Feature Stories Second World Forum closing plenary Barcelona, 17 September 2004 – The Second World Urban Forum in Barcelona closed on Friday with a clarion call from urban leaders on governments to give local authorities more support saying the challenge of urbanisation is greatest facing humanity in the new millennium.   read more UN-HABITAT and UCLG Sign Historic Agreement Barcelona, 17 September 2004 – In a fitting conclusion to the Second World Urban Forum in Barcelona, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) leaders and UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director, Anna Tibaijuka, today signed a historic agreement that will elevate the working relationship between the United Nations system and local governments around the world to a new level.   read more Private Sector Urged to Invest in Slums Barcelona, 17 September 2004 – Dennis Shea, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, yesterday stressed the need to harness private sector resources to meet the needs of the urban poor. He added that while national and local governments were willing to put in equity in the form of land for slum upgrading, commercial capital was still not easily available.Shea was speaking to participants attending a dialogue on Urban Resources, which is being held as part of the Second World Urban in Barcelona .   read more European Union and UN-HABITAT in New Joint Initiative Barcelona, 16 September 2004 – The European Union (EU) and UN-HABITAT this week launched a new joint initiative on making cities around the world more sustainable as part of a new stage of closer cooperation between the two organizations.   read more Turning Vision Into Reality Through the Three Ps -- Political Will, Policy and Participation Barcelona, 16 September 2004 – At the Dialogue on Urban Realities, held as part of the Second World Urban Forum in Barcelona yesterday, three compelling success stories were showcased to illustrate the importance of political will, good policies and participation in translating vision into reality. The following three cases from Morocco, Spain and South Africa have not only physically transformed cities in these countries, but also improved the quality life of their citizens.   read more Sustainable Urbanisation Barcelona, 15 September 2004 – Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor of Lagos, West Africa’s biggest city, opened Wednesday’s dialogue on sustainable urbanization at the World Urban Forum with a call on national governments to commit more resources to cities so that they can cope with the challenges of globalisation.   read more Partnerships for Water Barcelona, 15 September 2004 –Wednesday’s Thematic Dialogue on Urban Services, was chaired by the H.E. Dr. John W. Ashe, chair of 13th session on the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and dealt with the myriad challenges facing water and sanitation access among the world’s poor. In the words of Dr. Ashe, the Dialogue and subsequent events would all make important contributions to the policy session of CSD next year.   read more Housing for the poor and disaster reconstruction - a new agreement between Habitat for Humanity International and UN-HABITAT Barcelona, 15 September 2004 – Habitat for Humanity International and UN-HABITAT on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen the fight against urban poverty and improve disaster relief.   read more Culture for peace and understanding in cities of the new Millennium Barcelona, 15 September 2004 – Culture has many meanings. This was the focus of the Dialogue on urban cultures called Cities as Crossroads of Cultures: Globalization and Culture in an Urbanizing World.   read more Youth Take Their Rightful Place at World Urban Forum Barcelona, 15 September 2004 – UN-HABITAT's Executive Director, Anna Tibaijuka, launched a new Global Partnership Initiative for Urban Youth in Africa yesterday . Youth from Africa, mayors from many cities around the world and representatives of civil society organizations gathered at the launch to highlight the various initiatives that young adults in Africa are involved in, and which require support.   read more

Dialogue on the urban poor: improving the lives of slum dwellers Barcelona, 15 September 2004 – Suppose there was considerably more donor funding available, say a further 10-20 billion dollars a year on the way - how can it be used to improve access to services and empower the urban poor?   read more