UNITED NATIONS	HS
	Commission on Human Settlements	Distr. GENERAL HS/C/15/3 21 December 1994 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Fifteenth session Nairobi 25 April - 1 May 1995 Item 5 of the provisional agenda        Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR SHELTER TO THE YEAR 2000
Report of the Executive Director

Introduction

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l. The Commission on Human Settlements, as the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating, evaluating and monitoring the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 reviewed reports on the implementation of the Strategy at the global and national levels at its previous three sessions. The current report is the fourth such report and covers the period 1993-1994. This report is brief since more detailed information is contained in the fourth draft report of the Commission on Human Settlements to the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 (HS/C/ 15/3/Add.4) as well as in the mid-term review of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 (HS/C/15/3/Add.3).

2. This report is based largely on information provided by Member States. Additional information has been obtained through the Centre's technical cooperation programme and inputs received from a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The report covers mainly activities taken towards implementation of new and revised national shelter strategies. From the information available it is apparent that, at the national level, many initiatives are being taken, but there is little information on the impacts of the new strategies. This information would be available through wide application of the Shelter Sector Performance Indicators by Member States as recommended by the Commission in its resolution 14/13.

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

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3. In its role as the coordinating agency for the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter, the Centre 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 NGOs. In addition, the Centre has, in cooperation with some 70 governments, 10 NGOs, and a number of international agencies, undertaken as mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategy (HS/C/15/3/Add.3).

4. Technical cooperation with Member States moved away from preparation of national shelter strategies, which had been the focus in the previous biennium, to issues such as institutional strengthening and capacity-building for improved environmental management of settlements, both of which enhance the capacity of governments at different levels as enablers. However. the overall level of technical cooperation in shelter-related projects reduced somewhat during the biennium under review in parallel with the overall reduction of joint activities with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the main funding partner for technical cooperation. On the other hand, cooperation with Member States in the Community Development Programme was extended to six 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).

5. 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 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. In the 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 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Finnish International Development Agency (FINNIDA), the Government of France, the United States Agency for Development (USAID) and the World Bank in implementing this Programme. A full account of the implementation of the Housing Indicators Programme is contained in document HS/C/15/3/Add.2.

6. The Centre's research and development initiatives 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 those 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

II. Action by Member States towards national shelter strategies

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9. The operational emphasis for the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter is on action at the country level. Many developing countries are implementing their new or revised national shelter strategies in the context of difficult economic situations and structural adjustment programmes. Many countries have commenced a programme of deregulation, privatization to encourage the private sector, and decentralization of responsibilities in the housing sector to local authorities. A full account of the progress made in the implementation of the Strategy is provided in document HS/C/15/3/Add.4. A brief review of the initiatives taken by governments in the period 1993-1994 is provided below, grouped under the major action areas endorsed by the Commission for monitoring national shelter strategies.

A. Political commitment to shelter

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10. A number of countries have accorded high priority to housing through the approval of housing policies or enactment of new legislation by Parliament. Austria enacted improved legislation in 1994 based on a Parliamentary Inquiry on the housing market. India's National Housing Policy was adopted by Parliament in June 1994 after a long process of public consultations. Lebanon is according high priority to housing in its national rehabilitation programme. South Africa held a national Housing Summit in October 1994 at which all stakeholders in the housing sector agreed on the framework of the national housing policy. Sri Lanka has incorporated its nationwide poverty-alleviation programme with the One and a Half Million Houses Programme. Many countries have appointed inter-ministerial committees to focus on specific matters. Spain has enacted a series of new legislation on housing policy, land management, housing finance, building standards, subsidies and urban development to implement its new Housing Plan 1992-1995.

