Canada To Host World Urban Forum 2006
by PJ Wade
To mark the 30-year anniversary of Habitat, the first major United Nations (UN) conference on human settlements, Vancouver will repeat its inaugural hosting role and welcome this international conference in 2006. The historic 1976 conference helped bring urbanization and its impacts to the top of the United Nations agenda and led to the UN resolution that created UN-HABITAT. Vancouver also received international attention when it received the 2002 United Nations' Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment. "Canada is honoured to host the World Urban Forum in 2006," said The Honourable Joe Fontana, Federal Minister of Labour and Housing and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), who led the Canadian delegation to World Urban Forum II in Barcelona this September. "As host of this important event, we are also looking forward to playing a key role in helping the international community come together to achieve the goals set out by UN-HABITAT, and find real solutions to the challenges facing today's cities and communities across the globe." UN-HABITAT, or the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is the agency mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, and to help pave the way towards providing adequate shelter for all. UN-HABITAT's biennial World Urban Forum provides an opportunity for international public, private and not-for-profit organizations, governments and experts to come together, to exchange information, insights and best practices on one of the greatest challenges we face: the transition of our planet to an essentially urban world. Through the Canadian International Development Agency Canada Fund for Africa, Canada is contributing C$15 Million to UN-HABITAT's Water and Sanitation Trust Fund, which is dedicated to reducing the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation or clean water. Our national housing agency, CMHC, annually contributes C$75,000 to UN-HABITAT. "While their effects are felt on the local level, the challenges of urban issues are -- first and foremost -- global challenges," said Minister Fontana. "Only by working together, through such vital international events as the World Urban Forum, can we meet these challenges head on and help make the objectives of UN-HABITAT a reality." Preparation for Canada's participation in World Urban Forum II elicited feedback from a variety of sources including provincial and municipal governments, federal departments, university professors and graduate students, the voluntary and non-profit sector, and women's and environmental groups. The government offers the following responses as an overview: - Partnerships between all levels and groups in society are the most effective way of developing and implementing community-based solutions.
- Partnerships and decision-making processes must be socially inclusive, including not only all levels of government, community and private sector groups, but under-represented groups such as aboriginals, youth and women.
- Achieving positive change towards sustainable practices will not be easy. It will require dedication, commitment, true public participation and a break from traditional streams of thought.
In 2005, the Government of Canada, through CMHC, will also become a member of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council, which provides overall policy guidance and direction to the Programme. In preparation for World Urban Forum III, CMHC will undertake consultations with national and international stakeholders to develop the Forum program and format so that the event most effectively addresses the essential challenges of human settlement in an increasingly urban world. In his speech at World Urban Forum II, Minister Fortuna explained why Canada champions UN-HABITAT's efforts: "While we are one of the world's least densely populated countries, we are also one of the most urbanized nations. Nearly 80 per cent of Canadians live in cities. This number is expected to grow to 90 per cent in the next 10 years. Half are in just four major urban areas and Vancouver -- host city for the 2006 World Urban Forum -- is one of them." |
