United Nations		ADDENDUM
GENERAL ASSEMBLY		Supplement No. 8 (A/50/8/Add.1)
Fiftieth session		24 May 1995
Official Records		NEW YORK

I. Introduction

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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 submitted its reports to the Assembly at its forty-fourth, forty-sixth and forty-eighth sessions. At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly, after considering the third report of the Commission on the implementation of the Global Strategy, adopted resolution 48/178 on 21 December 1993, in which it commended Governments that were revising, consolidating, formulating or implementing their national shelter strategies based on the enabling principles of the Global Strategy; recommended that Governments adopt a cost-effective system for monitoring the progress of their national shelter strategy 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 the implementation of the Global Strategy; urged the international community to strengthen its support for national efforts; and urged the organizations of the United Nations system, particulary 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 Strategy’s Plan of Action.

2. The present report covers the period from May 1993 until the Commission’s fifteenth session, which concluded in May 1995.

3. The objective of the Global Strategy for Shelter is 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 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 that the people themselves cannot undertake effectively. In most countries, these enabling actions include:

• (a) Creating an institutional mechanism that can act as the lead agency in the shelter sector and can effectively coordinate related actions of other agencies, local authorities and all non-public actors;
• (b) Installing major infrastructure works and establishing a system for the involvement of peoples’ organizations, including the private sector, in the installation, operation and maintenance of all subsidiary networks;
• (c) Ensuring efficient operation of the market in land, finance and building materials, so that there is affordable access to all income sectors;
• (d) Establishing channels for public participation by all sectors of the population in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring of the national shelter strategy at the local and national levels.

5. The present report is a brief overview of actions by Governments to put enabling shelter strategies into effect. The real impacts of these initiatives can be accessed by the application of the Shelter Sector Performance Indicators. This is now being done in selected countries under the Housing Indicators Programme implemented by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).

6. The Commission is not proposing any revision of the Strategy at this stage. The General Assembly, in its resolution 47/180 of 22 December 1992, on the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), affirmed that the Conference should conduct a mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategy and make recommendations for the attainment of its objectives by the target date. The Centre has undertaken the mid-term review of the Strategy and the findings of this review were considered by the Preparatory Committee for the Conference at its second meeting.

7. The implementation of the Strategy has been guided by succeeding plans of action and the plan of action for 1996-1997 is contained in the annex. 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 that enhance the capacity of Governments as enablers and facilitators in the shelter sector.

II. Implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000

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

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8. 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 technical cooperation, the application of the Housing Indicators, research and development on shelter and related issues, information dissemination, and cooperation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In addition, in cooperation with more than 70 Governments, 10 NGOs and a number of international agencies, the Centre has undertaken a mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategy. This review, contained in document HS/C/15/3/Add.3, is one of the major reviews undertaken for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and its findings will influence the contents of the Global Plan of Action to be adopted by the Conference.

9. The Centre’s programme of technical cooperation in shelter with Member States during the period 1993-1994 gradually moved away from preparation of national shelter strategies, which was the focus of technical cooperation in the previous biennium, to issues such as institutional strengthening and environmental improvements which enhance the enabling capacity of Governments at different levels. The overall level of technical cooperation in shelter-related projects declined somewhat during the biennium under review in parallel with the overall reduction of joint activities with UNDP, the main funding partner for technical cooperation. On the other hand, cooperation with Member States in the Community Development Programme was extended to seven countries and included regional exposure of the Programme. A full account of the Centre’s cooperation with Member States is provided in the Operational Activities Report 1995 (HS/C/15/INF.4).

10. The Centre launched the Housing Indicators Programme to globalize the application of the Shelter Sector Performance Indicators, as recommended by the Commission in its resolution 14/13. The invitation to Member States and mayors of major cities to participate in the Programme elicited some 50 positive responses and extensive consultations have been held with a number of Governments, including those of Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Hungary, Jordan, Senegal and South Africa. Regional meetings on the application of the Indicators have been held in Hungary, Jordan and Senegal and future such meetings are planned to be held in Barbados, Brazil and Tunisia. In addition to Governments and municipal authorities, the Centre is cooperating with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank in this Programme. A full account of the implementation of the Housing Indicators Programme is contained in document HS/C/15/3/Add.2.

11. Research and development initiatives of the Centre covered many aspects of shelter through technical publications, training courses, expert group meetings, and specific activities to promote the role of women in the implementation of the Strategy. Among the outputs having direct relevance to the implementation of national shelter strategies are publications concerning housing as a location for economic activities, development of land-title registration systems, public- private partnerships in enabling shelter strategies, community action planning, infrastructure operations, financing, maintenance and cost-recovery, urban local-government finance, housing finance, rural settlements, disaster reduction, construction sector database, small-scale technologies for construction, and shelter actions by NGOs. The Centre is developing a computer- based methodology, known as Visual Settlement Planning (VISP), which will have the capacity for thematic mapping for analysing a large number of alternative solutions in settlement-improvement projects in low-income and informal settlements. The methodology is being field-tested in Brazil and Kenya. Under the Community Management Programme, the Centre is assisting communities in seven countries to strengthen their management capacity to improve shelter and other aspects of their living environment.

12. Acting within the framework of the Urban Management Programme, the Centre organized an international seminar dealing with new approaches for regularization policies in developing countries. This seminar, held in Mexico City in February 1993, was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, UNDP and the World Bank. It was jointly hosted by the French Institute for Latin America and the Autonomous National University of Mexico, with resource staff from the World Bank and the French National Centre for Scientific Research. The seminar was important in that participants agreed on the need to redefine the role of public authorities, recognizing the vital role they play in resolving conflicts and in matters of wealth distribution and social integration through settlements regularization operations. The seminar concluded that human settlements regularization is giving specific content to the right to adequate housing, through a process that involves improving methods of recognizing occupancy and legitimate access to credit, services and opportunities. As a result of the seminar, a research network on regularization programmes in developing countries has been established.

13. As a way of using information as a tool for development, the Centre has recently launched a Community-based Environmental Management Information System (CEMIS) in Ghana and Indonesia. CEMIS aims at providing community members and other actors with necessary information which they can use in planning, implementing and managing strategic interventions aimed at improving housing and environmental conditions in low-income human settlements. CEMIS is based on community-based action in eight consecutive steps: community preparation and mobilization, environmental risk assessment and monitoring, assessment of technological options, accessibility of effective demand, prioritizing human settlement interventions, community action planning and intervention, monitoring and evaluation, and strengthening the institutional framework.

14. The observation of World Habitat Day in 1993 and 1994, with their themes "Women in shelter development" and "Home and the family", respectively, ensured that shelter was at the focus of national attention. The Centre produced and widely distributed a number of films and videos on shelter issues and held a number of seminars in different countries. One of the Centre’s two regular publications, Shelter Bulletin, focused on shelter.

