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The conference theme, “A vision for sustainable urbanisation in the Asia-Pacific by 2020”, was aimed at galvanizing government action and political commitment at the regional level to improve the lives of 581 million slum dwellers. The focus of the conference was:
1. To identify the strategies for turning the urbanization challenge into an opportunity for development particularly by consolidating integrated approaches to housing and urban human settlements;
2. To discuss and share experiences of design and implementation of sectoral public policies in these areas as well as development results of public programmes;
3. To develop a uniform mechanism for monitoring progress on the Millennium Development Goals and the Habitat Agenda;
4. To outline ways of managing the consequences of Urbanization especially the increase of urban poverty in slums and informal settlements in Asia-Pacific urban areas;
5. To learn from best practices/ knowledge on social housing and Low cost and latest housing technology to urban poverty and youth employment;
6. To agree on a framework of implementation to address the challenges of housing/ slum relocation in an urbanizing world by consolidating integrated approach to sustainable development;
7. To foster partnerships among Asian and the Pacific countries working in these topics;
8. To explore and promote applied urban research on land and housing issues for poverty reduction in Asian and the Pacific countries;
9. To provide a platform for developing common understanding among Asia and Pacific countries, on issues of Housing and Human Settlements, to enable Asia-Pacific countries to speak with one voice during regional and international meetings, specifically, World Urban Forum, UN-HABITAT Governing Council and also in the future meetings of the Commission on Sustainable Development
10. To define a new urban housing and habitat policy intervention that articulates organically these sectoral aspects; and
11. To establish the conference as a permanent forum for advancing the Habitat Agenda, two campaigns on Urban Governance and Secure Tenure for advocacy within the region and to discuss the establishment of a secretariat to serve future conferences and to facilitate follow-up.
Participation
Ministers of Housing and Urban Development from some 70 countries across the Asia-Pacific were to gather in the Indian capital New Delhi for the region’s first high-level meeting aimed at tackling shelter problems in a part of the world that is home to two-thirds of the global slum population. Thirty five countries participated and more than 35 ministers from the Asia-Pacific deliberated on – pro-poor urban governance and planning, slum upgrading, the delivery of the Millennium Development Goals on water and sanitation, and financing sustainable urbanization, the four pillars for better cities. The conference was attended by:
1. Ministers for Housing and Human Settlements
from the Asia-Pacific region;
2. Mayors & representatives of local authorities
from the Asia-Pacific region;
3. Representatives designated by invited intergovernmental
organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, the
private sector and other Habitat Agenda Partners;
4. Representatives of the donor agencies and
financial institutions;
5. The Executive heads, or their representatives,
of the relevant United Nations organizations and specialized agencies;
and
6. Other eminent persons invited by the Executive
Director of UN-HABITAT and by the Government of India.
PROGRAMME SCHEDULE FOR THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE:
The Expert Group meeting i.e. the first segment
of the Conference was from 13-14 December 2006 followed by the second segment
on 15-16 December devoted to Ministerial meeting. Detailed programme schedule
at
Annexure I.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS:
• Opening Ceremony
The first Asia-Pacific Conference on Housing and Human Settlement began on the 13th of December 2005. The Expert Group Meeting was inaugurated by Shri. Jaipal Reddy, Minister for Urban Development, Government of India. The Expert Meeting started with the election of presiding officers, adopting of the agenda and work program of the conference by the member countries. Addressing the inaugural session of the Conference, Shri Reddy said, that urban settlements ought to be managed by integrating local planning. "There is intense pressure on urban services and infrastructure and issues of urban poverty and environmental degradation require immediate attention and action. The dynamics of urban human settlement require to be managed by strategic and integrated local planning, financial managerial and technical resource among the local bodies in urban population," he said.
