sector involvement, and of the role of women in shelter and human settlements development in many countries. Fourthly, the Centre has increased its cooperation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs). A brief account of the major activities of the Centre directly concerning the implementation of the Global Strategy is given below.
10. The Centre actively promoted the role of shelter and the living environment in achieving sustainable development during the preparatory process of UNCED, as well as during the Conference itself. Agenda 21, the comprehensive programme adopted by UNCED to address the whole spectrum of issues involved in maintaining an adequate level of development now while safeguarding resources for use by future generations, includes a programme "Promoting sustainable human settlement development".(5) This programme is comprised of eight programme areas including "Providing adequate shelter for all".(6)
11. Agenda 21 lists 10 different activities,(7) which should be undertaken at the national and international level, in order to achieve the objective of adequate shelter for rapidly growing populations and for the currently deprived urban and rural poor through an enabling approach to shelter development and improvement which is environmentally sound. These activities adequately complement the recommendations for national and international action already contained in the Global Strategy.
12. Agenda 21 urges developed countries and funding agencies to provide specific assistance to developing countries adopting an enabling approach to the provision of shelter for all, including the no-income group and covering research institutions and training activities for government officials, professionals, communities and NGOs and by strengthening local capacity for the development of appropriate technologies.(8)
13. The Commission on Sustainable Development established by the General Assembly, inter alia, to monitor progress in the implementation of Agenda 21, could coordinate its activities with the Commission on Human Settlements in its monitoring of the Global Strategy for Shelter.(9)
14. Following up on actions recommended at the various subregional seminars held on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter(9) and responding to the requests of Member States, the Centre has provided substantive support to Member States through a number of programmes as outlined below.
15. Technical cooperation with Member States in the preparation of national shelter strategies is being provided under a number of projects, upon request from Governments.
16. Upon request from Member States, the Centre has provided short-term advisory services on selected subjects to assist Governments in the implementation of the Global Strategy. Examples include Brunei Darussalam, Jordan, Malaysia, Nepal, Panama, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. In some countries this included the setting-up of databases on shelter and the selection of key indicators in the shelter sector.
17. Short-term advisory services on housing finance have covered several aspects, including the establishment and management of shelter-finance institutions and the development of community-based savings groups. Countries assisted include Brunei Darussalam, Ghana, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.
18. Advisory services on construction methods and technologies were provided to the Gambia which led to the Government proceeding with a full review of the human settlements sector. Advisory services on the application of microcomputer technology in selected aspects of the shelter sector were provided to Djibouti, Egypt, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
19. During the biennium 1990-1991 the Centre, in collaboration with interested Governments and agencies, organized 10 subregional seminars on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter. As a result of the seminars many Governments have initiated or refined their activities towards the adoption of enabling approaches to national shelter strategies. The last two subregional seminars in this series were the Arab States Conference on National Shelter Strategies, organized in cooperation with the League of Arab States and the Government of Egypt from 13 to 17 December 1992, and the Global Strategy for Shelter South Pacific Subregional Seminar, organized in collaboration with the Government of Australia and the University of Queensland at Brisbane, Australia, in April 1993.
20. The monitoring guidelines for national shelter strategies, (HS/C/13/4, annex) as adopted by the Commission at its thirteenth session, were distributed to all Member States, pursuant to Commission resolution 13/1. These guidelines are based on 14 indicators and reflect key actions recommended in the Global Strategy for Shelter that should be taken by Governments towards preparing a national shelter strategy. The guidelines are already being used by a number of Governments and some have used them as a basis for reporting national progress on World Habitat Day 1992.
21. Pursuant to Commission resolution 13/9, the Centre and the World Bank continued their collaboration under the Housing Indicators Programme during 1991 and 1992 to identify a set of key indicators that are policy-sensitive and easy to collect and update on a regular basis. Several external support agencies provided assistance in the implementation of the Programme. Under the Programme, data have been collected through an intensive survey conducted in a major urban area of countries selected from all five continents. These surveys were followed by a series of regional meetings which enabled UNCHS (Habitat) and the World Bank to evaluate the experiences of the country-based consultants in the collection and processing of data in the field. The Programme has identified a set of 12 basic indicators which capture different dimensions of the housing sector taking into account their cost-effectiveness, policy-sensitivity, comparability, and so forth.
22. In its research and development programme the Centre has addressed a number of issues in shelter and services during the past two years. The results of this work are disseminated widely through technical publications, training seminars and expert group meetings. Some examples of the research work follow.
23. In the area of housing finance, a research project evaluated the potentials and problem of integrating housing finance into the national finance systems of developing countries. The findings of this research were reviewed at an interregional workshop for Africa and Asia held in Goa, India, in June 1991.(10) Work is continuing on analysing the performance of existing institutions, evaluating the major mortgage instruments in use by those institutions, identifying and promoting innovative housing-finance arrangements, the development of community-based finance institutions and promoting local financial services and mechanisms to tap the savings potential of low-income groups.
24. Land management research involved monitoring and assessment of land policies and strategies, the impacts of land-related activities on human settlements development, the analysis of procedures, regulations and instruments for the progressive modernization of land-tenure systems, and the formulation and implementation of land policies. Work continues on reviewing and updating the technical and administrative requirements for improving the operation of land-registration systems. Towards this goal, the Centre sponsored the Workshop on Land-registration and Land-information Systems at Nairobi, from 15 to 18 October 1990.(11)
25. In the area of housing production three research activities were undertaken. The first involved the assessment of experience with the project approach to shelter delivery for the poor. A second study, based on the experiences of Colombia, India, Nigeria and Thailand with initiating enabling shelter strategies, noted the potentials and problems in addressing the needs of the poor and disadvantaged groups and stressed the need for the continued responsibility of the State to intervene more forcefully on behalf of those who cannot benefit even from enabling strategies. The third research activity in this area was a review and evaluation of the problems of the inner-city poor in general, and of relocation experiences in particular (with case studies from Mexico and Nigeria) discussed at a meeting held at Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from 12 to 15 February 1992, on urban relocation: policy and practice, organized jointly by the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies, the World Bank and UNCHS (Habitat) with funding by the Government of the Netherlands.
26. An extensive programme on training in community participation is being undertaken in cooperation with the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) in Bolivia, Sri Lanka and Zambia. The newly established Community Management Programme launched in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana and Uganda will address community management and building skills.
27. Activities in the field of building materials and technology include several technical publications and important meetings to stimulate the transfer of small-scale and appropriate technologies through information exchange and the twice yearly recurrent publication: Journal of the Network of African Countries on Local Building Materials and Technologies. Technical publications covered issues such as the development of national technological capacity for the production of indigenous building materials, data sheets on soil construction technology, vertical shaft lime-kiln and small-scale production of Portland cement, and technology and the role of construction.
28. A technical publication entitled Stormwater Drainage and Reclamation for Urban Development was issued in 1991 and papers were produced on urban water supply and sanitation for the Global Forum for the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, at Oslo in September 1991, and for the International Conference on Water and the Environment, at Dublin in January 1992. With the assistance of the Government of the Netherlands the Centre has conducted a major research project on strategies for solid-waste recycling and reuse. A regional workshop was held at Manila in January 1993. Audio-visual materials in the form of video films, tapes and slide shows have been produced on various technologies for small-scale, cottage-based, waste-recycling industries in developing countries. Advisory services have been extended to the Governments of India and the United Republic of Tanzania aimed at strengthening capacities in managing solid waste in Pune and Dar-es-Salaam. A software package on the selection of refuse-collection vehicles in developing countries was finalized for dissemination.
29. As part of the preparatory process to the International Conference on Water and the Environment held at Dublin in January 1992, an Expert Group Meeting on Environmental Health Aspects of Human Settlements in Developing Countries was held at Leeds, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in 1991. With funding from DANIDA, applied research on shelter-related crowding and health has been conducted in Accra, Bissau and Jakarta. An annotated bibliography, entitled Housing-related Crowding and Environmental Health, was published and a report on community-based human settlement indicators finalized.
30. In the energy sector, technical publications were issued on energy for building, energy for low-income settlements, and energy efficiency in housing construction and domestic usage in developing countries. Current research is directed to the promotion of biomass energy technologies. In the transport sector a study on strategic options for public-transport improvements in large cities of developing countries has been completed.
31. Training courses were organized in a variety of critical subjects including a round table, Training in Support of Urban Finance and Management for Arab States, held at Cairo in April 1992; and support to the Nigerian National Workshop on Municipal Finance held at Ibadan in May 1992. Most of the training courses included discussions on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter. Training courses with specific focus on shelter included the Regional Workshop in the Field of Housing in Development held at Bandung, Indonesia, in April 1992 in cooperation with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
32. Information on the Global Strategy is being disseminated continuously on a global basis through regular issues of UNCHS Habitat News, UNCHS (Habitat) Shelter Bulletin, and wide distribution of the Global Strategy for Shelter Plan of Action, 1992-1993.
33. Shelter and services were given due attention in national and international observances of World Habitat Day in 1991 and 1992. The theme in 1991, "Shelter and the living environment", and that in 1992, "Shelter for sustainable development", enabled Member States to continue to place emphasis on shelter production and maintenance in their policies and programmes in human settlements. The focus on shelter has enabled wider understanding of the links between shelter, the living environment and sustainable approaches to all aspects of development.
34. The Centre’s scale of activities for promoting the role of women in the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter increased during 1991-1992. These activities were based largely on promoting the implementation of the recommendations of the Interregional Seminar to Promote the Participation of Women in the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, held at Nairobi in 1989.(12) Contacts have been established with women’s organizations in a large number of countries with a resultant increase in information exchange and support to networking among women’s groups working to improve the living environment. In order to assist Member States to incorporate women’s participation in their national shelter strategies the Centre organized training workshops in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. The Ad Hoc Expert Group Meeting on the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000: Action on Enhancing the Role of Women in Community Development was held at Nairobi from 7 to 9 December 1992.(13)
35. The shelter needs of women are given special attention in the national shelter strategies formulated in countries participating in the UNCHS/FINNIDA Support Programme for Preparing National Shelter Strategies. For example, in Uganda, a special study initiated by the Programme on the socially and economically disadvantaged in the housing sector has drawn attention to the provisions and customary practices which militate against women’s rights and the need to sensitize them to appreciate their roles, potential and rights. The national shelter strategy for Uganda has incorporated these recommendations in its plan of action.