15. The International Conference on Reappraising the Urban Planning Process as an Instrument for Sustainable Urban Development and Management was held in Nairobi in October 1994, organized by the Centre, in cooperation with the Deutsche Gessellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH and the Housing Urban Development Corporation of India (HUDCO). This Conference was a forum for urban and environmental planning officials at the central, provincial and municipal government levels, as well as other groups, and it undertook an extensive review, appraisal and evaluation of the efficacy of existing planning instruments and approaches. It identified measures to adapt and reform them in the context of accountable and participative systems of urban management, with due recognition of the role of market forces in the urban development process. The Conference also sensitized national and municipal authorities on the necessity of employing urban planning instruments more sensitively in guiding urban development and environmental management programmes.

16. The Centre continued to publish the biannual Journal of the Network of African Countries on Local Building Materials and Technologies. The publication serves as a medium of information exchange and a possible vehicle for transfer of technology. A workshop of the Network, organized by the Centre in Nairobi in September 1993, addressed domestic capacity-building in the building-materials sector, as well as modalities to strengthen the Network.

17. The Centre’s training and capacity-building programme, implemented in all regions and in cooperation with a number of national or regional institutions, addressed a number of issues, including urban management, municipal finance and shelter strategies. A specific workshop on housing in development, organized in cooperation with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven of Belgium, was held for the eastern and southern African region in April 1993 in Nairobi in cooperation with the University of Nairobi. The Centre’s Women in Human Settlements Development Programme continued to promote the role of women in all aspects of the implementation of the Strategy, especially in formulating and implementing programmes at the local level.

18. The Centre expanded its cooperation with NGOs on shelter and related issues, including the human right to housing. The Habitat International Coalition organized the shelter component of the launching of the International Year of the Family. A full account of cooperation with NGOs is contained in document HS/C/15/12.

B. Action by Governments towards formulation, implementation and monitoring of national shelter strategies

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19. 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; provide effective incentives for mobilizing finance for the shelter sector; and foster a truly participatory approach to shelter and services delivery. Many developing countries are implementing their new or revised national shelter strategies in the context of static economic situations and structural adjustment programmes. Many countries have commenced programmes of deregulation and privatization to encourage the private sector and also of decentralization of responsibilities in the housing sector to local authorities.

20. The following is a brief account of the most important actions taken by individual Governments during the period 1993-1994 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 Centre or to the Commission on Human Settlements at its fifteenth session.

21. Afghanistan is commencing a programme to establish an institutional structure and a technical approach to support neighbourhood-level groups in the process of recovery in urban centres. A programme for municipal strengthening is being launched. Assistance is being provided to war-affected communities to resettle in their areas of origin, with emphasis on the production of essential building materials or components for use in shelter and infrastructure, and on generating employment through a programme of labour-intensive rehabilitation works.

22. Anguilla introduced a land developments control system and plans to follow this with a national land-use plan, local area plans and new planning legislation, which would provide the framework for housing development.

23. Antigua and Barbuda has established a geographical information system (GIS) and, based on this, a national spatial development strategy will be developed that will balance the competing demands on land, while taking into account the needs for environmental planning. A review of legislation has been initiated and data on the housing sector are regularly collected and made available.

24. Argentina prepared a new national housing policy in September 1994 which further strengthened the ongoing decentralization of responsibilities to provincial governments as well as the transfer of resources from the National Housing Fund. Many public utilities, including water supply, sewage treatment, gas and telephone, have been privatized and the operations of the private-sector housing-finance mechanisms are expanding.

25. Australia reviewed its housing policy in the framework of the National Housing Strategy Exercise during 1991-1993 and announced a new housing policy, Housing Choices for a Changing Nation. It has established the Australian Urban and Regional Development Review. Among the key issues to be addressed is a review of regulatory practices, particularly those of local governments.

26. Austria has a well-established system of distribution of responsibilities for housing policy between the Central Government and the federal provinces. All federal provinces have enacted their own Housing Promotion Acts and Housing Improvement Acts. However, certain aspects remain within the domain of the Central Government. These include legislation concerning rent, owner-occupied dwellings and non-profit building associations. The Parliamentary Inquiry into housing, undertaken in 1991, was the basis for the amendments to the Housing Laws that came into force in 1994.

27. Bahrain is improving the provision of infrastructure services in order to facilitate private-sector activity in housing construction. To conserve limited land resources a policy of increasing housing density is being implemented within the context of the national land-use plan.

28. Bangladesh prepared an Urban Sector National Programme to serve as a framework for resource allocation, action planning and implementation coordination. Government institutions have been strengthened for implementing replicable and sustainable urban development policies and strategies. In a cooperative arrangement with NGOs, testing and demonstration is proceeding on housing-related credit-delivery systems capable of replication, as well as methods of improving supply, delivery and durability of building materials appropriate to the rural poor in flood- and cyclone-prone areas. The Programme supported the financing and construction of 13,500 houses.

29. Benin has gradually liberalized operations in land development for housing resulting in new sites-and-services projects with an extension of water-supply and electricity networks. A new housing policy and new town planning and building regulations are to be defined and the financing of urban services is to be strengthened. NGOs have emerged for the defence of tenants’ rights. New financial institutions other than state banks have been established.

30. Bolivia has adopted community participation as an effective strategy in implementing housing projects throughout the country. It has set up an autonomous self-supporting National Training Resource Centre in the form of a national NGO, the Pro Habitat Foundation, to undertake training in community participation in housing and human settlements development on a large scale throughout the country. More than 100 training workshops have been held, supporting the housing projects financed by the Social Emergency Fund. Specific training materials have been produced, including videos and other audio-visual aids, on subjects such as construction techniques and the role of women in housing projects.

31. Botswana has upgraded the Housing Unit in the Department of Local Government, Lands and Housing to a Department of Housing to be responsible for policy formulation, preparation of the national housing plan and its implementation, the self-help housing programme and the management of the Government’s real estate. The Accelerated Land Servicing Programme had a positive impact on land supply for housing. Proposed initiatives include a feasibility study for a housing-finance institution and a proposal for private- sector participation.

32. Brazil has decentralized housing operations to the provincial and municipal levels after closing the National Housing Finance Bank. Housing is being given priority as an income-generating tool and a major component of other aspects of the macroeconomy. Extensive investments have been made in infrastructure provision, land development and housing construction.

33. The British Virgin Islands set up an efficient institutional framework integrating the Town Planning Department with line ministries. Sectoral priorities have been incorporated into an overall National Spatial Development Strategy and the preparation of the Physical Development Plan and specific area land-use plans has been initiated. Housing policies will be elaborated within these plans.

34. Burkina Faso has taken a variety of measures in order to improve the functioning of the housing sector. After the National Conference on Housing Problems and Future Perspectives, involving different actors, a National Commission on Decentralization was established. A new law on roles, functions and resources at different levels has been adopted and, as a consequence, local municipal administrations have been strengthened. Legislation on land development, housing finance and rent has been revised as was taxation on property. Extensive sites-and-services programmes and upgrading of informal settlements are under implementation. A programme to collect and analyse urban data has commenced and a Commission has been set up to remove legislative obstacles to the implementation of the housing policy. A new code on promoting investment in housing development has been adopted and a study is being undertaken for setting up new housing-finance institutions. An Association of Tenants and Consumers has been formed.