According to Mr. Jaipal Reddy under-performing civic services and structures were largely to blame for the plight of people living in the slums. "We need to treat our cities as living eco-systems," he said. Talking of the Indian slum improvement programme he said that it was based on the four priorities of delivering safe drinking water, providing sewers and sanitation, installing storm water drains, and finally, improving public transport. Shri Reddy welcomed the holding of such a conference. He said, "Such conferences enable us to know about the urbanization trends in all the countries of the region. Every country has taken initiatives. Therefore, we need to learn from one another and take a common position in regional and international forums”
Conference host India's Minister of State (I/C) Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Hon’ble Kumari Selja in her address in the opening plenary said that, “Increasing urbanisation is emerging as the most pervasive and dominant challenge in the region”. Citing United Nations figures, she said that if no ameliorative action was taken, the global slum population would reach 1.4 billion by 2020, the majority in the Asia-Pacific region, with one out of every two people living in city slums. "In India, nearly 61.7 million people live in slums and squatter settlements which constitute over 21 percent of the urban population,” She said and urged that the conference must therefore work towards developing strategies for housing and slum-free human settlements (Annexure - II).
Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, UN Undersecretary-General and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, said in the speech read on her behalf by her Senior Advisor, Mr. Kalyan Ray, that she appreciated the collaboration with countries in the region, the Asian Development Bank and sister agencies like UNESCAP. "You represent the world's most populous region – the region with most of the world's largest cities. You represent a part of the world that is the global economic powerhouse of the future. You are gathered here to help devise a common new vision aimed at harnessing some of that great Asian know-how and economic power to ensure that our growing cities of the future will not only be better managed, but manageable – or what we in the United Nations call, sustainable," she said. The world was now living in a new urban age. "We all know that the year 2007 will be the year in which humanity for the first time is predominantly urban. We also know, that with 50 percent of the global population now living in towns and cities, that the process of urbanisation is irreversible. By the year 2030 it is projected that 54.5 percent of the Asian population will be living in cities. And Asia alone will account for more than half the world's urban population – 2.66 billion people out of a total population of 4.94 billion."
• Plenary Session and Presentation of Theme Papers
In a plenary speech (read on his behalf), Mr. Kim Hak-Su, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) urged delegates to keep the Pacific urban agenda in mind during their deliberations: "In view of the tremendous problems of urban poverty and slums on mainland Asia, the urban problems of the Pacific island developing countries tend to have been overlooked."
The Plenary Session was chaired by Shri Ranjit Issar, Secretary (HUPA), GoI. He introduced the theme and sub-themes of the Conference. Technical papers on main theme and the sub themes of the Conference were presented during the Plenary session.
Theme paper for the Conference “Vision for Sustainable Urbanisation in Asia-Pacific 2020” was presented by Dr. Dinesh Mehta of UN-Habitat. Highlighting the fact that the Asia-Pacific region is characterised by the triple dynamics of growth, rapid urbanisation, and growing urbanisation of poverty, the theme paper identified a host of critical challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region which include: Poverty and inequality despite economic growth; Unmanaged urban growth; Insufficient urban infrastructure and basic services; Deteriorating urban growth; and Huge land and housing shortages. To counter these challenges, the paper identified the opportunities – to design, construct, operate and maintain new cities better than existing ones. The paper put forward some of the critical questions such as: Is there a distinct Asian mode of development – of growth and distribution? Is there an Asian notion of ‘sustainable urbanisation’ that is distinct from the global view? What will be a common Asian position on urbanisation to be represented at international fora? The theme paper identified four sub-themes to be deliberated in the Conference: Pro Poor Urban Governance, Slum Upgrading, Delivery of MDG for Water and sanitation and Financing sustainable urbanization.