11. Many countries in Western Europe, including Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, have updated their housing policies in specific areas such as increasing home ownership, targeting subsidies, and mobilizing private investment in order to improve the overall functioning of the housing sector. All countries in Central and Eastern Europe are redefining their housing policies in the framework of ongoing political, legislative. economic and social reforms. A regional seminar on housing reforms in transition countries was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, in November 1993, under the sponsorship of UNCHS (Habitat) and the Economic Commission for Europe. The third meeting of Ministers Responsible for Human Settlements in Transition Countries. held in June 1994 in Moscow. adopted a series of recommendations for implementation at the national, regional and international levels,

B. Sustainable development policies

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12. In response to Agenda 21, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, (the Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, some countries have incorporated approaches to sustainable development in their human settlements or housing policies. For example, the United Republic of Tanzania has produced a National Sustainable Human Settlements Strategy based on a successful sustainable development programme in Dar-es-Salaam which has been supported by UNCHS (Habitat) and UNDP. The Government of the United Kingdom has issued its Sustainable Development Strategy which describes how housing policies support the wider objectives of environmental policy and the aim of sustainable development. The Energy Efficiency Office runs housing energy efficiency measures and programmes, and revised building regulations are expected to achieve significant further improvements in energy consumption in buildings. There are also various legal and other mechanisms to ensure efficient use of land resources.

13. A number of countries are addressing environmental issues within housing policies and strategies since adverse environmental conditions in many cities present major obstacles to achieving sustained economic growth and development. Ghana is addressing the deteriorating environmental conditions in and around the rapidly expanding city of Accra by strengthening local capacities to plan, coordinate and manage urban development and growth with emphasis on improved multisectoral and community-based participation and by enhancing the availability and use of natural resources and reducing exposure to environmental hazards. Thailand has enacted the Environment Law to, inter alia, encourage sustainable urban development practices,

C. Macro- economic strategies

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14. Successfully linking shelter sector policies with the macro-economy is reported by only a few countries. The depth and wide influences of these linkages are gradually becoming apparent as more progress is made in the liberalization of economic activity, the establishment of financial markets, decentralization and privatization in housing production. Among the developing countries that have established institutional mechanisms for coordinating shelter policy with overall macro-economic and social policies are Botswana, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, Jamaica, Namibia, Singapore, Thailand, Tunisia and the United Republic of Tanzania. Colombia has positioned its main housing policy body within the Ministry of Economic Planning and is thus better able to take advantage of the linkages. Singapore's Housing and Development Board continues to operate within the Ministry of National Development with successful results.

D. Links between shelter objectives and settlement management

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15. The links between shelter, urbanization and settlement management have been recognized in the preparatory process of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), the two main themes of which address these issues. National action in the implementation of the Strategy in many countries reflects this linkage. Australia is following up its National Shelter Strategy with the Australian Urban and Regional Development review. A key element of the Government's urban reform agenda is a review of regulatory practices, particularly those performed by local government. Several countries in the Caribbean are preparing national physical development strategies which serve as a framework for the formulation of housing policies. Among the countries which have adopted new policies or legislation for urban development are Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, South Africa and Tunisia. Pakistan is preparing a national urban strategy. The implementation of a policy of urban regeneration, especially to improve the quality of life in the inner-city areas has been reported by Guyana and the United Kingdom.

E. Identification of needs and resources

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16. Only a few countries have reported undertaking an assessment of needs and resources. For example, Sierra Leone has reviewed the availability of capital and material resources and is preparing its National Housing Policy within severe economic constraints. Some countries which have liberalized the economy and undertaken deregulation measures have not yet been able mobilize the necessary level of resources from the private sector.

F. Participation and representation

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17. The cornerstone of the Global Strategy is enabling other actors in the shelter sector, with government acting as a facilitator. Almost all countries have reported involving partners in the housing sector. These partners are usually local authorities, the private sector, community-based organizations (CBOs) and, sometimes, NGOs.

18. Among the countries that have taken recent initiatives to transfer responsibilities to local authorities are Burkina Faso, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Honduras, India. Madagascar, Mali, Nicaragua, Swaziland, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.

19. The private sector is becoming an active partner in housing production in many countries, including Benin. Central African Republic, China, Fiji, Hungary, Jordan, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Thailand and Tunisia. Measures taken to encourage this sector include strengthening of capital markets, reform of rental policies, according the private sector the same advantages as public-sector agencies, giving preference to lending for investment in rental accommodation, and tax reliefs. In the United Kingdom, 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.

20. Another aspect of privatization is the sale of existing public rental houses. This is being pursued in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe as well as countries undergoing structural adjustment.

