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Statement by Ambassador Sichan Siv, United States Representative to
the Economic and Social Council, on Human Settlements, in the Economic
and Social Council, July 23, 2002
Thank you, Mr. President.
Global urbanization is rapidly increasing, and
global poverty is rapidly urbanizing. But urbanization is as much an
opportunity as a challenge. Throughout the millennia of human
history, from Ur and Athens, to New York, cities have been engines of
economic, social and cultural development.
Within the United Nations (UN) system,
UN-Habitat is the focal point
for the UN’s strategy on human settlements policy. UN-Habitat’s goals
come from the
Habitat
Agenda and the
Millennium Declaration: one—human settlements that are
environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable; and
two—significant improvements in the lives of 100 million slum dwellers
by the year 2020.
The 56th United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) has brought us a step closer to these goals by
establishing the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), its
Governing Council, and the
Committee of Permanent Representatives as an intersessional
subsidiary body. The United States expects that, in its new status as
a full-fledged program of the UN General Assembly, UN-Habitat will be
able to coordinate UN system implementation of shelter and human
settlements goals more effectively.
At the same time, we anticipate a developing
synergy. UN-Habitat’s shelter and human settlements perspective can
contribute to poverty eradication, community and municipal capacity
building, and improved health – from clean water and sanitation, to
shelter for vulnerable groups. HABITAT also addresses good governance
and the creation of the foundation for rule of law within local
authorities, at the most immediate level of government for the many
millions of slum dwellers.
We commend UN-Habitat for convoking the first
session of the World
Urban Forum. Successful dialogues drew out discussion among
academic experts, local and national government representatives,
non-governmental organizations, and slum dwellers associations. We
look forward to the continuation of this biennial event as a useful
technical forum advancing UN-Habitat’s primary role in developing and
disseminating knowledge, best practices, and policy guidance.
The past year for UN-Habitat was one of
successful consolidation. We support Secretary-General Annan’s call
to seek ways to strengthen the Programme’s funding mechanism, the “UN-Habitat
and Human Settlements Foundation.” Funding for core advocacy and
catalytic work has been insufficient, and may prove not to be
sustainable from traditional sources. If the agency is to move
forward by scaling up, the Executive Director will need to explore
creative partnerships with other UN Agencies, International Financial
Institutions, foundations, and the private sector. Innovative
financing will be needed even as core resources grow.
For example, UN-Habitat has a new sub-Programme
in the Medium Term Strategic Plan for 2002-2005: providing seed money
for financing human settlements and upgrading slums. We are
considering carefully UN-Habitat’s latest proposals and studies on
financing, and look forward to consulting with other member states and
the Secretariat.
Mr. President,
Within a relatively short time, more than half of
the world’s population will live in cities. The change is occurring
fastest and having its most challenging impact in the developing
world. Cities in Asia and Africa will nearly double their populations
in 15 years.
Slums and urban unemployment breed disease and
unrest. On the other hand, well-functioning urban centers generate
economic development and social and cultural vitality. We look to
UN-Habitat for keys to the promise to cities.
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