The first sub-theme paper entitled “Confronting the Challenges of Pro-Poor Urban Governance and Planning in the Development of Asia-Pacific Cities” covered various issues which included: efficient and intensive use of scarce urban land; land tenure and the poor; from non-confirming to conforming urban state; issues in urban renewal; and regional / city planning. The sub-theme paper suggested that the governments in the Asia-Pacific region will have to give a high priority to the development of pro-poor policies in urban development; to the process of giving voice and empowering neighbourhoods and communities; and to promoting inclusiveness in accessing and harnessing urban resources and services. The paper advocated that important levers for overcoming the emerging challenges in the governance of Asia-Pacific cities in the next 15 years are the deployment of Information and Communication Technology and the use of planning for ensuring sustainable and inclusive urban development.
The second sub-theme paper was concerned with progress and challenges in Asia-Pacific Region with respect to Slum Upgrading. The paper recognised that there are intra-regional differences in the slum situations among Asia-Pacific countries due to heterogeneous nature when it comes to presence of slums and slum growth rates, but also slum characteristics across the different sub-regions and countries. Reasons for slum proliferation are Poverty, inadequate economic development and lack of effective urban housing policies. The paper analysed five shelter deprivation indicators such as: access to safe water; access to sanitation; better housing durability; sufficient living space; and security of tenure. The paper recognised that given the region’s relatively high slum prevalence and slum growth rates, the immediate steps toward meeting the -minimal - 53 million targets by 2020 must be accompanied by actions aimed at reducing the current rate of formation of new slums and upgrading of existing slums. Some of the major recommendations of the paper included: Encourage initiatives of slum-dwellers and recognize the role of women; Ensure secure tenure, consolidate occupancy rights and regularize informal settlements; Adopt an incremental approach to upgrading; Associate municipal finance, cross-subsidies and beneficiary contributions to ensure financial viability; Design and negotiate relocation plans only when absolutely necessary; Combine slum upgrading with employment generation and local economic development; and Develop new urban areas by making land and trunk infrastructure available.
The third sub-theme paper of the Conference was “Delivery of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for Water and Sanitation in Asia-Pacific Region: Vision 2020”. Recognizing the fact that the Asia and Pacific region play a pivotal role in the MDG commitment, the paper identified three major challenges to meet the Target 10 of MDGs, i.e., assessment of supply-demand gaps, investment requirements for water and sanitation and appropriate institutional reforms. Considering that there is a strong co-relation between water and sanitation targets and each of the eight MDGs, the challenge will be to devise strategies for (a) ensuring greater flow of resources both domestic and international into the sector; (b) making the investments sustainable; (c) choosing appropriate technologies which served the needs of the local communities; and (d) reforming water and sanitation utilities and building their capacities to meet the challenge so as to ensure that the remaining half also get access to these basic services before too long. In order to meet the MDG Target for water supply and sanitation, the paper called for active collaboration by whole range of stakeholders including government agencies, local communities, private sector as well as the international donors and development institutions.
The fourth sub-theme paper dwelt upon the issue of “Financing Sustainable Urbanisation: Vision 2020 for Asia-Pacific”. The paper analysed critical questions such as: How can the region create bankable cities that meet the current needs as well as respond to future growth by 2020? How can the fiscal decentralisation match that of political decentralisation? How can the cities develop pro-poor investment strategies? How can the financial markets contribute to building sustainable urban homes? Based on challenges and emerging innovations in the region, the paper outlined workable solutions for financing of sustainable urbanisation by 2020 in the region for the consideration of the Ministers. The broad areas of recommendations suggested by the paper included: promote community-led development processes; promote universal access to finances for the poor; creating creditworthy cities; development of workable and market based pro-poor housing and infrastructure finance systems; fiscal policy frameworks, etc.
After the presentations the delegates split into four Working Groups to deliberate on sub-themes.