21. Some governments involve community groups in the formulation and implementation of shelter programmes at the local level, within a framework of policies and programmes of decentralization, For example, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zambia, which are committed to a policy of decentralized planning and development through community participation at the local level, are implementing programmes on community management which will serve as the basis for the formulation of a national policy for community management.

22. Sri Lanka's One and a Half Million Houses Programme directly involves people at the settlement level with the district and local agencies in the house production and improvement process, The United Kingdom provides grants to advice agencies to enable them to promote tenant participation options available to council tenants, It has granted local authority tenant organizations the right to take over the management of their homes.

23. Non-governmental organizations are taking an active part in some countries in the formulating of housing policy at the national level, For example, in Colombia the NGO, Fedevivienda, a national association of human settlements NGOs, is a member of the Government's main housing policy body within the Ministry of Planning, Lebanon is entrusting the execution of a large portion of rehabilitation works to an NGO. Namibia is testing the different components of the draft national shelter strategy with NGOs and CBOs under the Build Together programme. In some countries, non-governmental groups have arisen to fill a gap in the housing-delivery system or for other specific purposes. For example, in Benin, NGOs have emerged to defend the rights of tenants and consumers. In Hungary, there are associations, interest groups and foundations active in the housing sector.

G. Institutional coordination

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24. National initiatives in this area include both the creation of new or restructured institutions and measures to achieve synergy between housing and other sectors of the economy. Angola has decided to establish an agency to manage the public housing stock of 130,0W houses and create a fund for housing development. However continued civil strife has so far interrupted the implementation of these proposals. Jordan has streamlined the institutional framework by amalgamating two existing agencies into the newly created Housing and Urban Development Corporation. New Zealand has separated the functions of policy formulation and management of public housing. A new State-owned company, Housing New Zealand, now manages public housing on a commercial basis and tenants' families in need are provided with cash grants as a welfare payment. Uruguay recently restructured the human settlements structure, creating a new Ministry responsible for housing, the environment and human settlements.

25. European countries in transition are still in the process of identifying the most appropriate institutional framework for housing. In Hungary the Housing Concept was elaborate by the Ministry of Welfare in 1993 with the participation of four other ministries having responsibilities in housing. An inter-ministerial committee led by the Minister for Trade and Industry has submitted annual reports on the housing sector to the Government to facilitate a decision on the appropriate institutional mechanism.

26. Many countries have taken measures to achieve institutional coordination among related sectoral activities. For example, Australia is bringing about reform in the housing sector by working with other spheres of government, through Ministerial forums and through specific programmes such as Better Cities and the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement.

H. Human-resources development

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27. Most of the new initiatives reported in human-resources development are a the settlement level. For example, Bangladesh has implemented extensive training programmes in basic skills in settlement improvement. Bolivia is setting up an autonomous self-supporting National Training Resource Centre in the form of a national NGO, the Pro Habitat Foundation. This would be able to undertake training in housing and human settlements development on a large scale country-wide. Costa Rica is implementing a programme of training community groups and local government staff in connection with building local capacity for community management. Under this programme, community groups, especially women's groups, have built schools and community sanitation systems, improved roads, launched campaigns for environmental protection, and promoted gender sensitivity.

28. In Ghana, the Ministry of Local Government's Training Institute has commenced training programmes for community leaders, facilitators and government officials in community organization and participation, including gender sensitivity, leadership qualities, conflict resolution, needs assessment. information, communication and evaluation.

29. Uganda has implemented a large-scale training programme which includes training of trainers, training of mobilization teams, and communication and evaluation workshops with participation of community leaders and local government staff. A unique feature of this programme is the development of a framework for community-based monitoring and evaluation of settlement-improvement projects.

30. Zambia has institutionalized appropriate forms of training for community participation in the improvement of low-income settlements. Under this programme, training manuals have been prepared, a number of practical training courses in fieldwork situations held, and seminars held on the principles of teacher training for community participation. The programme is enabling communities to develop skills and awareness to identify their own problems and priorities and formulate proposals for housing improvement and settlement upgrading.

