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Monday October 1, 2007 marked World Habitat Day. UN-HABITAT's
Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, on Monday
joined members of the Dutch government and the Mayor
of the Hague, Mr. Wim Deetman for the 2007
celebration of the annual event.
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"World Habitat Day is the most important
date on our international calendar. It is
our occasion to remind the world, our
leaders and our citizens, that the first
Monday every October is an occasion to be
ever alert and vigilant to the great urban
changes sweeping our planet," Mrs. Tibaijuka
said in a keynote address to an audience of
several hundred people gathered in the
ornate surroundings of the Knights' Hall in
the heart of the city's historical centre.
"The subject that brings us here today is
something that touches us all. Crime and
fear of crime is growing unacceptably
fast at a time half of
humanity is now |
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Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka |
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living in towns and cities" Mrs. Tibaijuka said.
"There is no doubt too, that today most crime and
violence occurs in cities. And this is the reason,
we decided to chose the theme, “A safe city is a
just city”, to mark the occasion of World habitat
Day this year."
South Africa's Minister of Housing, Ms. Lindiwe
Sisulu, who joined her at the podium said, "It is at
moments like this that we gather to ask the awkward
questions about our joint future. We have no doubt
that by now, our future is an urban future. We know
that for most of humankind, it will be the only
future."
The Dutch government then engaged Mrs. Tibaijuka and
Ms. Sisulu in a wide-ranging debate on urban
problems and solutions with Mr. Bert Koenders,
Minister for Development Cooperation, and Ms. Ella
Vogelaar, the Minister for Housing, Communities and
Integration. The session was chaired by Jan Pronk,
former Special Representative of the United Nations
Secretary General in Sudan and Minister in the Dutch
Government. He started the debate by asking them the
question: "Is the fact that we now have more people
living in cities than ever before a problem – or an
opportunity?"
Mr. Koenders immediately responded by citing the
many opportunities, especially those that would help
lift women out of urban poverty. Recalling a visit
to Africa in recent days, he said growing
urbanisation was also fraught with risks ranging
from insecurity to tenure, to health problems,
especially the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Mrs. Tibaijuka, speaking of what she called
"premature urbanisation" in Africa, said most people
were moving into towns and cities "because they
expect life will be better". Until the end of white
rule in South Africa, Ms. Sisulu said people had
been forcibly kept out of the country's cities.
The plenary session on Monday continued with a
presentation of UN-HABITAT's latest biennial Global
Report on Human Settlements, titled Enhancing
Human Safety and Security by Dr. Naison
Mutizwa-Mangiza, a special discussion on the
restitution of land and housing rights for returning
refugees by Mr. Scott Leckie, Founder of the Centre
on Housing Rights and Evictions, and a discussion on
post-conflict reconstruction led by Mayor Deetman.
In keeping with a tradition dating back to 1989,
Mrs. Tibaijuka presented the UN-HABITAT 2007 Scroll
of Honour Awards during the event, in
acknowledgement of seven initiatives from around the
world which have made outstanding contributions in
various fields such as shelter provision,
highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership
in post conflict reconstruction, and developing and
improving the human settlements and the quality.
For more information on World Habitat Day visit the
UN-HABITAT website at
http://www.unhabitat.org.
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