35. Canada has endorsed the enabling strategy and has well-functioning institutional mechanisms for coordinating housing policy with overall macroeconomic and social policies. All components of the housing sector are well developed, including regulations for land and housing development, property rights, housing finance (including secondary mortgages and mortgage insurance), the targeting of subsidies, the provision of infrastructure and the organization of the building industry. Director government involvement in housing production and operation is minimal and the private sector is highly developed.

36. Cape Verde has transferred to local administrations a greater role in the shelter sector but implementation of the enabling strategy is hampered by the shortage of human and material resources at the local level. Consequently, shelter for the poor remains to be addressed. It is proposed to introduce deregulation measures for better coordination of the housing policy.

37. The Central African Republic has adopted an enabling approach but the institutional mechanisms for coordination of shelter policies with macroeconomic and financial policies are not yet in place. Participation of the private sector, women’s groups, NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) in housing strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation is well established.

38. Chile is achieving coordination between the implementation of the enabling shelter strategy and macroeconomic and financial policies. Housing is one of the highest priorities and continuing emphasis is being given to decentralization and the development of programmes at the regional and local levels. There has been increasing focus on housing subsidies to low-income groups and it is proposed to improve the mortgage components of the housing- finance system. Privatization has been extended to water and sewage services as well as the dissemination of information on the quality of housing. Plans include improvement of the standards and assessment of the quality of building materials, and the creation of an Institute for Construction. In the metropolitan area of Concepción, a permanent consultation mechanism is being set up to include the public and private sectors, as well as local NGOs and CBOs, to find permanent solutions to improving the environmental and socio-economic conditions of the poor.

39. China has set the goal for shelter development to the year 2000, and established a low-cost supplying system to provide houses for low- and middle- income groups, along the lines of social welfare, and a market-oriented supplying system to provide houses for high-income groups. In cities, both accumulation funds and mortgage loans are available for citizens to buy houses. The non-governmental investment (including private investment) in housing consists of more than 80 per cent of the total. There are more than 1,000 housing cooperatives. Model projects consisting of 6.8 million square metres, with the purpose of showing how to design, construct and manage residential areas in 47 cities, are being carried out. The National Research Centre for Engineering Technologies on Housing and Environment has been set up, and 24 research projects on crucial technologies are in progress to pattern and standardize building parts, kitchen facilities and sanitary equipment, with a view to producing and supplying them, at low cost, in line with market scale and diversified demands. In 1995, China started the National Housing Project, which is expected to build 150 million square metres of low-cost houses within five years, with loans provided by the central Government, and then to sell them to low- and middle-income families at the price of the construction cost only.

40. Colombia has streamlined the Central Housing Unit, which is responsible for housing sector policy and coordination functions within the Ministry of Economic Development. The National Institute for Urban Reform has been created as the main entity responsible for the implementation of the national housing policy, as well as for providing technical and financial support to municipalities and housing-based organizations. Recent major policy changes include the transfer of activities in building and housing finance to the private sector and the provision of an up-front housing subsidy to needy households. The land- registration system has been upgraded by computerization at the municipal level and will be used to define an incentive mechanism for the development of vacant land. In July 1994, legislation was enacted setting basic norms for the provision of all infrastructure services, as well as subsidies for the low- income sector.

41. Costa Rica is committed to a policy of decentralized planning and development through community participation at the local level. A recent programme on community management will be the basis for the formulation of a national policy for community management. Costa Rica has consolidated and increased the capacity for the cultivation, production and processing of bamboo. The programme includes facilitating the growth of small-scale construction enterprises using bamboo, and the production of panels and components as well as other derived products. An additional 2,000 hectares are to be brought under bamboo cultivation during the period 1994-1998. The operational unit for the management of the extraction, handling and production of culms and split bamboo has been strengthened and a foundation set up to provide a permanent basis for the promotion of bamboo and technical assistance for its several uses.

42. Côte d’Ivoire has moved away from the direct financing of housing and has encouraged local authorities to assume greater responsibilities for community projects. Infrastructure and basic urban services have been provided in squatter settlements and this function is being transferred to local authorities. Improvements have been made to the regulatory framework governing urban planning, land development and construction. Privatization of public housing is proceeding, and it is intended to facilitate private initiatives in housing and limiting action by the State to primary infrastructure and major works.

43. Cuba organized a national training seminar on the use of soil as an alternative building material so as to reduce dependency on the importation of fuel.

44. Cyprus has achieved a fairly satisfactory housing situation through consistent improvements in urban planning, land development and housing finance. The number of housing units now exceeds the number required for the accommodation of the total population. A new housing scheme has been launched along the Buffer Zone near Nicosia, with the objective of enriching the local population with new young families.

45. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has improved the capacity of the Construction Design and Calculation Centre through the introduction of new design methods and strengthening expertise in the area of architectural planning and design, structural analysis, design and drafting, building services and cost estimation. This has led to safer and more economical structures and to savings in materials used.

46. Denmark has commissioned an analysis of the long-term perspective of its housing market. Some relaxation of rent control has been introduced and the housing-finance system is to be harmonized with the directives of the European Union. It is proposed that, among the subjects to be addressed in the near future, is facilitating, on an experimental basis, housing for special disadvantaged groups.

47. Djibouti has issued a policy document, Elements pour une politique de l’habitat, for public review. Recent developments include improvements in the functioning of institutions, wider access to housing credit, and the preparation of the Code de l’urbanisme.

48. Dominica is applying the principle of Government as a facilitator in shelter programmes. Recent initiatives and achievements include the establishment of a special Housing Fund, relaxation of high planning standards, the granting of secure tenure in upgraded settlements, a general reduction in subsidies and improvement in infrastructure cost-recovery.

49. Ecuador is committed to a policy of decentralized planning and development through community participation at the local level. A programme on community management being implemented in urban and peri-urban areas of the major cities deals directly with communities, especially women and youth, and supports district administrations in order to strengthen the role of local government as facilitator of local development activities. The programme involves construction of services and facilities, housing improvement, environmental awareness and protection and income-generation. It is strengthening local authorities as a facilitator of local development activities and is promoting community improvement programmes at the village and neighbourhood levels through community participation. Selected communities are being assisted in building local capacity for community management, construction of services and facilities, housing improvement, environmental awareness and protection, and income-generation. It is expected that a national policy for community management would result from this programme.

50. Egypt is implementing a variety of programmes with the active involvement of the private sector in housing finance, supply of building materials, land development and housing construction. Institutional mechanisms for coordination of shelter policy with overall macroeconomic and social policies are maintained and local administrations are strengthened to undertake increased responsibilities relating to the provision and management of shelter and infrastructure services.

51. El Salvador undertook a human settlements sector analysis. A national consultation on key issues with a focus on housing, infrastructure and decentralization, involving central and local governments, the academic community, NGOs and community leaders and the private sector, devised a strategy for implementation from 1995.

52. Fiji has undertaken initiatives towards implementing the revised national housing policy. Planning standards have been reviewed in order to make housing more affordable, a plan for divesture of public rental housing to sitting tenants has been completed, the level of subsidies to vulnerable groups has been increased and infrastructure provision has been strengthened. The private sector is being encouraged in land development and housing provision by providing the same benefits as the public sector.