I. Land management

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31. The assurance of an affordable supply of land is recognized as one of the key components of an enabling shelter strategy. Therefore many countries are taking measures to improve the functioning of land markets. In this area, the most commonly reported initiatives are the improvement of land-registration systems or cadastres, and the development of land-information systems providing a whole range of relevant details. Cyprus, Honduras, Nicaragua, Pakistan and several countries in the Caribbean sub-region are reporting progress in these fields. Nicaragua is setting up an integrated system of digitalized cadastral maps to facilitate the transfer of the responsibility for the assessment and collection of property taxes to local authorities.

32. Among the countries which are undertaking a total review or amendment of land legislation are Lesotho, Pakistan, Swaziland, and the United Republic of Tanzania. In Pakistan, the Urban Land Commission review of land policies covered the existing laws and regulations relating to acquisition of land for housing and urban development and has drafted rules and regulations for the introduction of transparent procedures for land acquisition, for the disposal and pricing of plots, for the introduction of concepts of environmental protection, for town planning standards and for provision of services in all housing schemes. The United Republic of Tanzania has published for public comment the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters. In Swaziland, a Commission is reviewing the management of Swazi nation land with a view to formulating proposals to increase access to lands held under customary tenure. In the United Kingdom, the planning system provides an adequate and continuous supply of land for housing, and effective mechanisms are in operation to encourage beneficial use of derelict land.

J. Infrastructure management

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33. Some countries are planning the provision of infrastructure in a comprehensive manner. Spain has approved an overall infrastructure plan for the period 1993 to 2000 which integrates policies in environment, energy and regional development. Indonesia is implementing a national integrated infrastructure development programme.

34. Among the countries which have strengthened the provision of infrastructure are Fiji. India and Indonesia. Some countries plan to achieve full cost recovery gradually, including Dominica, Fiji and Samoa

35. Many countries are considering or implementing policies to privatize certain infrastructural services. For example, the United Kingdom has made substantial progress in privatizing infrastructure, including water supply. sewerage and electricity. A new regulatory body has been established to monitor and regulate as necessary.

36. Only a few countries have reported the implementation of technological advances in infrastructure. Among them is Cyprus which has developed biological means of waste treatment, now applied in most urban centres.

K. Housing finance

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37. Some countries are improving public-sector institutional arrangements for housing finance. For example, India has set up 20 regional housing-finance institutions to link with the apex National Housing Bank. In Indonesia, the State Housing Bank has developed an innovative home-loan credit programme based on an institutional system to organize community efforts for self-improvement. Loan finance is provided to low-income groups for three key activities, namely acquisition of land, construction of the housing unit and generation of income. This programme is now a key element of the regional and provincial shelter development strategy.

38. With the change towards privatization in housing production, many countries are improving institutional capacity in housing finance and are actively encouraging establishment of housing-finance institutions in the private sector. Botswana is considering the feasibility of establishing a housing-finance institution. Pakistan has approved the setting-up of private sector housing-finance companies, and is studying the possibility of setting-up a secondary mortgage market. The United Republic of Tanzania has reviewed the country's banking system and enacted the Banking Act which encourages the establishment of private financial institutions.

39. Incentives are being given in order to mobilize private finance for housing. Cyprus has introduced new schemes targeted for periodic tax allowances for housing. Thailand has been mobilizing housing finance through attractive interest rates on savings. The United Kingdom provides fiscal incentives to encourage people to own their own home in the form of relief from taxation on the interest on mortgages and exemption from capital gains tax on the main residence.

L. Building materials and technology

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40. Only a few countries have reported on programmes to increase the production of building materials substantially.

41. Costa Rica has increased its capacity for cultivation, production and processing of bamboo and has facilitated the growth of small-scale enterprises for the production of panels and building components and for construction in bamboo. An additional 2000 hectares are to be brought under cultivation by 1998.

42. Many countries have made changes in building legislation, mainly to streamline the building approval and construction process and to encourage the use of indigenous materials.

43. Many industrialized countries support large research programmes which cover building control, design and specification, collaborative research and technology transfer.

M. Targeting of subsidies

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44. Many countries recognize the need to correct the present pattern of targeting housing subsidies to ensure that these are granted to families with the greatest need. Fiji is transferring subsidies from public rental housing tenants in order to increase subsidies to vulnerable groups. Pakistan is revising its financial policy to make subsidies more transparent and appropriately targeted. Swaziland is planning to replace subsidies with a system of proportional ownership of house sites with the Government, with the proportion owned by the individual increasing with the level of affordability.