36. The Centre’s cooperation with NGOs and CBOs increased considerably during 1991-1992, in response to the growing global awareness of the role and contribution of NGOs and CBOs towards the improvement of living conditions of the poor.
37. The major activity in this field was the organization of the Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements, organized in cooperation with the Government of the Netherlands at The Hague from 2 to 6 November 1992.(14) This meeting, called in response to Commission resolution 13/16, developed modalities and strategies for increasing cooperation at the local, national and international levels.
38. The Centre issued the first Directory of Non-governmental Organizations in the Field of Human Settlements, containing information on some 350 NGOs known to be active in various ways in human settlements at the national, regional or international levels. This Directory was prepared with the assistance of a large number of NGOs who participated in a global questionnaire survey. The Centre also issued a technical publication, Improving Shelter: Activities by Non-governmental Organizations, as a way of disseminating information on programmes and projects undertaken by national as well as international NGOs towards improving the living environment of the poor. Some 20 NGOs with active projects in different parts of the world provided information for the publication.
39. In the Centre’s technical cooperation programme, many NGOs and CBOs have been involved in the formulation and execution of shelter-related projects. These include training or research NGOs such as the Centre for African Settlements Studies and Development, as well as many local-level NGOs and CBOs involved in operational activities concerning shelter and services development.
40. During UNCED, the Centre took an active role in participating in or supporting NGO activities at the Global Forum, the major gathering of NGOs at the Conference. These included a keynote address to Eco-polis 1992, the First International Seminar on the Environmental Problems of Large Urban Cities; an active role in the workshop organized by the Habitat International Coalition (HIC) Women and Shelter Network; the International Seminar on Sustainable Transport and Development; an International Panel on Improving the Working and Living Environment of Poor Urban Women organized by the City University of New York; and the Ecopolis - City of the Future exhibition organized by the International Academy of Architecture (IAA).
41. In its role as the coordinating agency for the implementation of the Global Strategy, the Centre is increasing collaboration with a large number of organizations in the fields of programme coordination, technical cooperation, research, training and information dissemination. Cooperation with bilateral and multilateral agencies has continued to grow, in particular with FINNIDA in the implementation of the Support Programme for National Shelter Strategies, and DANIDA in the Community Development Programme and its extension to support the Women in Development Programme, the Urban Management Programme and the Sustainable Cities Programme. Cooperation with organizations within the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs is continuously increasing and is described in sections II.C and D.
42. The objective of the Global Strategy for Shelter is to facilitate adequate shelter for all by the year 2000. The operational focus for the implementation of the Strategy is on action at the national level, with Governments concentrating their efforts on becoming effective enablers. This role requires that Governments set in place the appropriate institutional framework at both the central and local levels; install the major infrastructure in transport, water supply, sanitation, drainage and energy; set in place suitable legislation and a package of incentives that create the appropriate market mechanism for releasing sufficient land and producing adequate building materials; create effective mechanisms for mobilizing finance for the shelter sector; and foster a truly participatory approach to shelter and services delivery.
43. The following is a brief account of the most important actions taken by individual Governments during the period 1991-1992 towards formulating, implementing or monitoring their national shelter strategies or to address specific aspects of shelter and services production. The information is based on reports provided by the Governments to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) or to the Commission on Human Settlements at its fourteenth session.
44. Afghanistan is using the national shelter strategy outline as the framework for programming coordinating shelter activities of the Government and the aid agencies involved in reconstruction and resettlement. The Government undertook a survey of urban living conditions using the shelter sector performance indicators in order to assess the impact of war and to identify priority areas for further action. It has also formulated a comprehensive plan for solid-waste management in Kabul after undertaking a review of the nature of waste generation, its organic content and the efficiency of the collection and waste-disposal equipment. This plan has been incorporated into the draft master plan for Kabul. A number of projects have been undertaken to assist local communities to improve supplies of roofing timber and local brick production in connection with rehabilitation and resettlement work. Many of the projects have included a food-for-work component provided through the World Food Programme.
45. Angola is improving the institutional mechanism for addressing the issue of the management of its public housing stock estimated at 130,000 units, a substantial portion of which is in a state of decay due to lack of maintenance, and absence of policies and of an effective management system for housing development and improvement. The new institutional mechanism will coordinate the functions of the State Secretariat for Urbanization and Housing, the People’s Bank of Angola, the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Registrar. Angola is also studying the prospects for the establishment of a fund for housing development as part of a major review of the financial and management aspects of the housing sector.
46. Anguilla has commenced the establishment of a land data management system as the first stage in the development of its Integrated National Spatial Development Strategy. This programme includes the preparation of local area plans to guide and coordinate development activities, and of revised and updated legislative instruments to ensure proper building control and environmental protection.
47. Antigua and Barbuda is establishing a geographical information system (GIS) as the basis for preparation of a national spatial development strategy. The strategy will identify areas for development and for environmental protection.
48. Australia has developed a framework for an integrated national housing and urban development policy to the year 2000, drawing on the recommendations of the National Housing Strategy review, which was completed in December 1992. The policy is designed to assist the achievement of Australia’s economic, social and environmental goals. Through the policy the Commonwealth Government is seeking to promote greater housing choice and affordability, as well as more sustainable patterns of settlement and high-quality urban environments. The Government is also committed to increasing the supply of social housing, improving financial support for people in the private rental market, and undertaking more research on housing and urban issues. The Government recognizes that integration of policies and programmes, both within and across sectors, and effective coordination between the three spheres of government, are critical to the success of the policy. The policy builds on existing national housing and urban programmes. Housing programmes span public and community housing, rental and mortgage support, housing for special needs groups and emergency accommodation. Urban programmes include support for demonstration, research, strategic planning and infrastructure provision.
49. Bahrain is arresting unguided urban growth by the adoption of a national land-use plan which will optimize the use of the scarce land resource and preserve the environmental balance. The Ministry of Housing is evaluating and improving existing regulations as well as streamlining procedures for efficient implementation of the national land-use plan. It has also introduced microcomputer technology for the implementation of the land-use plan.
50. Bangladesh is undertaking a comprehensive review of the entire urban and shelter sector with the involvement of a committee comprising representatives of the Planning Commission, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Local Government and international agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, UNDP, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UNCHS (Habitat). A draft housing policy has been prepared under the guidance of the Planning Commission and a variety of projects are being undertaken for shelter and environmental improvement. Community groups and NGOs have been involved in government projects for urban upgrading and environmental improvements in Dhaka and Chittagong as well as in the construction of rural housing and the testing of housing-related credit systems within the framework of integrated rural development programmes. Bangladesh has also undertaken a training programme for agencies involved in implementing drainage, environmental and municipal service improvements for low-income neighbourhoods in Dhaka and Chittagong. Further, as part of the preparation of the multisectoral development plans (structure plan, master plan and detailed area plan) for the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong, Bangladesh has prepared multisectoral infrastructure master plans and priority programmes for subsectors including transport, drainage and flood control and solid waste management.
51. Benin has developed a programme to provide basic communal infrastructure for low-income populations in 40 disadvantaged locations of the country. The facilities include primary schools, maternity homes, social centres, health centres, workshops and storage facilities. The programme has been able to mobilize peoples’ participation and has achieved partial cost recovery. A special handbook has been compiled on simple but appropriate infrastructure designs used for the programme.
52. Bhutan has undertaken a human settlements sector review which will serve as the framework for the formulation of a national shelter strategy.
53. Bolivia is undertaking a project to reorganize the shelter sector for the implementation of new policies. Simultaneously, it has undertaken several activities to increase public participation for the improvement of shelter and services. It has also developed a low-cost computerized cadastral system which will improve the consolidation of the revenue base of local authorities.
54. In Brazil, the municipal government of São Paolo is undertaking an evaluation of the outputs in the shelter sector. The evaluation covers housing quality, environmental appropriateness, adequacy of the urban structure, public participation and local-level management, user satisfaction and cost and effectiveness of the organization.
55. Bulgaria is undertaking legal, financial and institutional reforms in the housing sector under conditions of general economic crisis and transition to a market economy. The new housing policy, framed within the background of a new sustainable natural-resource policy and a comprehensive national energy policy, has a number of objectives. These include elaboration of a legislative and economic framework for the creation and development of a normal housing market, changes to financial and fiscal systems to encourage private local and foreign investment in the housing sector, creation of market-oriented mechanisms for housing credit, improvement and better distribution of the existing stock, increasing the relative share of rental dwelling stock and the introduction of a new monitoring system in the shelter sector.
56. In Burkina Faso, a programme has been undertaken for strengthening the technical capacities of municipal authorities in two secondary cities. A technical manual entitled Town Planning and Urban Management in the Secondary Cities has been prepared, based on training workshops held in the past. Technical units have been established in 10 medium-sized municipalities with support from the National Directorate of Town Planning to implement new urban management policies.
57. Burundi has taken several actions towards implementation of its national shelter strategy. The Urban Housing Promotion Fund has been established to mobilize finance for housing and to take over the credit functions of ECOSAT (Encadrement des constructions sociales et aménagement des terrains), the housing promotion agency. Structure plans have been prepared for four urban centres with a view to strengthening national institutions for the management of the urbanization process and to promoting the role of urban centres in economic development, among other activities. Extensive training has been given to personnel of ECOSAT, particularly in issues such as credit operations, audit measures, plot and house design, selection of beneficiaries, coordination and supervision of construction works, management of credit portfolios and cost recovery.
58. In Cambodia, a human settlements sector review has been undertaken to provide a framework for future investment in housing nd infrastructure.