53. The Gambia undertook a human settlements sector study and needs assessment and a new national shelter strategy is to be developed as a follow-up. Legislation dealing with land, housing, planning and other aspects of the built environment has been revised and the central system improved to facilitate further the management of the built environment. Improvements to and upgrading of blighted urban areas and squatter settlements is proceeding, as opposed to their demolition. Included in this programme is the design and implementation of an urban environment project for implementation of labour-intensive technologies to provide communal infrastructure.

54. Germany has increased efforts to mobilize land and financial resources for housing construction and improvement of general conditions for the housing sector. Enabling principles are implicit in the various housing policy statements and actions. For example, building codes have been simplified and technical standards will be simplified. High investment in environmental and communication infrastructure is to be continued. The introduction of a market- oriented rent system is planned in the area of the former German Democratic Republic.

55. Ghana is implementing its shelter strategy through a policy of decentralized planning, administration and development at the local and district levels. Communities and local authorities are assisted in planning and executing community improvement programmes at the village or neighbourhood level through community participation. This policy strengthens the role of local government as facilitator of local development activities. It also addresses the deteriorating environmental conditions in and around the rapidly expanding city of Accra. Environmentally sustainable socio-economic growth of Accra is being promoted by strengthening local capacities to plan, coordinate and manage urban development and growth, by improved multisectoral and community-based participation, by enhancing the availability and use of natural resources, and by reducing exposure to environmental hazards.

56. Grenada is strengthening its capacity in physical planning to ensure that the National Spatial Development Strategy is implemented and environment impact assessments are undertaken as necessary. This will address the practice of uncontrolled growth of squatter communities which has led to soil erosion and water and seashore pollution.

57. Guinea is implementing its national housing policy and plans to reinforce the institutional and organizational mechanisms for mobilizing the necessary human and financial resources. The land-management system has been reorganized and new legislation is in operation in the town planning and building construction fields. The withdrawal of the State from the banking sector has not yet led to the creation of new institutions or reorganization of existing ones in the housing-finance sector.

58. Guyana is improving the inner-city area of Georgetown through a comprehensive regeneration project. This has involved strengthened community participation, improved infrastructure, and introduction of diverse financial mechanisms to enable residents to improve the housing stock and living standards through an enterprise development loan scheme. It has also addressed a number of problems such as an exceedingly high residential density and lack of health and social services and recreational facilities. The lessons learned in this project are to be applied in other similarly depressed areas.

59. Honduras is adjusting its shelter strategy in conformity with the structural adjustments being made in the economy. Owing to reduction in real incomes, priority is given to subsidies for targeted groups in the low-income sector. The activities of all agencies, in particular the infrastructure agencies and those of all non-governmental actors, is coordinated by the Fondo Social para la Vivienda (FOSOVI), National Council for Housing. However, there is a low level of participation by the private sector, partly owing to an insufficient supply of electric power. In the sphere of land, no decisive action has been taken but it is planned to address this issue in a coordinated way by FOSOVI and the Ministry of Planning. An active programme of land registration aims to make the process more efficient and less expensive. Better practices are being applied in marginal areas and informal settlements, which house some 50 per cent of the urban population. FOSOVI is being strengthened institutionally to support the "20,000 Houses Programme". A demonstration project will focus on the use of appropriate building materials and training of all sectors involved in the process. A pilot project has been undertaken for the reconstruction and development of areas affected by the tropical storms of 1993. This includes 400 new houses, common service facilities and basic infrastructure.

60. Hungary is implementing the housing reform concept but progress is hampered by the lack of necessary expertise, constraints of financial resources and institutional bottlenecks. Privatization of the public housing stock is being undertaken by local authorities under 1993 legislation, the Law on Privatization and Tenancy of Residential and Other Spaces. Housing-finance mechanisms are being improved, the financial relations between central and local governments are being redefined, property rights are being developed and a housing information system is to be established.

61. India’s National Housing Policy, approved by Parliament in 1994, will be implemented by State Governments through specific action plans. The Policy stipulates conferment of property rights on squatter and slum dwellers wherever feasible. Local authorities are being strengthened through amendment to the Constitution and more funds are being made available for infrastructure development. The Building Material and Technology Promotion Council has been set up to universalize low-cost building materials and technology, and standards for innovative low-cost building materials and technology have been developed. Financial incentives have been given to private entrepreneurs for the manufacture of building materials and components from wastes. In the area of housing finance, 20 regional housing-finance institutions have been set up, with the National Housing Bank at the apex. A policy for involving the private sector in housing development and in infrastructure is being developed and model rent-control legislation is being formulated. Direct subsidies have been minimized and are now available only to the poorest of the poor.

62. Indonesia needs some 400,000 houses to be built in urban areas and 800,000 in rural areas each year. The shelter strategies prepared for the provinces of West Java and Central Java are being integrated into the National Shelter Strategy. As the formal housing-delivery system meets only 15 per cent of the need in urban areas and 1 per cent in rural areas, the Government has taken several initiatives to encourage the development of informal and community-based housing. These include the strengthening of institutional capacity in the field of social housing at the central, local and community levels, and testing and promoting a strategy enabling the very-low-income groups in urban areas to have access to land tenure, urban services, housing and institutional finance.

63. The Islamic Republic of Iran has strengthened the Natural Disaster Prevention Centre. It has produced guidelines on earthquake-resistant construction and design codes, improving the production and quality control of building materials, earthquake damage evaluation, seismic-risk analysis for regional planning and development, and social and economic planning for seismic- risk reduction.

64. Jamaica has completed an Overview National Spatial Development Strategy. Physical development plans for the fourth urban area are being completed. The Town and Country Planning Act and building legislation are being revised. A computerized system for managing the planning approval process has been established.

65. Japan has officially endorsed an enabling approach to housing, and institutional mechanisms for coordination of housing policy with overall macroeconomic and social policies function well. Comprehensive policy statements and strategic plans for the housing sector are provided on a regular basis and data on housing sector performance are regularly collected and made available. All components of the housing sector, including property rights, housing finance and private-sector participation, are highly developed. Subsidies for housing are explicit and generally well-targeted on the poor.

66. Jordan has endorsed a national housing strategy and improved the institutional structure by merging existing agencies into a Housing and Urban Development Corporation. Clear roles have been defined for the public and private sectors and the role of production of houses is being transferred to the private sector, which will enjoy the same privileges as the public sector. It is planned to create a competitive financial market for housing.

67. Kenya is undertaking revision of its housing policy within the framework of ongoing political and economic reforms and structural adjustment programmes. Building by-laws have been revised. Private-sector participation in housing development is encouraged. An urban data programme has been begun to support the strengthening of the urban management capacity of municipal authorities. The Government aims at consolidating the enabling approach by limiting its role to land-use planning and administration, provision of infrastructure, low-cost housing, research in building materials and technology, and encouraging the private sector and community groups.

68. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is implementing a major programme for the improvement of living conditions in the poorest settlements in Vientiane. This includes a network of primary, secondary and tertiary drainage, improved access roads, water and electricity supply systems, improved garbage collection, construction of schools and a credit system for self-help construction of low- cost houses. This is being complemented by programmes for reinforcement of town planning procedures, improving the capabilities of responsible institutions and strengthening community participation.

