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Human Settlements (Habitat-II) and Strengthening of the UN Human
Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Statement Dr. Asad M. Khan, Counsellor Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the
United Nations Agenda Item 54: Implementation of the Outcome of the Second UN
Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat-II) and Strengthening of the UN Human
Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) (October 26, 2006)
Chairperson,
My delegation wishes to associate itself with the statement made by the
distinguished representative of South Africa on behalf of the G-77 and China.
We thank the Secretary-General for his report on Implementation of the outcome
of the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat-II) and strengthening of the
UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) as contained in document A/61/262.
Chairperson,
The ‘State of the World’s Cities’ Report has documented the worsening living
standards of urban poor, particularly in health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS and other
diseases.
More than half of world population will live in cities by 2007. Much needs to be
done to realize significant improvement in the lives of 100 million slum
dwellers by 2020. Accelerated and concerted efforts at the international level
and provision of increased resources is imperative, as concluded by the 2005 UN
Summit.
Pro-poor policies with a focus on tenure security, in particular for slum
dwellers, and access to affordable housing are needed more than ever before.
This, in our view, can be realized through an integrated approach to Human
Settlement Development, water and sanitation, with the full involvement of all
stakeholders.
Chairperson,
In order to produce optimal results, it is imperative to; firstly, expand
technical assistance to developing countries including training and capacity
building; secondly, identify disaster prone areas and formulate mitigation
strategies, rapid response to post-disaster and post-conflict situations, and
thirdly, provide sustained technical assistance in reconstruction efforts.
Chairperson,
Pakistan is faced with serious challenges of urbanization. About 33% of our
total 155 million population lives in urban areas, where the growth rate is more
than 4 % per annum. 40% of the total urban population lives in katchi abadis/slums
or informal settlements. There is also an acute shortage of housing units.
Overcrowding of cities is taxing further the already inadequate civic amenities
and services. According to estimates, the number of housing units presently
required is 5.5 million with an annual increase of 270,000 units.
To overcome security of tenure and other related problems, Government has taken
a number of measures, including regularization of slums and slum upgrading
programme through the granting of ownership rights to dwellers; involvement of
local communities in development of physical infrastructure in slum areas;
establishing new housing projects for middle and low-income groups; and
encouraging private sector to invest in the housing sector.
Government is also making improvements in urban transport systems, water supply
and sanitation, improving the quality of waste water discharges into waste
bodies and agricultural field, and over all improvement in quality of life in
informal settlements. Efforts are being made to provide jobs in rural areas and
to discourage migration to urban centers. The benchmarks and targets fixed by
the Government include: increasing safe water supply coverage from 55 percent in
2005 to 90 percent in 2015 and to increase coverage of sanitation facilities
from 35 percent in 2005 to 70 percent in 2015.
In addition to these efforts at national level, Pakistan actively participates
in the regional and international initiatives. In line with objectives of MDG-7,
we convened Second South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN-II 2006), which
was held on 20-21 September 2006 in Islamabad. It provided a unique opportunity
for sharing experiences, best approaches and practices in South Asia on
sanitation and to highlight the urgent need to accelerate action for
achievements of MDGs on sanitation in the region.
Chairperson,
The devastating earthquake that struck parts of Northern Pakistan and Azad
Kashmir on 8th October last year rendered more than 3.5 million people without
shelter. A year later, more than 90% of the displaced people have been relocated
to transition shelters as the long-term reconstruction process is picking
momentum. However, around 40,000 people still live in tented communities. In
partnership with the international community, the Government of Pakistan is
accelerating the rehabilitation and reconstruction. This is a daunting challenge
and could take 3 to 5 years to complete. The objective of the government is to
build back better communities in accordance with the international standards. To
meet this requirement, seismological surveys have been conducted by
international experts in the affected areas to ensure that new settlements are
less prone to natural disasters like earthquake. People from, some towns
devastated by earthquake, like Balakot and parts of Muzaffarabad, will be
relocated from the previous locations. Besides, the Government has devised new
building code to construct safer housing and other structures.
We appreciate the assistance of UN agencies in the recovery and reconstruction
efforts of the government of Pakistan. UNDP’s collaboration has been
particularly effective in this regard. We feel, however, that UN-Habitat should
also expand its role with greater involvement in the long-term rehabilitation
process by mainstreaming the issues of shelter and disaster risk reduction and
assist the government in completing the enduring task of reconstruction.
Chairperson,
The Third World Urban Forum of UN-HABITAT recognized the critical need for
increased financial resources to attain the slum-upgrading target of the
Millennium Declaration.
Allocation of resources to the core programmes and regular budget resources is
vital for the work of UN-Habitat. Though this increase in over all contributions
to UN-Habitat reached $ 47.1 million in 2005, the non-earmarked contributions
remained low, at $10.5 million. This rising imbalance needs to be reversed as it
may hamper strategic planning and delivery of services in a timely and
predictable manner.
In order to strengthen UN-HABITAT, it is essential to introduce an effective
balance between its normative and operational activities. Similarly, improving
inter-agency cooperation in the field of Human Settlements and other
cross-cutting issues as well as mobilizing support for the UN Human Settlement
Foundation and its Slum Upgrading Facility are essential. We are of the view
that inclusion of UN Habitat in the UN Development Group may help strengthen
this organization.
Pakistan remains committed to implement its commitments related to improvement
in human settlements as contained in Agenda 21, the decisions of the
Johannesburg Programme of Implementation, and the 2005 World Summit Outcome, in
order to attain sustained economic growth and sustainable development of our
people.
I thank you.