59. Canada’s current federal housing strategy has three major thrusts: (a) support for the private sector to provide adequate, suitable and affordable housing for Canadians through support for housing finance and affordability initiatives; (b) targeting federal housing expenditures to those in need who cannot be served by the private sector; and (c) research, information and technology transfer to improve market efficiency and to create better living environments. In the sphere of linking human settlements and sustainable development, Canada is sponsoring a Healthy House Design Competition for homes which offer a healthy indoor environment, conserve resources, are environmentally responsible and which remain affordable. It is also promoting waste management through a special programme, undertaken with the private sector, to reduce waste in the residential construction industry. In the field of public participation, several NGOs and private-sector representatives participate as members of the National Housing Research Committee, and the Canadian Centre for Public/Private Partnership continues to explore innovative ways of involving public/private partnership for low- and middle-income housing. Canada has also taken action to encourage participation from the beneficiaries of the Rural and National Housing Programme and has relaxed lending rules to enable more people to become eligible for home purchase. At the international level the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the International Development and Research Centre support a variety of projects in the developing countries.
60. Chad has prepared a programme for short-term and long-term interventions with regard to the construction and maintenance of infrastructure.
61. Chile has doubled the number of housing units completed annually, thus arresting the growth of the accumulated housing deficit of 900,000 dwellings. It is undertaking a series of reforms to facilitate the implementation of its new housing policy and to encourage the participation of the non-governmental and community sectors in shelter production.
62. China has revised its national housing strategy and prepared a 10-year plan for housing development in which the priority is to relieve the housing shortage of households with less than 6 square metres of per capita average habitable area. Marked improvement in the housing condition is expected by the year 2000. The new standards adopted for the planning, design and construction of housing and the provision of infrastructure services to residential areas have been tested in some 66 experimental projects. A national conference on housing reform, held on World Habitat Day, 1991, reviewed the reforms in housing at the central, provincial and local levels. Reforms undertaken recently include the sale of 10 to 15 per cent of public constructed housing to low-income groups at subsidized prices, the transfer of responsibility to local-government bodies to give priority to households suffering severe housing conditions, the encouragement of cooperative housing production, and the establishment of a housing fund from public as well as private sources. China is also formulating a programme for the rehabilitation of infrastructure, housing and services in historic cities and organized a four-day national seminar on preservation and national strategies to be applied in 34 historic towns.
63. Colombia has made institutional changes towards the creation of an enabling environment in the shelter sector. A central housing unit has been established and new roles have been assigned to existing institutions in order to decrease the direct provision of shelter by public agencies and to increase private-sector profit- and non-profit-oriented participation.
64. Congo undertook an assessment of the urban shelter situation by using selected indicators as well as satellite imagery. The indicators related to institutions, housing finance, infrastructure, land and the building industry. In the application of the indicators, an analysis was made of the bottlenecks in shelter production leading to guidelines for realistic improvements. The draft of the national shelter strategy, which resulted from this exercise, was discussed during a national policy seminar held in May 1992 and was subsequently adopted by the Government.
65. Costa Rica has adopted a national shelter strategy and has created a Ministry of Housing to guide and coordinate activities in the shelter sector. The strategy was publicized to neighbouring countries at a regional seminar held in August 1992. The Government is expanding the use of bamboo in the construction of rural housing and has assigned more than 700 hectares of public land for the cultivation and industrial production of bamboo. Funds for credit have been earmarked through the Housing and Mortgage Bank, which explicitly recognizes the appropriateness and eligibility for credit of bamboo-built houses. The use of bamboo for housing addresses the problems of the high cost of conventional low-income housing solutions, rapid depletion of forest resources and insufficient economic opportunities in the countryside. In addition, bamboo houses have excellent anti-seismic characteristics. The expertise developed in Costa Rica is now widely sought throughout the Latin American region, where interest in bamboo technology is steadily increasing.
66. Côte d’Ivoire undertook a human settlements sector analysis which will form the basis of a national shelter strategy.
67. Cyprus has recently launched a low-interest rural housing scheme to benefit communities in mountainous regions for the construction, completion, extension or purchase of houses. This scheme supplements the regular programmes for low-cost housing and the self-help housing on public and privately-owned lands and also covers housing maintenance. The housing situation is satisfactory and the number of housing units exceeds that required for the total population.
68. Czechoslovakia(15) introduced several new measures into the housing sector from January 1991 onwards. A new civil code created the basic legal framework for ownership of residences, for establishing relationships between landlords and tenants and for the return of houses to their previous owners. A commercial code established a new legal framework for the operation of cooperative societies and included provisions for the sale of houses to members of cooperative societies. A real estate market gradually developed but the establishment of mortgage banks was at an initial stage and housing construction on a commercial scale was still rare. State subsidies in housing were considerably reduced for houses as well as for modernization of the existing stock.
69. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is strengthening the facilities and capabilities of the Construction Design and Calculation Centre, the controlling body for all the design institutions in the country, through the introduction of computer-aided methods for planning, analysis and drafting.
70. Denmark has relaxed a number of rules relating to private housing. The Rent Act and Housing Regulations were amended as part of the Government’s plan for a gradual liberalization of the housing market. The Mortgage Credit Act was also amended to encourage more liberal lending conditions. The Individual Housing Allowance Act has been amended to improve the targeting of beneficiaries for the grant of subsidies. The volume of public subsidized house-building by non-profit organizations and cooperatives, as well as housing for the young, is regulated on the basis of estimates of local authorities.
71. Djibouti has prepared a plan of action as well as proposals for new institutional arrangements towards implementing the National Housing and Urban Development Policy. As a demonstration of the application of the enabling strategies, it is implementing a pilot housing project which involves infrastructural development of arid land and its subdivision into 1,400 plots for allocation to the low-income target group, setting up a housing-finance system, preparation of building plans, and the provision of technical assistance to owner-builders.
72. Ecuador has undertaken a series of seminars, courses and training programmes to provide basic training for improving living conditions.
73. In Egypt, the Governorate of Ismailia has assessed the sustainability of major natural resources (tourist attractions, fisheries, agriculture, reclaimable and buildable land, and underground water) and identified policy issues concerning development by competing and conflicting interests. Egypt has estimated its annual housing need in urban areas to be 300,000 units, of which 60 per cent is expected to be met by the private sector. A comprehensive five-year housing plan (1987-1992), now under implementation, pays special attention to the housing needs of destitutes. The plan for 1992-1993, which also places emphasis on the very poor, aims at the provision of serviced land to enable people to meet their shelter needs on a self-help basis. In the housing-finance sector, priority in lending is given to the limited-income group and for housing units not exceeding 90 square metres. The housing problem is attributed to high rates of population growth and of urbanization and to high urban densities. New growth centres are being created to reduce pressure on existing urban areas.
74. Ethiopia proclaimed a new housing and urban development policy in November 1991 aimed at gradual improvement of the present housing situation in which over 75 per cent of the people are living in slums and shanty settlements. The main contents of the new policy are to provide land to those intending to build houses, to open the housing market to private investment, to encourage and support housing cooperatives, to sell nationalized houses, and to pay compensation in appropriate cases. Major activities being undertaken in the shelter sector include urban housing construction for government institutions, housing construction by cooperatives and private individuals, upgrading of squatter settlements with external assistance from the World Bank, United Nations agencies and international NGOs, and rural development programmes. A national shelter strategy to provide an action-oriented framework for the implementation of the new housing policy is yet to be formulated.
75. Fiji has undertaken a review of housing and formulated a series of policy recommendations and strategies for improving housing supply for the low- and middle-income groups as well as for better management of urban areas. The new policy also seeks to increase the participation of the informal sector, CBOs and women’s groups. Monitoring of the shelter sector is at present confined to cost aspects including the cost of building materials, building construction, land development and interest on mortgages, and the relative movement between wages and building costs.
76. Finland has made a number of changes to its housing policies in order to improve housing access to the low-income sector. These include the application of a graduated mortgage payment system, introduction of a new legal instrument which provides security of tenure at a lower level of investment by households; gradual dismantling of rent control; and finer targeting of benefits in the form of tax exemption granted for the interest paid on housing loans. The institutional framework of the housing sector is also being streamlined. In the field of international cooperation Finland, through FINNIDA, continues to cooperate with UNCHS (Habitat) in the Support Programme for Preparing National Shelter Strategies and in the testing of the shelter sector performance indicators. Finland also actively promoted the formulation of the human settlements programme of Agenda 21.(3)
77. In Germany, the addition of some 4 million people within five years has led to serious shortfalls in housing provision. Housing construction is being increased from the previously sufficient rate of 200,000 units to 380,000 units each year. Furthermore, measures are being taken to carry out extensive maintenance of the housing stock which had suffered degradation under the previous policy of setting rentals below cost-recovery levels. In the field of international cooperation in the housing sector, Germany has supported the development of the cooperative housing approach in Senegal.
78. In Ghana, the Policy Planning and Evaluation Unit in the Ministry of Works and Housing has analysed data on key areas of land for housing, the construction and building-material industries, rural housing and finance for housing, with a view to preparing the national shelter strategy and programmes for execution by implementing agencies. The Strategic Planning Unit within the Department of Town and Country Planning has prepared a strategic development plan, investment prospectus, area-based action plans and a five-year implementation plan which has been agreed to by all concerned agencies. The preparation of the development plan has involved the use of a GIS and the establishment of an urban data-management system. A programme for decentralizing planning, administrative and management activities works directly with communities, especially women and youth, in order to strengthen the role of local governments as facilitators of local initiatives.
79. Grenada is preparing a national spatial development strategy based on maps produced through satellite imagery, and is updating legislation for promoting and controlling development and for environment impact assessment.
80. Guatemala has estimated a housing deficit of 1 million houses. In order to meet this need the National Housing Fund is being established as the lead agency in the sector. A pilot scheme is being undertaken for the reform of the land-registration system with the objective of issuing titles on the existing public housing.
81. Guinea is implementing its new housing policy to develop a programme for the construction of 10,000 housing units as an extension of the capital city, Conakry. Key characteristics of this programme are basic infrastructure, construction of social facilities, and cross-subsidies to increase affordability to the low-income sector. It has strengthened the organization, management and planning capacities of the crucial economic sectors, including housing and urban development. A housing development strategy has been incorporated into the national development plan and coordination between the shelter sector and other sectors in the economy is being achieved through the integration of sectoral databases for an increased contribution by the housing sector to national development.
