[Index]
Giving a new dimension
to human settlement policies in the UNECE
region
to improve their implementation
Geneva, 17 September 2004
- The Committee on Human Settlements
of the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE) will hold its 65th
session in Geneva from 20 to 22 September
2004.
Effective implementation
of the Committee’s work hinges on
interaction with all stakeholders in housing,
urban planning and land administration,
including local governments, the private
sector, professional bodies and non-governmental
organizations. To foster this interaction
the Committee has decided to organize
this year’s in-depth discussion
jointly with the International Society
of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP),
a unique outreach to the professional
civil society.
Approximately 150 ISOCARP
delegates are expected to join the in-depth
discussion, which aims at establishing
a common conceptual understanding of spatial
planning systems, while fostering a dialogue
between government officials and urban
planners for the management of urban areas.
The in-depth discussion will also provide
input for the UNECE guidelines on spatial
planning systems, on which work will start
later this year. Spatial planning is a
powerful tool in creating more sustainable
and better functioning cities.
The Committee’s
policy guidelines have been widely used
in the past. Its Guidelines on condominium
ownership have been particularly
well received in countries in transition.
Although they are still very recent, they
have already been translated by several
countries into their national languages
as they fill a gap in information and
capacity-building measures for policy
makers. However, to be truly effective,
the Guidelines need to be adapted
to national circumstances. The Committee
could help countries find ways to do this,
in particular in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus
and Central Asia, where countries face
considerable challenges in human settlements,
in particular with regard to housing for
the socially weak.
Housing provision to
the socially vulnerable is a growing concern
for all members of the Committee, as housing
is becoming less affordable. Throughout
the region it is increasingly clear that
social housing promotes social cohesion
and security and improves economic productivity,
as it is a prerequisite for labour mobility
and an essential part of a policy environment
conducive to enterprise formation and
job creation. The Committee’s forthcoming
Guidelines on social housing
will help countries design housing policies
catered to the needs of the socially weak
and the Committee will discuss preliminary
results from the work on the Guidelines.
However, drawing up guidelines
alone is not enough to address the human
settlements concerns of the socially vulnerable.
These concerns need to be incorporated
in all activities of the Committee in
order to ensure sustainable development
in human settlements. How to do this and
how to reflect this in the Committee’s
strategic directions will be a major topic
at this year’s session.
For more information on the upcoming
session of the Committee on Human Settlements,
please contact:
Guennadi Vinogradov
UNECE Environment and Human Settlements
Division
Palais des Nations, office 330
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0)22 917 23 74
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 01 07
E-mail: [email protected]
or:
Sylta Paysen
UNECE Environment and Human Settlements
Division
Palais des Nations, office 311
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0)22 917 26 82
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 01 07
E-mail: [email protected]
The documents of the Committee are available
at: http://www.unece.org/env/hs
Ref: ECE/ENV/04/P14