69. Lebanon has established a Ministry of Housing but a national housing strategy is yet to be formulated. The reconstruction programme prepared by the Council for Development and Reconstruction contains sectoral priorities in housing. These are a revision of the rent law, evacuation of illegally occupied buildings, financial assistance to displaced persons for housing repair and reconstruction, and introduction of private capital into the capital structure of the Housing Bank. Major initiatives envisaged for the near future are the formulation and implementation of a national housing policy, strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Housing, establishment of an adequate database on the human settlements sector and establishment of a dynamic housing mortgage market.

70. Lesotho has enacted amendments to the Land Act in order to improve the functioning of the land market. The roles for public and private institutions involved in the provision of land and housing are clearly defined and equal housing opportunities are ensured to all groups.

71. Liberia will need to undertake a national programme of repatriation, resettlement and reconstruction and proposals for these have been formulated within the framework of the Global Strategy for Shelter, to be implemented after the current political situation is resolved.

72. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya has withdrawn the public sector from most housing-production activities and responsibility is being transferred to the private sector, which is also being encouraged to participate in the housing- finance system. Substantial growth has been achieved in private-sector construction activity.

73. Madagascar has simplified the procedures for obtaining development approvals in the housing sector and improvement has been achieved in the mobilization of savings. Urban planning practice has improved and the capacity of local authorities has been increased in the technical and financial aspects of infrastructure provision. Three building-materials production units have been established. It is planned to introduce measures to improve the functioning of the housing sector, including a programme of coordination among the different actors, decentralization in the housing sector, participation of the private sector, revision of urban development and housing legislation, establishment of an urban infrastructure fund and a system of housing finance.

74. Malaysia has incorporated all the key aspects of an enabling strategy in its housing sector policy, and institutional mechanisms for coordinating shelter policy with overall macroeconomic and social policies are generally maintained. Comprehensive policy statements and strategic plans for the housing sector are provided on a regular basis and data on housing sector performance are regularly collected and made available. The systems for regulating land use and housing development and for their financing are well-developed and subsidies are well- targeted on the poor. The provision of infrastructure keeps up with growth. Minimally adequate infrastructure is provided for all. The private sector actively participates in the housing sector.

75. Maldives has replaced the waste-disposal practices that had an adverse impact on the environment with a long-term solid-waste operations plan and monitoring programme. The new system includes city-wide collection by small vehicles and containers, an inter-island solid-waste transport system and a sanitary land-fill system that is sound in terms of technology, aesthetics and economy.

76. Mali has reviewed the institutional framework in the housing sector and is in the process of implementing a programme of decentralization. Support institutions have been set up to implement infrastructure programmes at the community level and the use of improved traditional building materials has been popularized. A national seminar was held on land and property legislation and the legislative aspects of housing and renting have been widely disseminated. There are no financial institutions in the housing sector and future plans are to create appropriate institutions for land development and housing finance.

77. Mauritania is incorporating the enabling strategy into the housing sector and developing the institutional mechanism for coordinating the shelter sector with macroeconomic and social policies. The Government is moving away from the direct production of houses but the mechanisms for the provision of infrastructure are not fully developed, and the private-sector role in housing finance, land development and housing needs to be improved.

78. Myanmar is reducing the direct involvement of the Government in the production and operation of housing, and progress is being made in the provision of minimally adequate infrastructure for all. The private sector is encouraged to participate in infrastructure provision as well as in land development, production of building materials and housing construction.

79. Namibia has placed housing among its development priorities. The newly established Ministry of Local Government and Housing has prepared a draft housing policy which underscores the Government’s role as a facilitator, providing support and incentives to individual households, communities and the non-governmental sector, in addition to enhancing the role of public-sector agencies. Constraints facing the housing delivery system are being analysed and responses developed in order to provide low-income groups better access to shelter and related services such as housing finance, land and infrastructure. The Government has launched the Build Together Programme, which brings together all the actors involved in shelter at the community, village and local authority levels. The Programme is monitored by the Community Housing Development Group, consisting of community representatives, local government officials and other interest groups. The Group identifies the communities, carries out on-site planning, disburses and recovers loans and monitors the Programme. The experience of this Programme will be the basis for the finalization of the national housing strategy.

80. Nepal has included shelter in the Programme for Fulfilment of Basic Needs (1996-2000). The draft National Shelter Policy is under review by a high-level interministerial committee. The Government’s role as an "enabler" will be in the form of: (a) removal of existing impediments in the supply, transfer and regulation of land for shelter; (b) introduction of supportive, catalytic activities to improve the efficiency of the land and housing markets; and (c) introduction of appropriate actions designed to minimize environmental impacts, improve public health and minimize natural-hazard impacts on shelter.

81. The Netherlands has officially endorsed an enabling approach to housing, and local administrations are strengthened with the transfer of necessary resources to undertake responsibilities in the provision and management of housing and infrastructure. The participation of all actors, including communities and women’s groups, is ensured in housing policy and strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation, and opportunities are made available for the privatization of publicly owned housing.

82. New Zealand has moved its housing assistance to a new system, whereby public housing is administered by a newly established government company, Housing New Zealand Ltd., and tenants are charged market rents. Those families in need of assistance receive extra cash through the Accommodation Supplement. Other changes include a programme of selling public housing to tenants and an amended Building Act and Code, which has shifted from a prescribed code to performance-based criteria.

83. Nicaragua is setting up an information system and mechanisms and procedures that will facilitate the coordination of the policy for social development and alleviation of poverty. The Social Development Plan is being used as the framework for the definition and integration of overall and sectoral policies and the identification of various intersectoral strategies for the satisfaction of basic needs of people. Nicaragua is also carrying out several sectoral projects, including community participation in local urban management, human resources development, improvement of basic sanitation services in urban and rural settlements and urban poverty alleviation. The responsibility for collection of property taxes has been transferred to the municipalities, and this is being facilitated by the development of an integrated system of digitalized cadastral maps.

84. Nigeria is proceeding with gradual reorganization of the institutional framework for the shelter sector in order to implement the National Housing Policy adopted in 1991. It has established a National Housing Fund as a source of long-term loans to the 251 primary mortgage institutions operating in the country and the Urban Development Bank to cater for large-scale development of housing and infrastructure. The National Prototype Housing Programme was initiated in January 1994 to build 121,000 housing units of various categories in 30 states. The National Urban Renewal Programme ensures tenured security for all who are resettled and priority attention is given to squatters on public land. Links between shelter objectives and settlements management have been strengthened by the approval of the National Urban Development Policy in October 1993. However, deregulation of the Nigerian economy is believed to have adversely affected the shelter sector.

85. Pakistan has launched the National Action Programme to implement the National Housing Policy, which aims at making up the annual housing deficit of 150,000 units, as well as clearing the accumulated housing backlog of 6,250,000 units in the next 10 years, with the Government acting as a catalyst and facilitator of housing. It has allowed the setting up of housing-finance companies in the private sector and is considering the development of a secondary mortgage market. A revolving Housing Fund is being created by the Government to sponsor projects, especially for the low-income sector. The recommendations of the Urban Land Commission, issued in June 1994, are being implemented, and under the Eighth Five-Year Plan (1993-1998) it is proposed to prepare a national urbanization policy, provincial urbanization policies, and a framework for regional development of new towns.