45. Industrialized countries, such as New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom, have revised their housing subsidies to focus them on tenants rather than on property through income-related assistance. New Zealand has adopted a system where public-housing tenants are charged market rents and those in need of assistance receive extra cash through the Accommodation Supplement administered by the Department of Social Welfare. Most European transition countries have revised their housing-subsidy systems as a consequence of the adoption of market economy principles.

N. Monitoring of the shelter sector

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46. Although a number of countries have reported that information on housing is regularly made available. very few countries have set up a sufficiently comprehensive database on the shelter sector to be able to monitor the performance of the shelter sector on a regular basis.

47. Among the developing countries which report that data on the housing sector are regularly collected and made readily available are Benin, Chile, Cyprus, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Tunisia

48. Hungary has commenced the establishment of a housing information system which would serve as a basis for taking decisions in the public and private sectors. The system will include information on central and local government housing policy, housing development, construction, maintenance and other services, real estate turnover, housing-finance and mortgage loan system, housing conditions of households, and changes in the use and function of residential buildings.

49. Kenya is implementing the City Data Programme which aims to produce and maintain critical data on housing and urban indicators in order to assist policy-makers and administrators.

III. Action by the United Nations System

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50. The World Conference on Human Rights. held in Vienna in June 1993, reaffirmed the right to housing, providing further reinforcement to the work being done in this field by the Commission on Human Rights, the Commission on Human Settlements and the Habitat International Coalition (HIC) and other NGOs.

51. The Economic Commission for Africa has undertaken research as well as promotional work on the production and use of appropriate building material. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific held a Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and further extended the City Net programme bringing together municipal administrations and NGOs. ECE 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 ministerial meetings in 1993 and 1994 to facilitate a high-level interchange of experience in human settlements, including shelter provision. The Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) undertook 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.

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

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

54. The United Nations Environment Programme undertook several initiatives relating to human settlements of which its cooperation with UNCHS (Habitat) on the continuum from relief to development is an example directly concerned with shelter.

55. The United Nations Centre for Regional Development organized an international seminar on prospects for government/non-governmental partnerships in human settlements development.

56. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, jointly with UNCHS (Habitat), organized the First Global Consultation on the Construction Industry aimed at introducing environmentally sound, energy-efficient construction practices in developing countries.

57. 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.

58. 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 in Harare in November 1993.

IV. Action by bilateral and multilateral agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations

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59. In 1993, the World Bank published a new housing policy paper, entitled "Housing: enabling markets to work", which is explicitly designed to put both the Global Strategy for Shelter and the Housing Indicators Programme into practice through the Bank's lending programme. USAID has collaborated 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 (CMHC) and FINNIDA have also cooperated with the Centre on 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). 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 UNCHS (Habitat), also organized an International Seminar on Enabling Community Management.

60. 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.

61. Among 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 governments and organizations in the region and has carried out training courses. The Private Sector Low-Income Housing Association of the Philippines has demonstrated in several of its projects that providing housing for the urban poor is possible through private-sector operations.

62. Among NGOs, 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 it and the Japan Housing Association made awards in recognition of valuable contributions to shelter. Examples of other NGOs active at the international level are the Hassan Fathy Institute for Construction Workers, Habitat for Humanity and the Megacities Project.

63. 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, literary, nutrition, income generation, health and other socio-economic issues. Examples of these are the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights, ENDA 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.

V. Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000: Plan of action for 1996-1997

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64. The proposed Global Strategy for Shelter plan of action 1996-1997 and its timetable is contained in document HS/C/15/3/Add.l. It includes a number of shelter-related activities that support the Habitat II preparatory process and the Global Plan of Action for the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). As with previous plans, the plan of action 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 UNCHS (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.

VI. Conclusions

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65. It is clear that many initiatives are being made 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 have not been able to make the level of investment in infrastructure necessary to induce the other actors in the sector.

67. The mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategy being undertaken by UNCHS (Habitat) as part of the preparatory process for 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 also highlight areas where further facilitating actions are required.