82. Guinea-Bissau has commenced the implementation of the national shelter strategy.
83. Haiti has undertaken a review and analysis of housing needs, institutional efficiency, the land and housing markets, housing finance and the possibilities for establishing a coalition among the public sector, private sector and NGOs. It has commenced a project for decentralization of physical planning schemes for the coordination of public- and private-sector investments.
84. Honduras has set up a new institution, FOSOVI (Social Fund for Housing), to provide better guidance and coordination activities in the shelter sector.
85. Hungary organized a three-week training programme in local self-government management for 22 participants from Hungary, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia(15) using UNCHS (Habitat) manuals. The training programme helped to improve the participants’ capacities in client-centred and demand-driven approaches to local-government administration.
86. India has formulated a national housing policy which aims at the provision of affordable shelter, creation of an enabling environment by eliminating constraints, and development of an efficient system for delivery of housing inputs. To facilitate the shelter delivery system, the Government is formulating new schemes and amending existing legal provisions under which it would act as the provider for the poorest and most vulnerable sections and facilitate the housing activity of lower- and middle-income groups; encourage voluntary agencies in efforts to upgrade shelter; extend basic services and promote environmental conservation; and promote decentralized execution of housing schemes in urban and rural areas under the supervision of local bodies which would be suitably strengthened within the constitutional framework. The policy document emphasizes the complementary role of the public, private, cooperative and community sectors in the provision of shelter and basic services and the need for increased involvement of the private sector and cooperatives in land development and house construction.
87. Indonesia is preparing a national shelter strategy beginning with a regional shelter strategy for the province of Central Java, based on activities undertaken in two sample districts. The experience of the provincial exercise was reviewed at a national workshop on housing and human settlements in November 1992. A housing information system is being developed and will be integrated with the extensive information network recently established in the Ministry of Housing.
88. The Islamic Republic of Iran is taking several measures to increase housing production. For example, it is strengthening the research capabilities of the Building and Housing Research Centre in Tehran in the areas of small-scale cement production and improved lime production, and is introducing quality-control measures in construction and research for mitigating losses caused by building fires.
89. Jamaica has begun the preparation of a national spatial development strategy together with the establishment of a land-information system.
90. Jordan is preparing its first Housing Action Plan to guide the implementation of the National Housing Strategy. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation has been allocated the responsibility for the development and implementation of the housing policy and coordination of housing-related activities. A land reconnaissance survey has been undertaken in four main urban centres in order to identify locations for future government intervention to provide suitable land to low-income groups. The Housing Bank has adopted more liberal requirements for credit, including a 30-year repayment period without deposits. In order to encourage the role of the private sector, the Government has supported the formation and registration of the Jordan Housing Developers’ Association. A national housing survey is being undertaken to update socio-economic information on housing.
91. Kenya’s revised housing policy is yet to be officially approved. Meanwhile, a number of actions have been taken to facilitate the application of the enabling approach of the new policy. For example, the introduction of the Sectional Property Act is aimed at reducing housing cost and providing security of tenure over separate units in multi-unit housing developments. A number of seminars and workshops have been held in order to clarify approaches to selected issues such as slum upgrading, production of local building materials, informal settlements, disaster management, savings and loans and low-cost housing technologies. A handbook on land-use planning, administration and development procedures has been issued in order to inform the public and remove constraints in the housing development process. It is also investigating the use of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to finance housing for NSSF members. The National Council of Churches of Kenya is establishing a revolving fund based on community savings to provide credit through small loans to borrowers to build, improve or extend their houses. Kenya has also commenced the setting-up of a database for monitoring the performance of the shelter sector.
92. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has undertaken a systematic identification of responsible institutions in the shelter sector in order to attain a sustainable process of integrated urban development. The technical capacity of these institutions has been strengthened through various types of training, including digital mapping and financial management. It is also introducing a range of shelter-related infrastructure networks in the Sihom neighbourhood in central Vientiane, which is home to one of the poorest population groups. The work includes a network of primary, secondary and tertiary drainage, improved primary access roads, water- and electricity-supply systems, and improved garbage collection. The programme includes a primary school and a credit system for self-help construction and improvement of low-cost housing.
93. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is developing a settlements planning process as an essential means for guiding its development policy. It is updating the National Physical Perspective Plan to cover the period 1991 to 2010, incorporating the land needs of some 22 sectors including urban development and housing.
94. Malawi is strengthening its machinery for monitoring the implementation of the National Physical Development Plan to ensure institutional coordination at the central, district and local levels. As one of the activities for efficient implementation of its rural low-cost housing programme, Malawi is establishing village housing development groups and cooperatives in 24 districts and conducting promotion and training activities in credit-system and loan-recovery procedures. It has also stepped up training small-scale entrepreneurs in low-cost building-material production and house-building technologies, and is assisting them to obtain small business loans to establish themselves.
95. Malaysia is reviewing the national housing policy and held an eight-day training workshop on shelter strategy formulation on the occasion of World Habitat Day 1992. It has developed a fully operational information management system for the Ministry of Lands and Cooperative Development. The aim is to provide an up-to-date information system covering all aspects of development programmes being coordinated by the Ministry.
96. Maldives has undertaken a special study of the effective housing demand and construction capacity as part of investment-oriented development plans for selected islands. It has also analysed current and projected solid-waste management requirements, including environmental protection for the capital city, Male. Proposals for implementation include container-based collection, barge transport and landfill disposal.
97. Mali reviewed the constraints on and opportunities in the country’s rural and urban housing situation at a national seminar in which some 200 representatives of the public and private sectors participated. The seminar provided clear guidelines for the formulation of a national shelter strategy on which work began in September 1991, starting with five in-depth studies dealing respectively with institutions, housing finance, infrastructure, land and the building industry. The results of the assessment will be reviewed at a series of national seminars before finalization of the strategy.
98. Mexico is taking new measures to integrate shelter policies with its National Programme for Urban Development, which lays emphasis on the development of small and medium towns. The national policy aims to consolidate the functions of towns according to the hierarchy within the system, and fiscal and credit resources have been channelled for the construction and improvement of housing and the provision of land. Interministerial coordination exists for the location of industries, planning of the regional infrastructure network, and the promotion of private investment in strategic projects in selected cites.
99. Mongolia has undertaken a review of the human settlements sector including the current settlements patterns, housing demand and supply, and the construction industry.
100. Morocco has commenced the preparation of a national land-use policy in order to reduce regional disparities, promote development and encourage public participation in development.
101. Mozambique is strengthening the capacity of the public and private sectors to provide for planned, coordinated urban development with a focus on poverty alleviation and facilitating access to adequate shelter. In the field of low-cost sanitation, Mozambique has established a national unit which advises communities on sanitation and the construction of appropriate and affordable latrines in peri-urban areas. The programme includes training of artisans in production techniques and the creation of small enterprises to manufacture latrines and other building components in the urban areas throughout the country.
102. Myanmar has reorganized the Housing Department into the Department of Human Settlements and Housing Development. Shelter strategies have been linked with settlement programmes, particularly in the border area development programmes. Urban settlements are being expanded in order to provide land for landless families and local-authority capacity is being increased through the levying of user charges, property taxes and betterment taxes. Myanmar is developing a computerized urban database to provide an improved mechanism for housing delivery with emphasis on lower-income populations in resettlement areas as well as in inner city areas.
103. Namibia’s National Housing Policy of November 1991, which has been adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers, emphasizes partnership between public, semi-public, private and popular sectors. Based on the guidelines in the Policy, a national shelter strategy is being formulated as a bottom-up process, with two steering committees. A national housing programme has been launched in 20 urban areas and eight rural areas with the slogan "Build Together", under which the people initiate the action and take decisions and the Government supports this process by providing credit, technical assistance, removing legal and procedural obstacles and making services available. The lessons of the Build Together programme will form the foundations of the national shelter strategy.
104. Nepal has adopted a shelter strategy within its Basic Needs Programme. The strategy focuses on the promotion of the private sector with the State playing only a supporting and motivating role. State intervention measures will include the launching of innovative land-development projects, implementation of housing upgrading and home-improvement programmes in areas inhabited by the poor and encouraging the use of local construction materials. Nepal has also undertaken an intensive training programme for selected staff from various ministries and institutions in the use of the SHELTER computer programme in order to increase national capacity to review and formulate national and regional shelter strategies. Nepal has established a Town Development Fund Board as an autonomous financial intermediary to provide municipalities with long-term development finance for priority infrastructure and revenue-earning projects. Nepal has also undertaken an assessment of raw-material resources and is expanding the production of improved building materials, including stabilized-earth blocks, steel door and window frames, concrete elements for low-cost toilets and improved roofing materials. In addition, alternatives to the use of timber as a building material are being sought.
105. Nicaragua has decentralized the process for the preparation of its national shelter strategy. The active participation of the people and more than 80 local-government authorities has been ensured in the process of data gathering at the local level, in the diagnosis of priority needs and problems, and in the preparation of local-level shelter and human settlements policies. The diagnosis of the shelter sector prepared through this process was reviewed at a high-level national seminar in November 1992. The shelter strategy has also developed a portfolio of important projects being actively considered for assistance by donors.
106. The Niger is introducing a programme of basic infrastructure in the Yantala area of Niamey, the capital city. The activities include roads, drainage and sewerage facilities, credit facilities for landowners, and cost-recovery mechanisms for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure.
107. Nigeria has established a Housing Policy Council to coordinate activities in the shelter sector and other sectors of the economy. External assistance is being sought for the formulation of the national shelter strategy. Financing for development and maintenance of infrastructure by the states and local authorities has been mobilized. The entire housing-finance system has been overhauled and a two-tier system has been established with the Federal Mortgage Bank at the apex with a network of primary mortgage institutions as the second tier. A National Housing Fund has been established and all workers, financial institutions and insurance companies are mandatorily required to contribute to the Fund.
108. Oman has streamlined the provision of housing into three programmes. The Social Housing Programme completed and distributed 115 units with a further 260 units to be completed by early 1993. The Housing Assistance Programme has provided financial support to various areas and municipalities and is being increased.