86. Panama has approved new legislation on land development and has adopted a new building code. The National Housing Council, comprising all actors in the sector, is the vehicle for coordinating the activities of all institutions in the housing and services sectors. A new policy is to be formulated on rental housing, as well as on ways of meeting the infrastructure needs of urban growth.

87. Papua New Guinea has undertaken a programme for performance-related improvement of the housing sector, focusing on the development of a self- sustaining housing market with market-oriented housing-finance and delivery systems. The organizational structure of the National Housing Corporation is being strengthened, its operations rationalized and its capability for effective self-help programmes increased.

88. Paraguay is reviewing shelter policy within the framework of macroeconomic and urban development policies and a potential public-private partnership.

89. Peru has undertaken several reform measures to improve the functioning of the housing sector. These include the abolition of housing-finance institutions and their replacement by a system of mortgage loans from the private sector, introduction of laws and regulations that promote private-sector investment in housing finance, construction, urban renewal, rental housing, public-service infrastructure and promoting micro-enterprises. The land-registration system is being improved and participation is increasing in public participation for funding infrastructure. The electricity supply function has been privatized and it is planned to privatize water supply and sewerage. The national Housing Fund is to be reoriented to focus on subsidies for the low-income sector and to address the housing deficit. An organization has been established for defending the interests of consumers.

90. The Philippines is implementing a regional shelter strategy. Changes have been introduced into the legal framework as well as in administrative procedures. Regional experience is being incorporated into the national shelter strategy. Institutional capability is being strengthened at the regional and local levels so as to formulate and implement viable housing policies, strategies and programmes for the urban lowest-income groups.

91. Poland has enacted a series of laws to facilitate the establishment of a market economy in the housing sector. These address the renting of buildings, ownership of dwellings, establishment of dwelling-owners’ communities, the granting of mortgage credit, a building code, physical planning, land management and real-estate appropriation, and credit conditions. The Local Government Act has been brought into effect and rules for the functioning of the real-estate industry in a market economy have been adopted. Data on housing-sector performance are regularly collected and it is proposed to strengthen the capacity for data-collection monitoring and analysis in order to improve the policies and legislation and overall performance of the sector. A new construction programme is planned to increase rental-housing stock.

92. Romania has officially endorsed enabling strategies in its housing policy and has established institutional mechanisms for coordinating shelter policy with overall macroeconomic and social policies. Substantial advances have been made in the development of property rights and in implementing regulations on land and housing development. Direct government involvement in the production and operation of housing has been minimized and private-sector financial mechanisms are gradually improving.

93. The Russian Federation adopted the Law on the Fundamental Principles of the Federal Housing Policy in December 1992, which provides the legal framework for the privatization of the housing sector. The Law also sets a five-year transitional period to transfer to the new system payment of housing and utility services, which is to be implemented stage by stage. The State Target Programme, "Housing", adopted in June 1993, is considered to be one of the priority programmes aimed at the restructuring of the Russian economy. It is planned to increase annual housing production rates from 37.9 million square metres of total floor area in 1992 to 50-55 million square metres in 1995 and to 70-100 million square metres by 2000. The share of private resources spent on housing construction is to be increased from 27.7 per cent in 1992 to 43.4 per cent in 1995 and to 55 per cent in 2000. The implementation of the Programme is overseen by an interdepartmental committee headed by a member of the Council of Ministers and comprising representatives of related government departments as well as the private sector.

94. St. Kitts and Nevis is preparing an integrated spatial development strategy to provide policy makers with an empirical basis for land-use and related resource management. On-the-job training is provided in physical planning, building and development control techniques and safeguarding the heritage and natural resources.

95. St. Lucia is strengthening institutional capacity to incorporate physical planning and environmental considerations in general national development planning. Regional structure plans and an implementation strategy are being prepared for two districts and various local plans are being formulated with community representation.

96. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has not yet adopted the enabling strategy but property rights are well developed and regulations and standards in land and housing development are generally applicable. The Government’s involvement in the production of housing is minimal and private-sector participation is well developed in land development and building construction. It is increasing the institutional capacity for preparing spatial development plans and projects and for environmental management. A comprehensive database on development activities is being established to serve as a basis for the formulation of a national physical development plan.

97. Samoa has introduced new building codes and standards to upgrade the standards of buildings. Direct government involvement in the production of housing is minimal and self-help housing is common. However, the provision of infrastructure lags behind housing development and the high cost of imported building materials adversely affects housing activity.

98. Sierra Leone is strengthening the institutional capacity of the Government to implement the National Housing Policy through support to and collaboration with local communities. The Policy has been prepared within the framework of a severe economic situation, scarcity of affordable housing finance, and high import content of building materials.

99. Singapore’s housing policy has been integrated with its macroeconomic and social development policy for more than two decades. The key national institution for housing and urban development, the National Housing and Development Board, is located within the Ministry of National Development. All components of the housing sector are highly developed. The housing programme has been well coordinated with the programme for new-town development and the renewal or upgrading of inner-city areas.

100. Slovakia has approved the State Housing Policy under which private ownership of land and houses is being promoted and state enterprises for building construction and infrastructure are being privatized. It is proposed to introduce appropriate legislation on housing for low-income groups, to increase the rights of owners of dwellings. The state subsidy for housing has been reduced and rents partially liberalized. Further economic reforms are planned in order to support financing of housing and gradually liberalize rents.

101. South Africa adopted a national Housing Accord at the National Housing Summit of all stakeholders, held in October 1994. The Accord, which incorporates the enabling approach to shelter delivery, will be the basis of the national housing strategy to achieve the Government’s goal of increasing housing’s share in the total state budget to 5 per cent, to increase housing delivery on a sustainable basis to a peak level of 350,000 units per annum within a five-year period and to reach the target of 1 million houses in five years. The Government’s overall approach to the housing challenge is aimed at mobilizing and harnessing the combined resources, efforts and initiatives of communities, the private commercial sector and the State. A critical policy change for housing will be to facilitate maximum devolution of functions and powers to provincial and local governments. The housing strategy will place specific emphasis on the roles and responsibilities of all the actors, maximizing job creation, skills transfer, capacity-building and upward mobility for both skilled and unskilled labour in the housing field, promoting the role of small and intermediate enterprises in housing construction, as well as in linked economic sectors, and mechanisms to stimulate entrepreneurial development. Housing-finance mechanisms are being reviewed and strengthened with a view to developing the capacity to support the eradication of the housing backlog over a period of 10 years.

102. Spain has enacted a series of laws to improve the functioning of the housing sector and to facilitate the implementation of the Housing Plan, 1992-1995. They address a variety of subjects, including building in reinforced concrete, fire protection in buildings, housing subsidies, land values, urban management, rental housing, market control of mortgages, and savings accounts for housing. Housing-finance systems have improved and investment in rental housing has been facilitated. The subsidy system is being better targeted to low-income groups. The overall plan for infrastructure, 1993-2000, supports the Housing Plan and takes full account of environmental, energy and regional development issues. The building code and other standards are being revised to conform to European Union norms.