• Working Groups’ Deliberations and recommendations
The four Working Groups deliberated on the sub themes. The Working Group -1 focused on Enhanced Framework of Implementation-Pro-Poor Urban Governance Planning, Working Group-2 on Enhanced Framework of Implementation – Slum Upgrading, Working Group-3 on Enhanced Framework of Implementation – Delivery of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Water and Sanitation and Working Group-4 on Enhanced Framework of Implementation – Financing Sustainable Urbanization. After deliberations the groups finalized their Reports for consideration and recommendation of a) Draft Enhanced Framework of Implementation for Promoting Sustainable Urban Development in the Asia-Pacific Region; b) Draft Declaration. Draft proposals on establishing a consultative mechanism for ministers of Housing & Urban Development was taken up for discussion with the Ministers at the High-level Ministerial Meeting and later the bureau. The bureau after incorporating minor changes further discussed and finalized the draft proposals for adoption.
• Inauguration of High Level Ministerial Meeting
The High-level Ministerial Meeting was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Hon’ble President of India. The President in his address emphasized a two pronged strategy to address the problems of urbanization, viz, development of selected rural growth centres capable of generating non farm employment, with the provision of urban amenities in rural areas, and, addressing the issues of basic amenities to the poor and the slum dwellers. His Excellency emphasized the need to create four types of connectivity, namely, physical, electronic, knowledge and economic, linking cities and rural growth centres so as to minimize the need for rural urban migration. He stressed the need to preserve rural heritage and culture and protect the rural environment. He also called for conservation of non-renewal energy resources and using rivers and see routes to promote eco-friendly transportation systems.
The overview of the conference, summary of proceedings and draft declaration was presented by Shri Ranjit Issar, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA), GoI, followed by Statements by Kumari Selja, Hon’ble Minister for HUPA and Dr (Mrs.) Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN-HABITAT.
Dr (Mrs.) Anna Tibaijuka thanked His Excellency President Abdul Kalam, Honourable Ministers Selja and Reddy for hosting this conference and helping steer it in the right direction. She also expressed deep appreciation to the Honourable Ministers and representatives of countries across the region who made it their business to be at these important deliberations. “We are now at a very significant turning point in history: The year 2007 will be the year in which for the first time, half of humanity will be living in towns and cities. It marks the beginning of a new urban era”, she said. Quoting the outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, she said: “The focus of global poverty is moving to the cities, a process now recognised as the urbanisation of poverty.” She said that although India and China have made impressive growth the gap between the rich and poor is still growing. While hoping that the deliberations will lead to a new regional mechanism that will help serve and guide the cause of urban renewal and urban poverty reduction she assured that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is ready to offer the Asia-Pacific every support in this important endeavor.
• Discussion on Draft Enhanced Framework of Implementation for sustainable Urbanisation in Asia-Pacific Region
After the opening Ceremony of the High-level Ministerial Meeting, the Ministers from Asia-Pacific Countries assembled and took up substantive discussions on Draft Enhanced Framework of Implementation for Sustainable Urbanisation in Asia-Pacific Region, Draft Declaration and proposal on establishing a consultative mechanism recommended by the Experts Group Meeting. After substantive discussion by the Ministers the same was considered with a few modifications for final consultation among Bureau members. Besides adoption of Enhanced Framework for Implementation, declaration, recommendations and resolutions, the Ministers also elected the permanent Bureau of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Human Settlements and agreed to the venue of the next conference.
• Closing Ceremony and the announcement of Enhanced Framework of Implementation for sustainable Urbanisation in Asia-Pacific Region
The closing ceremony of the conference was held on 16 December 2006 with announcement of the Enhanced Framework for Implementation and Delhi Declaration by Kumari Selja, Hon’ble Minister for HUPA, GoI followed by address by Dr (Mrs.) Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN-HABITAT and valedictory addressed by Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Government of India.
• Statement by Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation,GoI
Kumari Selja, the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, which hosted the conference said: "We must accept 'inclusion' of the poor as the core in all urban policies and programmes. My Ministry has been emphasising the need for 'inclusive zoning', 'inclusive planning' and 'inclusive cities and municipalities'," she said. Acknowledging the huge scale of India's slum crisis, she said India would be glad to support a new forum for inclusive cities which would be a think-tank, comprising a bank of best practices in inclusive civic development and acting as an agent of change for pro-poor governance and service delivery in cities (see Annexure - III).
