[Index]
Signing ceremony on partnership between the International Cooperative Alliance
and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Committee on Human Settlements
Geneva, 6 December 2005 - On Thursday, 8 December 2005, a co-operation
agreement between the UNECE
Committee on Human Settlements and the International
Co-operative Alliance (ICA Housing) will be signed on behalf of the ICA
by Mr. Iain Macdon ald, Director-General of the ICA; Mr. Michael E. Doyle,
President of ICA Housing. Signing for the UNECE will be Mr. Kaj Bärlund,
Director of the Environment and Human Settlements Division, and Ms. Christina
von Schweinichen, Deputy Director.
The objective of the agreement is to assist governments (in particular the
Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia and South Eastern Europe) in designing
and implementing national housing policies and programmes, while promoting
the UN’s Habitat Agenda, the UN Millennium Development Goals and
the UNECE Strategy for sustainable quality of life in human settlements in
the 21st century.
UNECE strives to foster sustainable economic growth among
its 55 member countries. To that end UNECE provides a forum for communication
among States; brokers international legal instruments addressing trade, transport
and the environment; and supplies statistics, housing and environmental analysis.
In particular the UNECE Committee on Human Settlements advises member countries
on housing, planning and land administration policies and strategies and encourages
their practical implementation. In implementing the agreement, the UNECE will
involve its Housing and Urban Management Advisory Network (HUMAN).
The ICA oversees
co-operative initiatives in numerous sectors including housing agriculture;
banking; consumer issues; energy; fisheries; mutual insurance; tourism; industrial,
artisan and service produces; and health. ICA Housing, which is comprised
of 42 member national organizations in
31 countries, was established to promote the development of co-operative housing
in all countries to address housing and shelter issues through economic and
social initiatives. The ICA will implement many of the activities related to
the agreement via its housing sector.
The signing ceremony will take place on Thursday, 8 December 2005 at 5.30 p.m.
at the Hotel Epsom Manotel, Geneva.
Representatives from the ICA, ICA Housing, UNECE, and the
UNECE’s Housing and Urban Management Advisory Network are expected to
attend and will be available for press interviews.
For further information or to schedule press interviews, please contact Mr. Mounir Ibrahim
at [email protected] and
Ms. Christina von Schweinichen at [email protected]
Ref: ECE/ENV/05/N02