103. Sri Lanka is using The 1.5 Million Houses Programme to undertake a simultaneous attack on the twin problems of shelter and poverty. This is an umbrella programme, encompassing several subprogrammes for each shelter sector, embracing both the private and the public sectors. Programme implementation in its early stages concentrated on the rural areas but is now operative in the urban areas. The urban subprogramme is based on community action planning, an approach that motivates and mobilizes the residents of urban low-income settlements to take the initiative in the planning and implementation of improving the living conditions of their settlements, with the Government and the local authorities supporting the process where necessary. The community action planning procedure has been applied in rural areas to other human settlements development activities, especially rural water supply and sanitation.

104. Suriname has identified the housing-financing system and the availability of low-cost construction materials as being critical areas. A review has been carried out for the design of credit facilities accessible to low-income groups and the setting up of a revolving fund based on current rents. In the area of low-cost building materials, the feasibility of stepping up the local production of rice-husk-ash cement has been carried out.

105. Swaziland has adopted a national housing policy and established a separate Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. It is undertaking an urban development project to provide serviced land with secure tenure for approximately 100,000 people who currently live in informal settlements. New building standards have been adopted which recognize traditional construction methods. A national physical development plan has been prepared to provide a framework for physical development in the country. A Cabinet-level committee is addressing the question of the future administration of Swazi nation land and a study of the feasibility of establishing a land information system has been completed. It has been decided not to introduce any form of rent control nor to provide subsidies in the housing sector. All housing projects will be undertaken on a full cost-recovery basis but, in order to provide access to low- income households, a system of proportionate ownership of sites with the Government is being investigated. Measures are planned to encourage wider participation of financial institutions in the provision of finance for serviced sites to low-income earners.

106. Sweden has integrated housing policy with the general national development policy and current policy is concentrated on sustainability in economic, social and ecological terms. A national human settlements plan - Vision 2009 - is being developed to provide guidelines for human settlements, transport, regional industrial development and natural resource management. Building regulations introduced in 1994 stress performance standards rather than detailed specifications. Housing finance is integrated into the overall national economy, public spending has been reduced and, as part of a general privatization policy, government objectives are to reduce the rental stock and to promote home ownership.

107. The Syrian Arab Republic has a well-developed system of property rights and a legislative framework for land and housing development. An institutional framework to coordinate the activities of all actors in the housing sector, e.g., end-users, producers, financiers, local and national government agencies, and NGOs and CBOs, has not yet been fully developed.

108. Thailand’s National Shelter Strategy is being implemented as part of its Seventh National Economic and Social Development Plan (1992-1996). Private property rights, land-registration systems and housing-finance mechanisms are highly developed and the private sector builds some 90 per cent of all new housing. Public-sector urban community development offices administer loans to low-income households through housing cooperatives. These offices also conduct training programmes for CBOs. The National Environmental Promotion and Conservation Act, 1992, is promoting sustainable development practices in the housing sector. The new five-year plan for the period 1997-2001 will give encouragement to NGOs and CBOs as a major feature.

109. Tunisia has been encouraging private-sector activity in the housing sector since the creation of the Housing Bank. A National Solidarity Fund has been created and legislation concerning the rental sector has been revised. Some institutions have been reinforced and responsibilities for housing and land development have been transferred to local authorities. Sites-and-services programmes have been expanded and measures are being taken to optimize the use of urban land through encouraging measures towards densification. New legislation on urban planning and management is to be introduced. The legislation on rental housing has been revised and private-sector activity in housing production has been liberalized. Further encouragement is to be given towards the development of partnerships between local authorities and private- sector developers in the area of land development, infrastructure provision, building construction and rental-housing production.

110. Turkey has been making continuous adaptations to its housing policy in order to integrate the guidelines of the Global Strategy into urban policies in the country. Private-sector participation is encouraged in land development, production of building materials and housing construction. Building standards do not discriminate against the use of indigenous or traditional building materials and property rights are well developed. A Special Commission on Housing is preparing the housing components of the Seventh Five-Year National Development Plan.

111. Uganda is implementing its new National Shelter Strategy through such measures as decentralization, restructuring and reorganization of the civil service, revision of the Building and Sanitation Rules, formation of a National Bureau of Standards, liberalization of the finance sector, and divesture of the Government from provision of subsidized housing to civil servants.

112. Ukraine adopted a new National Land Code in 1992, followed by the Town Planning Code in 1993, and in 1994 adopted a resolution on measures to attract extra resources for housing construction and the creation of a housing market. Recent policies on private ownership of houses and land are under implementation and the construction industry is being privatized by the creation of joint-stock companies. The volume of housing-construction finance has decreased considerably and operating costs of apartments have increased. All aspects of the housing sector are under gradual improvement in line with ongoing economic and institutional reforms. New measures include a mechanism for subsidizing housing for low-income groups, new housing standards for social groups, new forms for land-use planning and creating a legal base for the development of housing-finance systems and a housing market that would attract investment of non-governmental resources.

113. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland housing policy objectives are to promote the growth of owner-occupation, provide wide choice for tenants, encourage private investment in the rental sector and increase the supply of homes for rent, improve performance and value of money in the subsidized sector, and direct public expenditure more effectively towards those people and areas that most need support. The planning system functions to provide an adequate and continuous supply of land for housing, and local authorities are advised to maintain a five-year supply of house-building land. Local authorities perform a key coordinating role in promoting harmonious joint working among private-sector house-builders, housing associations and private landlords. The Government’s policy is that housing associations, which are voluntary non-profit-distributing private-sector bodies, should be the main providers of new subsidized housing.

114. The United Republic of Tanzania has refined its housing strategy and produced a National Sustainable Human Settlements Development Strategy that is wide in coverage and focuses on strengthening local authorities. This Strategy is based on the experience of a successful project for the promotion of environmentally sustainable socio-economic development and growth of Dar es Salaam. A Land Development Revolving Fund programme has been established to implement the new policy of land developers being required to meet the cost of infrastructure in housing developments. A Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters is reviewing land policy and a new Banking Act has been enacted to, inter alia, encourage the establishment of private financial institutions, including mortgage institutions. A series of reforms is envisaged for rationalizing subsidies.

115. The United States of America has endorsed the enabling strategy in its housing policy, and data on housing-sector performance are regularly collected and made available. All components of the housing sector are well developed, including regulations for land and housing development, property rights, long- term housing finance, provision of infrastructure and the organization of the building industry.

116. Uruguay restructured institutional arrangements in the human settlements sector. A new Ministry has been created with direct responsibilities for housing, environment and human settlements. The Ministry has undertaken a diagnosis of its priorities and the required reforms that are needed to achieve an improved level of service.

117. Venezuela has enacted the Housing Policy Law as well as laws in supporting sectors, such as banking and savings and loan systems. It plans to introduce a mechanism for public/private financing as well as a housing-subsidy system. Infrastructure services for water and electricity supply have been decentralized and telephone services privatized.

118. Viet Nam has undertaken a major revision of its building code and has established an operational methodology for quality control related to structural stability in the construction sector. Urban management systems are being reorganized in order to adjust to the effects of the transition to a regulated market economy.