• Statement by Executive Director UN- HABITAT
UN-HABITAT's Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka told the conference that the year 2007 will be the year in which for the first time, half of humanity will be living in towns and cities. It marks the beginning of a new urban era. It is projected that by 2030 that figure will rise to two-thirds. She said the cities growing fastest were those of the developing world, and that the fastest growing neighbourhoods are the slums. "We therefore have to use every means at our disposal to ensure a new era of urban-rural balance. UN-HABITAT's latest research shows that Asia is already home to half the world's slum population of 581 million," she said. She expected the new conference to work on a similar basis as the two similar permanent secretariats established in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Ms. Tibaijuka and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Mr. Kim Hak-Su, were at pains to remind Asian delegates that they had to keep the Pacific urban agenda in mind during their deliberations. Ms Tibaijuka agreed, adding: “I do not want to overstate the vast challenges before us when it comes to slum improvement and prevention in the world's most populous region. Whether they live in the capital of a small island vulnerable to disaster or a huge inland city, the poor deserve the same security, development and rights as everyone else. We owe it particularly to the new generation of young people."
• Brief message by Prime Minister of India
In a statement leading up to the conference, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India said: “Cities and towns are centres of growth and generators of employment opportunities. Our cities need to have a new look for which they need massive investment and renewal. They need basic amenities like sanitation, drinking water and proper housing for the poor. They need public transport, parks and playgrounds. We need cities in which the working poor can live with self-respect and dignity; cities in which children and women feel safe and secure. … I see a glorious decade of city development ahead of us.”
• Address by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, GoI
While delivering the valedictory address Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia said $60 million were needed to meet the shortage of 25 million houses in the country. A holistic planned urban development that involved private sector and other agencies also was needed, he said, adding that the rural areas were more deprived and need more subsidised infrastructure. The Chinese Minister for Construction and the Minister from Iran the host for the next APMCHHS also addressed the delegates. The Chinese Minister made a presentation for the forth coming World Urban Forum in Nanjing in collaboration with UN-HABITAT and the Asian Development Bank.
Adoption of Delhi Declaration and Enhanced Framework of Implementation for sustainable Urbanisation in Asia-Pacific Region
Winding up four days of talks at the first Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development, the ministers unanimously adopted a new mechanism setting up a Permanent Secretariat and pledged in a new declaration to build up better, safer, more inclusive and sustainable cities in the world's most populous region. They adopted the Delhi Declaration and the Enhanced Framework of Implementation for Sustainable Urbanisation in the Asia-Pacific providing a new political blueprint for better managed, more inclusive and sustainable towns and cities cross this region. It stressed that political will, decentralization, good governance and the empowerment of national and local authorities are fundamental in addressing the housing and urbanisation challenges in the region. It also decided to set up a consultative institutional mechanism---that includes holding biennial ministerial conference and establishing a Bureau and a secretariat to provide a structured approach in dealing with the challenge. As the host of the four day conference, India would chair the Bureau and serve till the next conference.
As part of the event an exhibition was put up to showcase the various policies, programs, projects propagated by the government and building materials products by various agencies which was inaugurated by Kumari Selja, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India.
The key output includes the development of a regional mechanism for monitoring progress on the Millennium Development Goals, and fostering new partnerships to support implementation of the goals and the Habitat Agenda, the global blueprint for equitable shelter and sustainable cities. Also worked out was a work programme so that future high-level meetings can discuss progress on socially inclusive housing and urban policies by learning from best practices and pro-poor policies and rights-based legislation. In brief :
1. An Enhanced framework of implementation
for sustainable Housing and Human Settlements in Asia and the Pacific by
the member states;
2. A Declaration by the Ministers;
3. Establishment of the first Bureau (Executive
Committee) with a secretariat to provide technical and administrative support
and for follow-up and organizing the next Ministerial conference in Asia
and the Pacific countries periodically.