109. Pakistan’s National Housing Policy, adopted by the Cabinet in February 1992, has declared housing to be a high-priority sector in the National Development Plan. The role of the Government in housing will primarily be to provide sites and services and credit, to ensure availability of building materials and to promote housing-finance institutions, whereas actual construction of housing will generally be left to the private sector. Greater emphasis will be laid on affordability, personal savings, self-help and cost recovery. Improvement and rehabilitation of the existing housing stock will receive the priority attention of the Government alongside new housing. No new encroachments, formation of squatter settlements and unauthorized constructions will be allowed or recognized henceforth. An austerity drive will be launched to economize on housing costs, avoid extravagant construction, facilitate incremental house building, ensure wider application of low-cost technology and optimum use of resources at the individual and national levels. The National Housing Policy will be coordinated with other development policies, e.g., population, employment, social welfare, fiscal and monetary policies.
110. Panama has undertaken a human settlements sector review which will be the basis for a new national shelter strategy.
111. The Philippines supported regional (sub-national) steering committees in the formulation of the national shelter strategy. This exercise involved all community-oriented training programmes, and assessment of information needs, institutional needs, institutionalization of the policy-making process, and assessment of informal land markets and of appropriate building techniques. Under the Government’s decentralizing policy the capacity of the regional and local government agencies is being strengthened to formulate and implement valuable housing policies, strategies and programmes for the urban lowest-income groups. The Government has set up a database and a system for gathering and disseminating housing data.
112. Qatar has undertaken a general overview and identification of existing responsibilities and working relationships among the departments involved in physical development activities with a view to improving the institutional structure for managing physical development. It is preparing a structure plan for Doha and surrounding areas to direct the growth of urbanization resulting from the high demand for urban land, housing facilities and infrastructure.
113. The Republic of Korea has continually evaluated and improved its shelter policies; thus no drastic revision has been made in recent years. It is now in the final stages of successfully completing the five-year (1988-1992) two million Housing Units Construction Plan. Important features of recent activities include the regular supply of land for new housing development through the land-acquisition process, new incentives to the private sector for shelter development, the permanent rental housing programme to cater to the needs of the lowest- income groups, the development of medium and intermediate cities, and the growing level of community participation in shelter strategies and programmes.
114. The Russian Federation has formulated a new national housing policy and has taken measures for the transformation of the housing sector under market conditions. The main objectives of the reform of this sector are adapting housing and municipal services to a market economy, satisfying new housing requirements through economically-viable distribution mechanisms, mobilizing people’s savings and public investment, and stimulating growth of the construction industry.
115. Sao Tome and Principe has undertaken a preliminary review of the human settlements sector and plans to undertake a more thorough assessment of the current situation and future lines of action in spheres of planning, urban management and shelter production and maintenance. Areas of particular attention will be appropriate intervention for land regularization, training, formulation of a strategy for urban development and housing, and housing development procedures in urban as well as rural areas.
116. Senegal has undertaken a pilot project for the production of some 200 housing units and associated infrastructure through six cooperatives. Among the main achievements in this field are the establishment of a revolving fund and the intensive training provided through workshops on data management, loan measures for cooperatives, clay brick manufacturing processes and housing-finance revolving procedures. It is expected that with the necessary adaptations some of the results of the pilot project will be applied in Senegal’s urban settlements.
117. Solomon Islands is developing a framework for a self-sustaining housing production and finance system that would be capable of meeting the continuing shelter needs of all income levels without subsidies.
118. Sri Lanka is implementing the 1.5 Million Houses Programme (1990-1995), which comprises 10 sub-programmes that aim to serve the housing needs of all income groups in the rural, urban and plantation areas with the participation of the public, private and cooperative sectors. A new housing-finance system has been established with the objective of maintaining a sustainable housing-finance system, especially for the low-income group. Important features of the implementation of the 1.5 Million Houses Programme are the inter-ministerial national-level committee, the district-level housing committees, housing and community development committees in each urban local authority and various community-level organizations. The National Working Women’s Movement has launched a housing programme with an initial target of building 2,500 houses countrywide for the benefit of needy families headed by widows.
119. The Sudan is focusing on the provision of land and the establishment of self-contained villages around the main urban centres to accommodate rural migrants, and internal and external refugees. A special institution has been created for managing illegal settlements and the establishment of a specialized housing bank is under consideration.
120. The Syrian Arab Republic is facilitating housing production through several measures, including a 50 per cent subsidy on building materials. Housing cooperatives, which already account for 10 per cent of the total housing production, are provided loans at favourable rates of interest. The Real Estate Bank administers several lending plans based on a contractual savings scheme.
121. Thailand is implementing its National Housing Plan (1991-1996) within the framework of the National Development Plan. A 50-member housing policy committee working in collaboration with the National Economic and Social Development Board oversees policy formulation, implementation and coordination with other sectors of the economy. The Government is encouraging the private sector in the shelter sector through a variety of incentives as well as by improving and extending the road networks and mass transit systems and initiating training programmes in real estate. A programme for the development of regional cities is also encouraging private-sector involvement in infrastructure provision.
122. Tunisia has formulated a new national shelter strategy with a focus on satisfying the needs of the lower income groups, improving living conditions in spontaneous settlements, reducing the production cost of housing by using local materials, and increasing the production of houses by the real estate industry. Legislative reforms are being undertaken to develop a new urban code for the development of towns and cities and a development and urbanization fund has been established to increase fund mobilization for the sector.
123. Uganda has completed the preparation of its national shelter strategy, which includes a detailed plan for its implementation. The main feature of the strategy is the development of measures to enable community organizations to produce adequate shelter. The recently completed national housing and population censuses will form the basis of a national database for assessing shelter sector performance. Access to infrastructure and services will be given priority.
124. The United Arab Emirates has established a new coordination mechanism through systematic deregulation of authority and has introduced legislation and systems for environmental protection. It has also reactivated the Physical Planning Agency for coordinating its development of housing, infrastructure and social facilities. It is also providing institutional support to Dubai Municipality through human resource development, improvements to the urban environmental situation, and the preparation of a strategic development plan.
125. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has taken a number of actions to implement its housing policy objectives. These include promoting the growth of owner-occupation, widening the choice for tenants, encouraging private investment in the rental sector, improving performance in the subsidized sector and directing public expenditure more efficiently towards those people and areas that most need support. In addition, it has undertaken some new innovative measures in specific issues, for example, the Green House Demonstration Programme, which aims to reduce energy consumption in housing in the interests both of the environment and of improving living conditions for residents. Public participation is being encouraged through tenant participation grants for the development of tenant-management cooperatives and estate management boards; encouraging local authorities to perform a key coordinating role and using housing and planning powers to stimulate activity by housing associations and the private sector; privatizing activities in the fields of water supply, sewerage and electricity generation and supply. In the area of international action, new activities include support for the UNCHS(Habitat)/UNDP/World Bank Urban Management Programme, training courses especially developed for particular countries, linking the larger United Kingdom local authorities with similar bodies in the developing countries and in Eastern Europe, and research in appropriate building methods. It also supports major NGOs, such as Homeless International and the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), which have active programmes in shelter and services in the developing countries.
126. The United Republic of Tanzania has rehabilitated the Tanzania Housing Bank to enable it to attract institutional sources of funding. It has also undertaken an assessment of the informal housing mechanisms to cater to the needs of low-income households.
127. Uruguay has established a Ministry of Housing, Land Planning and Environment in order to ensure adequate attention to policy and programming in these sectors.
128. Vanuatu has undertaken a review of the land market and housing-finance situation and of the availability of water to sustain expansion of settlements in selected areas through public- and private-sector initiatives.
129. Venezuela’s new housing policy law allocates 5 per cent of the national budget plus a compulsory nation-wide housing savings scheme (whereby 3 per cent of all the payrolls are allocated to shelter) to the construction, improvement or upgrading of housing. The housing policy goal is adequate shelter for all by the year 2005 and this target will be achieved through the construction of 3 million new units. The National Housing Council has been set up to coordinate existing shelter agencies and periodically update housing policies.
130. Viet Nam has established the National Centre for Planning and Rural Development to provide extensive training to expand technical knowledge on human settlements development. The Centre is also developing a rural settlements planning technology. It undertook a technical review of the overall solid-waste situation in Hanoi and has introduced the forced-air composting process in the treatment of refuse which will also produce organic fertilizer. The Institute of Building Materials has established a small-scale production and research capacity for fibre-concrete roofing sheets and tiles. Three pilot plants for the experiments on and test production of fibre-concrete roofing tiles and one pilot plant for the production of roofing sheets have been established. Early indications show that tile technology can be quickly adopted and disseminated throughout the country.
131. Yemen has strengthened the capacity of its building-materials laboratory and improved the quality control of locally produced materials. It has also prepared a new legislative framework for regulating standards, quality control, production processes and the use of building materials. Yemen has estimated a housing target of 340,000 units and is attempting to improve the situation by the allocation of sites, the construction of core houses, and the provision of loans. A recent influx of returnees and refugees has contributed to the development of haphazard settlements.
132. Zambia has estimated a housing shortfall of 230,000 units in urban areas and current production levels are unable to meet new needs. In order to address this problem, institutional changes are being made with the creation of a Department of Housing responsible for the formulation of policy, coordination of housing development and monitoring and evaluation. It has undertaken a review of the operational procedures of the Zambia National Building Society and has established the Zambia Housing Development Fund to work in partnership with the Building Society. The Fund became fully operational during 1992. In order to strengthen small-scale industries, Zambia has reviewed national and regional experiences in the field of low-cost building materials and construction techniques and has trained local officials and artisans in building-materials production and technology for low-income housing. Courses in community participation in seven local council areas have been organized. The training is provided to district council officers, community leaders and representatives from NGOs from selected settlements. A food-for-work programme is being undertaken to upgrade infrastructure and improve sanitary conditions in the spontaneous settlements in Lusaka and other urban areas. The programme extensively involves NGOs, CBOs and the settlement residents.
133. Zimbabwe has completed its national shelter strategy and is implementing a pilot project based on strategies for more economical urban land use and low-cost infrastructure to demonstrate the new minimum infrastructure standards and low-cost infrastructure designs.
134. Several United Nations organizations and agencies have taken actions which promote the improvement of shelter and services.
135. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) reviewed shelter and human settlements issues within the framework of a review of Africa’s economic and social performance in 1991 and prospects for 1992. The issues considered included the environment, population growth, transport, natural resources and information for development.
136. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) organized five workshops and seminars on housing reform in the Central and Eastern European countries. The first workshop, held at Bucharest, was on rent policies; the second workshop, held at Bratislava, was devoted to housing finance; the third workshop, which dealt mainly with public/private partnership, took place at Berlin in October 1991; the fourth workshop, on social housing, was held at Budapest; and the fifth, on land management, was held at Bucharest in October 1992. Each workshop was attended by experts from Western and Eastern European countries and by representatives of ECE and UNCHS (Habitat).
137. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) organized a Regional Meeting of Ministers and High-level Authorities of the Housing and Urban Development Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean at Santiago, Chile, from 16 to 20 March 1992. In this activity, ECLAC collaborated with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development of Chile, UNDP, the Inter-American Development Bank, and UNCHS (Habitat). Representatives of some 26 countries, United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and special guests attended. The Meeting considered challenges facing countries in the region, where over 70 per cent of the population live in urban areas, and from 30 to 40 per cent of urban dwellers lack adequate housing or access to such basic amenities as clean water and sewerage. The Meeting agreed that the Global Strategy for Shelter provided the principal means to meet this challenge and that the focus of national action should be on improvements in the living and working environments of the people.
138. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) reviewed progress made at the regional level in the implementation of the Strategy. It organized a number of seminars and workshops on human settlements issues including the urban economy and productivity, the urban environment, and the promotion of component building in the informal sector. It issued a publication on metropolitan fringe development focusing on informal land subdivision. A ministerial meeting on urbanization in Asia and the Pacific is planned to be held in September 1993.
139. The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in cooperation with the Government of Yemen and the Islamic Development Bank, organized the Symposium on Low-cost Housing in the Arab Region at Sana’a in October 1992. This Symposium reviewed both the technical and financial aspects of low-cost housing in the Arab region.
140. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in addition to providing funding for a large number of technical cooperation projects for execution by the Centre, is providing the core funding for and substantive monitoring of the Urban Management Programme (UMP) and is placing increasing emphasis on urban development and the human settlements sector in its programme of assistance to developing countries. It has supported the development and testing of the housing indicators in a number of countries and is working towards incorporating one or more indicators on adequacy of housing in the determination of the Human Development Index. UNDP has also supported the UNCHS (Habitat)/FINNIDA Support Programme for Preparing National Shelter Strategies in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
141. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) collaborated with UNCHS (Habitat) on a study on "The relationship between underemployment and unemployment and shelter provision" (HS/C/14/2/Add.2).
142. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in collaboration with UNCHS (Habitat), organized a Consultation on the Wood Industry in February 1991 at Vienna, and the Second Consultation on Building Materials in November 1991 at Athens. The First Global Consultation on the Construction Industry, being jointly organized by UNIDO and UNCHS (Habitat), was held at Tunis in May 1993. The Consultation focused on the current constraints on improving the performance of the construction industry in developing countries (such as the chronic shortage of building materials, low labour productivity, lack of managerial and technical skills, and low capitalization of construction enterprises), and will search for new initiatives to strengthen the construction sector in developing countries. An inter-agency meeting was held at Tunis from 24 to 27 February 1992 to begin preparatory work for the Global Consultation.
143. Agenda 21,(3) adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), includes a human settlements programme which contains programme action areas directly relating to the objectives of the Global Strategy for Shelter. These areas are adequate shelter for all, human settlements management, land-resource management, environmental infrastructure, construction and human-resource development and capacity-building. The programme sets out a number of activities to be undertaken by the United Nations system as well as by Member States.
144. The World Health Organization (WHO). The joint WHO/FAO/UNEP/UNCHS (Habitat) Panel of Experts on Environmental Management for Vector Control (PEEM) met at Harare in 1992 for its Collaborating Centre Steering Committee meeting. The meeting resolved on a number of proposals which would be further developed to achieve the goals set by the PEEM medium-term programme, 1991-1995. These included:
145. The International Steering Committee for Cooperative Action for the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade held the International Conference on Water and the Environment in Dublin in January 1992. The Conference made substantive inputs towards the formulation of the chapter of Agenda 21 on water.
146. Several bilateral and multilateral agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are active in supporting different aspects of the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000. Examples of activities undertaken by these organizations are given below.
147. The World Bank continues to be an active partner in the joint UNCHS (Habitat)/World Bank/UNDP Urban Management Programme, now in its second phase, which places more emphasis on local-level action in the areas of land management, municipal finance, infrastructure and services, the living environment and capacity-building. The World Bank, in cooperation with UNCHS (Habitat), has also taken initiatives to test the Housing Indicators in cities in over 50 countries and analysed the experience to identify the indicators suitable for application in the shelter sector.
148. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is funding several projects directly concerned with improving the living environment of the poor. One such project, the Construyamos Self-Help Contractors Project in Colombia, responds to the Colombian Government’s overall policy for the Eradication of Absolute Poverty, which promotes an integrated approach to the eradication of poverty with an emphasis on community development, employment generation and active community participation. CIDA is also funding the project, Africa 2000: Municipal Response, being undertaken as a joint effort between the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and African local governments to increase the latter’s capacity to address the growing problems of urban management. Canada’s International Development Research Centre has been assisting developing countries to seek indigenous and sustainable solutions to development problems. For example, in Paraguay, a research project to control the incidence of Chagas’ disease through building better homes tested new local building materials which are more durable and resistant to degradation, and developed new building technologies to provide for better-built and easier-to-clean homes.
149. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has collaborated with the Centre and the World Bank in the testing of Housing Indicators and in analysing the experience in different countries.
150. The Global Parliamentarians on Habitat and Development, at their conference held at Vancouver, Canada, from 15 to 20 March 1992, adopted the Vancouver 1992 Declaration (HS/C/14/INF.4, annex I), which recommended action on several critical issues, and forwarded their recommendation to the Preparatory Committee for UNCED.
151. The Conference of Ministers of Housing and Physical Planning of Central and Eastern Europe, in cooperation with UNCHS (Habitat), took place on 4 and 5 February 1992, at Warsaw. Delegations from Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,(15) Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and the Russian Federation, and UNCHS (Habitat) adopted a Declaration in which they noted that the implementation of attempted reforms in the countries of the subregion is taking place in conditions of general economic crisis, which makes the solution of housing problems particularly difficult at the current stage of transition to a market economy. Typical challenges observed in the countries of the subregion which influenced the process of housing reform were lack of legislation adequate to the conditions of a market economy; lack of specialized institutions, qualified management and technical staff, equipment, methods and procedures; lack of appropriate financial and fiscal systems, resulting especially in restricted credits and contributing to high interest rates; an accumulated housing deficit; low-quality and poor maintenance of a significant portion of housing stock and infrastructure; the inefficient and rigid structure of the existing construction and building-materials industries; the rapid increase in construction costs and land prices; a decrease in the population’s purchasing power in conditions of high inflation and freeing of prices; and a steep decline in the construction of housing units as a result of these circumstances. On their way towards a market economy Central and Eastern European countries shared a number of principles as the basis for their new housing policies. The Conference decided that ministers responsible for the human settlements sector in Central and Eastern European countries would meet once a year to continue the exchange of experience and results achieved in the field of housing in order to solve problems incurred in the transition to a market economy. Teams of national experts are holding professional meetings to discuss and exchange experiences, innovative approaches and information on national legislation. Expert group meetings have been held on privatization of the existing housing stock (Russian Federation, September 1992) and land management, regulations and registration (Romania, October 1992). A meeting on a strategy for human-resource development and training was scheduled to be held in Hungary in 1993.
152. The League of Arab States (LAS), in cooperation with the Government of Egypt and UNCHS (Habitat), provided support to the Global Strategy for Shelter Arab States Regional Conference on National Shelter Strategies, held at Cairo from 13 to 17 December 1992.
153. The Overseas Development Administration (ODA) of the United Kingdom is supporting the UNCHS(Habitat)/World Bank/UNDP Urban Management Programme, particularly in the field of increasing the capacity of city managers to function as coordinators, planners and facilitators rather than controllers. Local authorities in the United Kingdom are establishing direct links with similar institutions in the developing countries as well as in Central and Eastern Europe. The Overseas Unit of the Building Research Establishment has developed an improved machine to make stabilized-soil building blocks, leading to healthier and more durable buildings. ODA is also supporting ITDG, which has developed various low-cost technologies which meet the needs of the poor and are applicable by small businesses. ODA’s bilateral assistance towards improving the living environment in developing countries continues to place emphasis on improving housing, water supply, sanitation, transport and power distribution, on upgrading of slums, and on providing training in United Kingdom institutions.
154. The Netherlands provided assistance to a number of developing countries in improving shelter and services. It is also supporting some of the environmental components of the UNCHS (Habitat) Sustainable Cities Programme and hosted and supported the Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements, held at The Hague in November 1992.
155. Programme Solidarité Habitat (PSH) of France supports and reinforces development initiatives in developing countries through direct relationships between local authorities, professional associations and NGOs in France and in developing countries. The Programme has a focus on improving access to shelter by the most underprivileged with activities in the areas of municipal and neighbourhood management, community development, financial systems for social housing, development of networks for building materials and training. PSH is managed by a committee in France comprised of the federation of local authorities, professional organizations, major French NGOs and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, of Cooperation and Development, and of Public Works, and the Interministerial Delegation of Towns. Examples of current cooperation programmes are a French NGO, ATD Fourth World, project in Choele-Choele, Argentina, for setting up a construction-materials workshop; a project by the Municipality of Saint-Fons and professional organizations of the Rhone region in the upgrading of Kabele 40 district of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia; and the Municipality of Reze and the NGO, AITEC, project for the formulation and implementation of a local-level housing policy in Villa El Salvador in Peru.
156. The African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO) held its eighth General Assembly at Cairo from 13 to 20 January 1992. The meeting was attended by delegates from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The meeting highlighted the importance of performance-oriented standards in relation to the development of local technological capacity, which in the context of local building materials will require the formulation of standards for raw materials, instructions on testing methods, guidelines on quality-control procedures in protection, specifications and codes of practice.