119. Zambia has been implementing its revised housing policy in a framework of democratization of the political system, liberalization of the economy, restructuring of the public service and decentralization of power and functions to local authorities. The Ministry of Local Government and Housing has set up a Planning Division responsible for infrastructure, and local authorities have established departments of engineering services. Under a specific project to promote appropriate and affordable low-cost building materials and improved construction techniques 10 demonstration houses have been constructed and small- scale entrepreneurs trained and assisted in establishing themselves in the community to produce low-cost building materials commercially.

120. Zimbabwe has set up a Deregulation Committee in order to streamline regulations that inhibit the participation of different actors in the sector. Revised minimum standards and innovative and affordable designs for housing and infrastructure are being implemented throughout the country. Private institutions, private-sector developers, NGOs, housing cooperatives and similar organizations are being encouraged to engage in joint ventures with the Government in servicing of land and in building construction. In order to modernize the building industry, the Government has relaxed the rules governing the importation of plant, equipment and machinery. As part of the ongoing privatization of the sector, the Government is offering rented government accommodation to sitting tenants on a rent-to-buy basis and is also introducing measures aimed at mobilizing funds from external sources to supplement local resources to promote sustainable housing development.

C. Action by the United Nations system

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121. The Economic Commission for Africa has undertaken research as well as promotional work on the production and use of appropriate building materials. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific held a ministerial meeting on urbanization and further extended the CityNet programme bringing together municipal administrations and NGOs. The Economic Commission for Europe has devoted special attention to housing reforms in the transition economies by supporting a series of workshops on the subject. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean organized annual ministerial meetings in 1993 and 1994 to facilitate high-level interchange of experiences in human settlements, including shelter provision. The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) undertook a number of studies on shelter issues, including community cohesiveness in sites-and-service projects, provision of housing and public amenities in rapidly changing urban areas, appropriate planning and design standards, environmentally sustainable shelter techniques and housing finance in the ESCWA region.

122. The Commission on Sustainable Development undertook an initial review of the implementation of the human settlements component of Agenda 21, which includes a subprogramme "Adequate shelter for all", and will undertake a thorough review in 1997.

123. The United Nations Development Programme has provided funds for a number of technical cooperation projects. The International Labour Organization has continued its cooperation with the Centre on studying the relationships between shelter and employment.

124. The United Nations Environment Programme undertook several initiatives relating to human settlements. Its cooperation with the Centre on the continuum from relief to development is an example directly concerned with shelter.

125. The United Nations Centre for Regional Development organized an international seminar on prospects for governmental/non-governmental partnerships in human settlements development. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization and UNCHS (Habitat) jointly organized the First Global Consultation on the Construction Industry, aimed at introducing environmentally sound, energy-efficient construction practices in developing countries.

126. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees hosted the First International Workshop on Improved Shelter Response and Environment for Refugees, which drew on international experience in the implementation of shelter projects to prepare a comprehensive shelter concept and strategy for both emergency and long-term shelter needs.

127. The World Health Organization continued its work, inter alia, on controlling disease vectors in urban areas and coordinated the operations of the Panel of Experts on Environmental Management of Vector Control. In cooperation with other agencies, it organized a seminar on urban health, held at Harare in November 1993.

D. Action by bilateral and multilateral agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations

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128. The World Bank published a new housing policy paper in 1993 entitled "Housing: enabling markets to work", which is explicitly designed to put both the Global Strategy and the Housing Indicators into practice through the Bank’s lending programme. USAID has collaborate with the Centre in the extension of the Housing Indicators Programme and supported a large number of countries through its cooperation programmes. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Finnish International Development Agency also cooperated with the Centre in the Housing Indicators Programme. The Government of France has contributed to the Programme through the secondment of an associate expert who is working full time on the programme team at UNCHS (Habitat) headquarters. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) has expanded its cooperation on shelter issues within the Community Development Programme and its extension to support the Women in Human Settlements Development Programme. DANIDA, in cooperation with the Centre, also organized the International Seminar on Enabling Community Management.

129. Shelter Afrique held a workshop on local building materials in eastern and southern Africa, in Zambia in May 1993. The African Housing Fund, which grew out of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, undertook a number of projects in several countries within Africa, focusing on the poorest and most vulnerable groups. These projects harness the talents, skills and group efforts of the people in the provision of housing and basic infrastructure and, at the same time, generate employment in construction as well as building-materials production.

130. Among the private-sector organizations, the Housing Development Finance Corporation of India has been active as the secretariat of the Asian Coalition of Housing Finance Institutions, which has provided advisory services to a number of Governments and organizations in the region and has carried out a number of training courses. The Private Sector Low-Income Housing Association of the Philippines has demonstrated in several of its projects that housing for the urban poor is possible through private-sector operations.

131. Among the NGOs, the Habitat International Coalition (HIC) and the Centre for Housing Rights have promoted the observance of the human right to housing. The HIC Women and Shelter Network has involved an increasing number of women’s organizations in shelter issues at the national and regional levels. The Building and Social Housing Foundation of the United Kingdom is promoting the reallocation of resources to meet global shelter needs, and, together with the Japan Housing Association, made awards in recognition of valuable contributions to shelter. Other NGOs active at the international level are the Hassan Fathy Institute for Construction Workers, Habitat for Humanity and the Megacities Project.

132. A large number of NGOs have taken an active role in the implementation of the enabling strategies in their countries and regions, very often integrating shelter and services improvements with community development, literacy, nutrition, income-generation, health and other socio-economic issues. Examples of these are the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights, Environnement et développement tiers monde in West Africa, Hogar de Christo in Chile, Fedevivienda in Colombia, the Namibia Housing Action Group, the Orangi Pilot Project in Pakistan and the French Programme solidarité habitat in several countries.

III. Global Strategy for Shelter plan of Action, 1996-1997

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133. The proposed Global Strategy for Shelter Plan of Action, 1996-1997, and its timetable, are contained in the annex to the present report. The Plan of Action includes a number of shelter-related activities that support the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and the Conference Global Plan of Action. As with previous plans, that for 1996-1997 will be carried out by Member States of the United Nations individually 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. Since facilitating adequate shelter for all is basically a national responsibility, with each Government working within the context of its own economic, social and political framework, the Plan of Action places emphasis on action at the country level.

IV. Conclusions

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134. From the brief account of the activities described above it is clear that many countries have adopted enabling strategies and several have taken some action to improve the functioning of the housing sector. In the process of implementing enabling strategies, many countries have moved away from direct construction but have not yet been able fully to mobilize the flow of public and private funds to support the development of the private sector. This is particularly the case among the least developed countries. The large-scale freeing-up of the land market for housing or the introduction of extensive settlement-level infrastructure, which would mobilize private finance into housing, is happening in only a few countries. Many countries have made the institutional and legislative changes towards an enabling strategy but are yet to make the level of investment in infrastructure necessary to induce the other actors in the sector.

135. The mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategy, being undertaken by the Centre as part of the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), will provide new guidance for action at the country level. Furthermore, the wide application of the Shelter Sector Performance Indicators would assist Governments in assessing the impacts of the policy changes and would also highlight areas where further facilitating actions are required.

ANNEX

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Introduction