EU Presidency Statement - HABITAT II

Mr. Chairman,

I am pleased to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union (Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) and the other associated countries (Cyprus, Malta and Turkey) align themselves with this statement.

Since Europe is now one of the most urbanized continents, the one with the densest urban settlement pattern, because towns and cities are omnipresent in its history and in its geography, the countries of the European Union are particularly attentive to what is at stake in the global urbanization movement and are very attached to the proper implementation of the action plan adopted in June 1996 in Istanbul.

Habitat II has clearly shown that towns and cities play an increasingly important role for our future, in each of our countries and on a global level. Most of the economic, social and ecological issues on which sustainable development depends entail better collective control of the growth and management of our built-up areas. If we wish to avert the remaining risks and to seize the opportunities available, we must do our utmost to implement the programme for the habitat (Habitat Agenda). We are convinced that the synergies with other UN processes, in particular with Agenda 21, also in the future will have a major impact through a participatory approach to environment and development issues.

Even if time is pressing, the main lines of this programme are intentionally spread over a long period since it is only by means of a prolonged, continuous, determined and persistent effort that urban structures and systems of governance can be made to evolve in the direction desired. Really significant progress in this respect is necessarily a slow process. Only five years after the Istanbul Summit, spectacular steps forward cannot be expected.

However, the European Union is fully convinced of the great interest of the special "Istanbul +5" session of the General Assembly, in particular to increase even more global awareness of the extent and the seriousness of the challenges facing our towns and cities, the importance of what is at stake in the sustainable development of human settlements and the need, whatever the difficulties we have to cope with, to make more rapid progress on the road outlined in Istanbul. This explains why we are very keen on this special session adopting a declaration on human settlements in the new millennium which extends and amplifies the Habitat II conclusions.

The European Union would like this session to constitute an opportunity solemnly to reaffirm the commitments made in Istanbul and to review the progress made and the obstacles encountered. The international community must be able to share relevant information on the measures introduced, the institutional developments taking place and the first results obtained, as well as on the difficulties arising and the problems still remaining, which need to be clearly identified.

We would of course like this evaluation to give the same attention to the two, equally important, topics discussed by the Istanbul Summit: adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world. The EU would also like to reiterate its support for the global campaigns of Habitat in favor of security of tenure and urban governance.

The European Union considers that the Council should ratify and validate the proposals made by the first session of the Preparatory Committee regarding the purpose and organization of the special session, in particular the draft resolution submitted for a decision at the next General Assembly.

We are convinced, in particular, of the need to mobilize in this action, alongside the government delegations, the various partners in civil society, i.e. to extend the procedural and accreditation rules adopted at Habitat II.

In view of the major role that local authorities must now play in urban policy matters, we are very much in favor of representatives of their international associations being involved, as effectively as possible, in the process of monitoring and evaluating the programme for the habitat, beyond even the proceedings of the Advisory Committee of Local Authorities set up under the United Nations center for Human Settlements. In particular, we are convinced that the unanimous undertaking given in Istanbul to strengthen the policies of decentralization and better combine efforts between the various levels of government should gradually become apparent in the legislation of Member States. We would therefore like to reiterate our support for the project of World Charter of Local Self-Government.

We also want to underline the importance of the responsibilities incumbent on national governments as well as on local authorities for the proper implementation of the programme for the Habitat. Most of the measures contained in the global plan depend firstly, above all, on appropriate measures being taken by the member countries. In addition to producing their respective national reports, the member States of the European Union intend to support the preparatory process as a whole and to continue, through their bilateral cooperation activities and the programs managed by the European Commission, with their support for the partner developing countries.

We also express our interest in the regional consultations which need to be organized before the second session of the Preparatory Committee under the aegis of the United Nations Regional Economic Commissions with a view in particular to emphasizing the specific character of each geographical zone and the adjustment of priorities for action which should ensue.

Finally, we hope that the special session will make it possible to increase the involvement of the relevant United Nations organizations and agencies in the implementation of the programme for the habitat, by improving the efficiency of the system for sharing and coordinating responsibilities.

| Arriba |

• EU Presidency Statement - Habitat (4/11/2002)
• EU Presidency Statement - HABITAT II (6/6/2001)