157. The Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) is primarily concerned with the shelter rights of the poor. It has sent international fact-finding teams to Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea on alleged housing rights violations and evictions. It is implementing a community-based improvement project in an urban slum community in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. It has published and distributed a book, A Decent Place to Live: Urban Poor in Asia. It was also active in organizing a South-South dialogue between communities in Asia and South Africa at the South Africa People’s Dialogue organized at Johannesburg, where 150 leaders of grass-roots organizations from slum communities in various South African cities met for the first time.
158. ENDA Tiers-monde, an international association for environment and development in the third world based at Dakar, was especially active in promoting the links between shelter and sustainable development in the preparatory process of UNCED during 1991 and 1992. In collaboration with the Environment Liaison Centre in Nairobi, ENDA organized a series of preparatory regional meetings in Africa, north and south of the Sahara, the Caribbean and South-East Asia, to provide NGOs from various continents with an opportunity to express their opinions and their commitment to the Rio process. Analysing the complex relationships between shelter, environment and poverty, especially in urban settings, has been one of the axes of these regional discussions.
159. Fedevivienda is a Colombian NGO, active in supporting a large number of CBOs and smaller NGOs in improving shelter and services in poor settlements. Fedevivienda has also established links with a number of NGOs and CBOs in other countries in Latin America and is acting as the Latin American Focal Point of HIC. In cooperation with several Latin American and Brazilian NGOs and CBOs it organized a workshop on shelter and the environment at the 1992 Global Forum in Rio de Janiero during UNCED.
160. Habitat for Humanity International has developed a global programme of providing housing for the needy by dedicated volunteers who have mobilized local businesses, religious organizations, chambers of commerce and similar non-governmental organizations. These houses are provided on the basis of repayment rates tailored to the affordability levels of individual families. This programme, which started in Atlanta, Georgia, has now spread to 40 countries and has set two new targets: to eliminate all poor housing in Sumter Country, Georgia, by the year 2000, and to eliminate poor housing at the city level in Atlanta by 1996.
161. The Habitat International Coalition (HIC) is a voluntary organization with some 300 grass-roots community organizations and NGOs in its membership. It operates as an international pressure group defending the rights of the homeless, the poor and those without decent housing. Its annual conferences in 1991 and 1992 were devoted to preparing for UNCED. In 1991, HIC organized a preparatory meeting in Mexico City entitled "How Common is Our Future?" and in 1992, at its annual meeting in Tunis, focused on the environmental crisis in third world cities and on problems of urban poverty. HIC supported the efforts of UNCHS (Habitat) during the preparatory process of UNCED, adequately addressing the links between human settlements and sustainable development, and also promoted the issue at the NGO Global Forum held at Rio de Janeiro.
162. HIC established the Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), which has issued publications that set the legal basis of the right to housing and has successfully promoted the adoption by the United Nations Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities of a resolution condemning forced evictions as a gross violation of international law, in particular, the internationally recognized right to housing. COHRE has also promoted the adoption by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, at its session in November 1991, of a "General Comment" on the Right to Adequate Housing. The Comment is considered to be the most authoritative legal interpretation of housing rights so far under international law.
163. The HIC Women and Shelter Network, based at Nairobi, is developing a global network of initiative centres to increase attention to women’s issues in shelter policies, programmes and projects. It held the meeting on women and shelter for English-speaking African countries at Harare in April 1991, after which a number of new initiative centres were established in Africa. The Network has been active in HIC’s global campaign for housing rights, especially through lobbying efforts against evictions, and it participated in the work of the United Nations Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities in August 1991 at Geneva. It has also been actively involved in the preparatory meetings of UNCED and made substantive contributions to the NGO conference "Costs of the Future?", held in Paris in December 1991, to establish the NGO position on the issues to be considered by UNCED at Rio de Janeiro. It also contributed to the issue of women’s access to housing, land and basic services in the World Women’s Congress for a Healthier Planet held at Miami, Florida, in November 1991. These efforts culminated in the workshops on women, shelter and the environment that the Network organized during UNCED.
164. The Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) of India and UNCHS (Habitat) jointly organized a housing-finance workshop on the theme "Integrating Housing Finance into the National Finance Systems of Developing Countries" at Goa, India, from 10-14 June 1991. HDFC has extended its housing-loan facilities in India with innovative home savings plans operating in the urban as well as the rural areas. It has initiated the establishment of the Coalition of Housing Finance Institutions in Asia involving financial institutions from three other Asian countries, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Thailand. The Coalition aims to promote specific projects to demonstrate the nature of links that can be forged between the formal and informal sectors for housing finance. In addition, HDFC has organized three training programmes in housing finance for mid-career professionals from Asia and Africa.
165. Homeless International (HI), a United Kingdom NGO, has increased its support to a range of developing country and community-based organizations to improve shelter and living conditions. It has also supported a visit between the poor of India and South Africa. HI is currently supporting settlement development initiatives in Chile, Jamaica, Kenya and Malawi. The projects it supports range from the provision of revolving-loan funds for land purchase and self-help construction, to training women in construction trade skills, pilot projects to test the feasibility of low-cost sewerage and drainage systems for hillside dwellers, and the organization of forums where NGO, government and private-sector personnel can come together to plan more effectively at the national level for shelter development initiatives. Increasingly, the projects being supported are likely to have a significant impact on local and national enabling strategies developed in line with the Global Strategy for Shelter. For example, HI is providing assistance to an NGO in the Caribbean to expand its disaster-mitigation work so that NGOs and community groups, which have played such an important role in reconstruction after recent severe hurricanes, can contribute to national disaster planning. The development of a People’s Building Code will not only be a handbook for self-help builders in low-income settlements but will also provide assistance to government planners reviewing the regulatory framework that governs residential development. In Chile, HI is helping a local cooperative to train local carpenters in a low-cost technique for "recycling" shanty housing in some of the poorest areas of Santiago. The carpenters in turn are helping local residents to improve their housing on a self-help basis. A revolving-loan fund ensures that each family will be able to carry out the improvements and, as the money is repaid, the funds will be used to develop community facilities that will benefit everyone in the settlement.
166. The Global Strategy for Shelter Plan of Action for 1994-1995 is contained in the appendix. The Plan of Action will be carried out by Member States and through intergovernmental cooperation, by the Commission on Human Settlements, by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (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.
167. The Plan of Action for 1994-1995 takes into account the recommendations of Agenda 21 in so far as they concern human settlements activities as well as enhancing the role of the private and non-governmental sectors. It also takes into consideration the recommendations of the Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements, held at The Hague in November 1992.
168. As called for by the General Assembly in its resolution 43/181 of 20 December 1988, the Commission on Human Settlements will submit its next biennial report containing a plan of action for 1996-1997 to the Assembly at its fiftieth session in 1995.
169. The account given in this report of activities undertaken at the national and international levels indicates that many Governments are actively seeking improvements to the living environment of their populations. It should be noted that most developing countries have made the reported achievements in spite of difficult economic circumstances. Partly as a result of this, very few countries have been able to undertake holistic reorganization of the shelter sector as envisaged in the Global Strategy for Shelter. Most Governments have taken a step-by-step approach to reorganization of the shelter sector, with a focus on improvements, whether physical, legal, institutional or other, in the less complex issues. Thus, there are many cases of institutional reorganization in order to improve the framework for guiding and coordinating activities in the shelter sector. Similarly, there are many cases of revision of the legislative framework governing the shelter sector. Some of the initiatives are supported by newly established databases and geographic information systems, using microcomputer facilities. In addition, a number of Governments have taken steps to involve the private sector, NGOs and CBOs in shelter strategies. The "enabling approach" has gradually been accepted by most countries.
170. Despite this encouraging progress, action by Governments needs to be intensified in the three crucial areas of access to land, infrastructure and finance, all key areas for public sector intervention for establishing a fully enabling framework. Only a limited number of countries have taken effective action to ensure an adequate supply of land for shelter programmes. In the field of investment in infrastructure, most of the actions taken by Governments are investments made through external assistance. In the case of finance, most activities concern tapping of resources from within the country both from institutional sources such as social security funds as well as the savings of poor communities. Under the current economic situation only a limited impact can be expected in most developing countries. From the above indications, it may be concluded that while many Governments have taken positive steps towards national shelter strategies, their impact on the living environment of the poor remains rather limited. It would be possible to make an assessment of the situation when countries begin to apply the shelter sector performance indicators vigorously.
1. Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 8, addendum (A/44/8/Add.1). [Go back to text]
2. Ibid., Forty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 8, addendum and corrigendum (A/44/8/Add.1 and Corr.1). [Go back to text]
3. Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8), vol. I: Resolutions Adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II. [Go back to text]
4. The recommendations are contained in "Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements: report of the Executive Director" (HS/C/14/2/Add.4). [Go back to text]
5. Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8), vol. I: Resolutions Adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II, chap. 7. [Go back to text]
6. Ibid., para. 7.5. [Go back to text]
7. Ibid., para. 7.9. [Go back to text]
8. Ibid., para. 7.12. [Go back to text]
9. See Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000: Subregional Seminars to Support National Action (Nairobi, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), 1991) (HS/251/91E). [Go back to text]
10. See Report of the Interregional Workshop in Integration of Housing Finance into the National Finance Systems of Developing Countries, Goa, India, 10-14 June 1991 (Nairobi, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), 1991) (HS/243/91E). [Go back to text]
11. See Guidelines for the Improvement of Land-registration and Land-information Systems in Developing Countries (Nairobi, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), 1990) (HS/215/90E). [Go back to text]
12. See Towards a Strategy for the Full Participation of Women in All Phases of the United Nations Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 (Nairobi, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), 1990) (HS/198/90E). [Go back to text]
13. See "Women’s participation in the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000" (HS/C/14/2/Add.3). [Go back to text]
14. See "Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements: report of the Executive Director" (HS/C/14/2/Add.4), annex. [Go back to text]
15. On 1 January 1993, subsequent to the preparation of the present report, Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. [Go back to text]
| Member States | United Nations General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Settlements, and United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) | United Nations agencies and organizations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and non-governmental organizations |
|---|---|---|
January onwards |
January onwards |
January onwards |
1. Conduct an independent review of achievements of the Government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) in the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 (GSS) Plan of Action in the country. 2. Prepare a new or revised national plan of action for the period 1994-1995 in consultation with the private sector, NGOs and CBOs. 3. Formulate the national shelter strategy, if this has not already been done, based on the recommendations in the GSS and the UNCED Agenda 21 programme on human settlements, and promote an integrated approach to the development and management of human settlements. 4. Update the existing NSS by incorporating into it:
5. Set up a national database on shelter and oservices, starting, if necessary, from a limited lgeoqraphic area (e.g., a large city) incorporating relevant environmental and development information. 6. Set up a monitoring group consisting of the relevant government departments, research institutions, the private sector and NGOs to apply the GSS Monitoring Guidelines for NSS and the shelter sector performance indicators. 7. Hold national, subnational and municipal workshops to review the results of the application of the monitoring guidelines and the shelter sector performance indicators, involving all relevant government ministries and agencies, the private sector, NGOs, CBOs and research institutes 8. From the above review identify constraints in shelter production and reasons for lack of affordability of different shelter solutions and initiate remedial action. 9. Facilitate the overall performance of the `shelter sector through rigorous application of the Guidelines for National Action contained in Part III of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, paying particular attention to:
10. Establish channels through which individuals, community organizations and NGOs can comment on the NSS and contribute to its formulation, implementation and monitoring. 11. Encourage the involvement of the private sector in shelter and service production for the middle- and lower-income sections of the population, using as a guide the recommendations of the Third International Shelter Conference, held at Washington, D.C. in April 1990, and chapter 30 of Agenda 21 (Strengthening the role of business and industry). 12. Encourage NGOs and CBOs to expand their activities in the shelter sector by using, as a guide, the recommendations of the Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements held at The Hague in 1992, and chapter 27 of Agenda 21 (Strengthening the role of NGOs: partners for sustainable development), and undertake collaboration between governmental agencies and NGOs to promote environmental awareness through joint activities such as the development of a handbook on a citizen's code of environmental conduct. 13. Establish a national committee, representing all sectors of the population, to monitor the observance of the right to housing. 14. Cooperate in the exchange of information on the formulation and implementation of the NSS and contribute to activities for the global exchange of information and experience. 15. Consider possibilities for technical cooperation between developing countries. Review development cooperation policies in support of the GSS. 16. Participate actively in the preparatory process of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), paying particular attention to the objectives of the GSS and to links between shelter and other aspects of human settlements. 17. All Member States, in particular those that are disaster-prone, to mitigate the negative impact of natural and other disasters on shelter land services through developing a "culture of safety", undertaking pre-disaster planning and linitiatinq post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation that lead to sustainable settlements. |
1. Provide substantive support to Member States in the preparation, revision, implementation and monitoring of national shelter strategies (NSS) in accordance with the recommendations contained in the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 and the UNCED Agenda 21 programme on human settlements. 2. Continue to assist Member States in obtaining technical assistance for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of NSS. 3. Continue to assist Member States in the setting up of shelter databases and the application of shelter sector performance indicators. 4. Continue to support national workshops on the GSS and Member States in national capacitybuilding and the development of human resources. 5. Continue to provide advisory services upon request to Member States on different issues concerning the NSS. 6. Continue to support governmental and non-governmental initiatives for increased participation of women in the implementation of the GSS. 7. Support the initiatives of Member States and NGOs to increase mutual dialogue and to implement the recommendations of the Meeting on Governmental-Non-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements, held at The Hague in November 1992, and of chapter 27 of Agenda 21 (Strengthening the role of NGOs: partners for sustainable development). 8. Support the initiatives of Member States and the private sector towards implementation of the recommendations of the Third International Shelter Conference, held at Washington, D.C., in April 1990, and of chapter 30 of Agenda 21 (Strengthening the role of business and industry). 9. Support the initiatives of Member States for subreqional action and interreqional cooperation, including the holding of consultation meetings to develop a plan of action to manage rapid urban growth. 10. Continue to promote intersectoral collaboration within and outside the United Nations system with a view to strengthening the links between shelter and other sectors. 11. Establish liaison with the secretariat of the Commission on Sustainable Development with a view to cooperating in the monitoring of the shelter sector. 12. Continue liaison with multilateral and bilateral agencies to increase emphasis on shelter and the living environment. 13. Continue cooperation with intergovernmental organizations with a view to promoting the implementation of the GSS. 14. Continue cooperation with scientific, research and training institutions and their networks with a view to expanding the understanding of issues in shelter and services. 15. Continue to support the activities of NGOs and private-sector organizations to enable them to strengthen their role at the national and international levels. 16. Continue research on access to land and finance and on appropriate institutional frameworks and the promotion of community participation in shelter and services and disseminate the results. 17. Continue studies and research on sustainable approaches to building materials, construction, technology, water supply, sanitation, waste disposal, transport and energy for meeting the GSS objectives and disseminate the results. 18. Expand the database on the GSS based on national monitoring of shelter strategies and assessment of the performance of the shelter sector. 19. Continue the production and dissemination of technical and promotional information on the GSS. 20. Ensure that ways of achieving the objectives of the GSS are adequately addressed in the preparatory process of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). |
1. The programme of action within the framework of the United Nations should be aimed at:
2. Regional commissions
3. Other United Nations organizations and agencies will review their programmes to identify areas in which they can contribute to the implementation of the GSS and Agenda 21 through technical cooperation and other ways. 4. Multilateral and bilateral agencies will review their activities in support of the GSS during the past plans of action and prepare new plans of action for 1994-1995, with particular emphasis on:
5. Donor NGOs will review with development cooperation agencies ways of implementing the recommendations for international and national action of the Meeting on GovernmentalNon-governmental Cooperation in the Field of Human Settlements, held at The Hague in November 1992, as well as those of Agenda 21 on the human settlements programme (chapter 7) and NGOs (chapter 27). 6. National and local NGOs will increase support to CBOs and seek support from Governments, international agencies and donor NGOs to enable them to implement the recommendations of The Hague Meeting, referred to above, as well as those in chapter 27 of Agenda 21. 7. NGOs and CBOs in the shelter sector will form a national umbrella organization in order to strengthen their role in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the NSS. 8. Private-sector organizations in the shelter sector will increase liaison with governmental agencies with a view to increasing the role of private-sector developers and housing-finance institutions in middle- and low-income housing, through the implementation of the recommendations of the Third Shelter Conference as well as those in chapter 30 of Agenda 21 (Strengthening the role of business and industry). 9. NGOs and the private sector will increase their communication networks at the local, national and international levels on their achievements and on ways to increase their involvement in the implementation of the NSS and will take an active role in the preparations for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). |
18. Participate in Economic and Social Council discussion on issues related to shelter and human settlements. 19. Prepare and forward to UNCHS (Habitat) the national report for consideration in preparation for the biennial report on the implementation of the GSS. |
21. The Economic and Social Council will consider issues related to shelter and human settlements. |
10. NGOs with recognized status participate in proceedings of Economic and Social Council on issues related to shelter. |
20. Observe World Habitat Day (WED) by involving the private sector, NGOs and CBOs. Release the reports on the application of GSS Monitoring Guidelines for NSS and shelter sector performance indicators. Announce plans for the future. Send to UNCHS (Habitat) report on WED activities in the country. |
22. UNCHS (Habitat) will mark World Habitat Day 1994. |
11. Observe World Habitat Day by reporting on past activities and announcing plans for the future, and to co-finance activities and provide other support to Member States, NGOs and CBOs to commemorate the Day. |
21. United Nations Pledging Conference: Announce voluntary contributions to the Plan of Action of the GSS. |
23. United Nations Pledging Conference will allow Governments that are in a position to do so to contribute to the funding of the GSS. |
|
January onwards |
January onwards |
January onwards |
22. Continue actions in 1 and 17 above. 23. Review progress in implementing the NSS and adjust action programmes in the light of experience. 24. Continue to play an active role in the preparatory process of the United Nations (Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and ensure that the objective of shelter for all is ladequately addressed. |
24. UNCHS (Habitat) will continue to support national, subreqional and interreqional actions as indicated out in 1-20 above. |
12. The United Nations system as a whole will further enhance its role in the GSS as set out in 1 above. 13. Regional commissions will continue their collaboration in the implementation of the GSS as indicated in 2 above. 14. Other United Nations agencies and organizations and bilateral agencies will continue their collaboration in the implementation of the GSS. 15. NGOs and the private sector will increase communication and further strengthen their role in the NSS to become effective collaborators with government. |
25. Present a progress report on the NSS to the Commission on Human Settlements at its fifteenth session (CHS-15), including the results of the monitoring of the shelter sector. 26. Pledge support for the implementation of the GSS. 27. Review the NSS in the light of decisions of CHS-15 and revise the national plan of action as necessary. 28. Review the application of shelter indicators in the light of decisions of CHS-15. 29. Initiate other actions in compliance with CHS-15 resolutions. |
25. CHS-15 will:
|
16. United Nations organizations and agencies will submit reports to CHS-15. 17. Multilateral and bilateral agencies will submit status reports to CHS-15. 18. NGOs with recognized status will participate in CHS-15. |
30. Participate in the Economic and Social Council's discussion on the GSS. |
26. The Economic and Social Council will review:
|
19. NGOs with recognized status will participate in Economic and Social Council meetings on the GSS. |
31. Observe World Habitat Day (WED) 1995 by involving the private sector, NGOs and CBOs. Release the reports on application of the GSS Monitoring Guidelines for the NSS and shelter sector performance indicators. Announce plans for the future. Send to UNCHS (Habitat) report Ion WED activities in the country. |
27. Mark World Habitat Day (WED) 1995. |
20. Observer World Habitat Day, report on past activities and announce plans for the future. |
32. United Nations Pledging Conference: announce voluntary contributions to the Plan of Action of the GSS. 33. Participate in the deliberations related to the GSS in the General Assembly and make preparations to implement the resolution of the General Assembly on the GSS. |
28. United Nations Pledging Conference will allow Governments that are in a position to do so to contribute to the funding of the GSS. 29. The General Assembly will review a progress report on the GSS and:
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21. NGOs with recognized status will participate in the General Assembly meetings on the GSS. |