THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME (UN- HABITAT)

In 1976 the First conference of the United Nations on human settlements (HABITAT I) took place in Vancouver (Canada) caused by a growing recognition by the governments of both developing and the developed countries of the world of social and economic consequences and influence on cities’ environment and health of their population as fast and global on scales process of urbanization begun. Conference in Vancouver has put forward on the international agenda a necessity of the focused joint actions of the governments and all international community on management of cities and settlements development, on giving to this development a sustainable character and on struggle against harmful consequences of urbanization processes. Realization of such actions on a daily basis demanded creation of the corresponding international mechanism.

In view of results of Conference in Vancouver in December, 1977, the General Assembly of the United Nations has accepted the resolution on creation of the Commission on human settlements. The primary goal of the Commission - to promote development of the international cooperation in the field of human settlements, social housing construction and building materials. The Center of the United Nations on human settlements (HABITAT) established in October, 1978, served as Secretariat and an executive body of the United Nations Commission on human settlements. HABITAT as executive agency of the United Nations began to coordinate all kinds of activity in the field of sustainable development of human settlements which earlier have been distributed among various departments and organizations of the United Nations system. The Commission on human settlements holds its regular sessions on a biennial basis and directs its recommendations to the sessions of the UN General Assembly through Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

 The Center of the United Nations on human settlements was an important source of scientific and technical information in the field of construction, building technology, development of new building materials, building and town-planning standards.

The center carries out the activity in following directions:

- Policies and strategies in the field of human settlements;

- Planning development of human settlements;

- Dwellings and public services;

- Development of local building sector;

- Infrastructure for human settlements;

- Land tenure;

- Mobilization of financial resources for development of human settlements;

- Organization and management of construction.

In 1996 the Second Conference on human settlements (HABITAT II) took place in Istanbul (Turkey), on which the basic documents of the UN Center on human settlements have been adopted: "HABITAT Agenda" - a so-called Global Plan of action on sustainable development of human settlements, and also "The Istanbul Declaration", in which heads of states and governments of the world powers have accepted obligations on safety, viability, efficiency and sustainable development of human settlements for all people of the planet.

25-th special session of the UN General Assembly "Istanbul + 5" devoted to an evaluation of "HABITAT Agenda" realization took place in June, 2001 in New York. For five years of work of the UN-HABITAT it was possible to achieve certain results in the field of improvement of living conditions of poor layers of the population, first of all by means of effective development of the international cooperation. It was important that owing to HABITAT at last was possible to pay attention of the public to problems and needs of the hapless population living in slums and illegally created settlements and deprived elementary social conditions. During that special session the member-countries of the United Nations unanimously have accepted "The Declaration on cities and other human settlements in a new millennium" in which principles and purposes of the sustainable development of cities and other human settlements are clearly designated.

Considering impetuous tendencies to a fast urbanization in developing countries and difficult problems connected with it in the field secure housing and eradications of misery and poverty, and also understanding necessity of urgent actions on improvement of quality of a life of all inhabitants of cities and other human settlements, on December 12th, 2001, the 56-th session of UN General Assembly has accepted the resolution (А/Res/56/206) increasing the status of the UN Center on human settlements (HABITAT) to a level of the full-scale United Nations human settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). The supervising body of the Programme - the Commission on human settlements, by the decision of the same resolution, was transformed to the Governing Council of the United Nations human settlements Programme and became a subsidiary organ of General Assembly.

The given event was the recognition of world community of the important role which UN-HABITAT plays in sphere of the international cooperation on sustainable development of human settlements.

The UN-HABITAT Committee of Permanent Representatives which structure includes Permanent Representatives of the member-countries of UN-HABITAT Governing Council carries out function of a subsidiary organ of the Governing Council for the period between its sessions. The Center in that kind in what it was known up to 2002, has kept its role, mandate and functions and works as Secretariat for the Programme Governing Council. Increase of the HABITAT status up to a level of the Programme allows it to cooperate more effectively with all other organizations of the United Nations system, functioning under direction of the Secretary General of the United Nations within the limits of Advisory committee on coordination. The Secretariat of the Programme is headed by Executive director in a rank of Under-Secretary General of the United Nations.

Within the limits of the Program there is the United Nations Fund for habitat and human settlements which priority is rendering assistance on a pre-investment basis to projects on creation of housing and necessary infrastructure and development of institutes of financing of habitation, first of all in developing countries. The Secretary General of the United Nations supports to the Program by partial maintenance of its Fund with necessary means from the regular budget of the UN-HABITAT for the maintenance of the basic personnel of its Secretariat. The basic operative means of Fund are voluntary payments of the countries participating in the UN-HABITAT, and also financial means allocated by other organizations of the United Nations system on realization of concrete programs or projects.

Supporting and working in cooperation with governmental, municipal authorities, the nongovernmental organizations and a private sector, the UN-HABITAT is a leading establishment on coordination of activity inside of the United Nations system in the field of sustainable development of human settlements and pays prime attention to following questions:

Housing and social services;

Urban governance;

Preservation of the environment and city infrastructure;

Evaluation, monitoring and information.

The UN-HABITAT in cooperation with the regional and information offices, carry out over 300 programs and projects more than in 90 countries, focusing attention to a urban governance, secure housing, maintenance of the basic municipal services and development of an infrastructure. The headquarters of the United Nations human settlements Programme is in Nairobi, Kenya.

Executive Director of the United Nations human settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) is Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka (Tanzania).