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Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum launched in Beijing
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

16/04/2008
Beijing

The Ministry of Housing of China and UN-HABITAT held a press conference in Beijing on the fourth session of the World Urban Form to be held in Nanjing from 3-7 November 2008.


Representatives from some 80 international and national media organizations attended the press conference. It was addressed by the Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Mr. Qu Ji, the Vice Governor of Jiangsu Provincial Government, Mr. He Quan, the Vice Mayor of Nanjing Municipal Council, Mr. Lu Bing, and UN-HABITAT’s Director of External Relations and Secretary to the agency’s Governing Council and the World Urban Forum, Mr. Rolf Wichmann.

Vice Minister Qu Ji highlighted the international importance of the Forum and this year’s theme of Harmonious Urbanization which will focus on integrated social, economic and environmental development as well as the overall harmony between urban and rural, new and old and social harmony. He described the different events of the Forum which range from peer round-tables, high level dialogues, networking event and a 20,000 square meter exhibition showcasing the latest concepts, technologies, techniques, research and cases studies of sustainable urban development.

Mr. He Quan, the Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, whose urban population is over 53%, and which has five mega cities, and 29 large and medium cities, said the Forum was particularly relevant to his province. The meeting, which brings thousands of decision makers and experts to Nanjing, offers the province rare opportunity because Jiangsu is at a critical stage in transforming to a more industrialized urban economy with stronger links to international markets and economies.

The Vice Mayor of Nanjing Municipal Government, Mr. Lu Bing, welcomed the press to Nanjing to promote conference and the city, one of China’s four most famous ancient capitals. A crossroads of ancient civilization and modernization, Nanjing, located in the east of China in the Yangtze River delta, has a history of over 2,480 years. The city has won prizes in China for its cleanliness, gardens, tourism, and forestation.

Representing UN-HABITAT, Mr. Wichmann, said the World Urban Form was a unique meeting place for leaders and experts from all levels of government, civil society organizations, academic and research institutions and the private sector to exchange views and experiences on sustainable urban development and make recommendations to the international community on the way forward. The fourth World Urban Forum in China would highlight how the country’s success in managing the transition to one of the strongest an urban based modern economy in a matter of a few decades – an achievement that is unique in modern times. He explained that theme of the Forum, Harmonious Urbanization expects to come up with policy recommendations on issues ranging from environmentally sustainable urban economic growth and social equity to the preservation of historic neighbourhoods – issues facing the majority of countries as we enter humanity’s urban century. UN-HABITAT and the Government of China expect the forthcoming Forum to be an exciting and stimulating event - a showcase for innovations, small and large, in urban policy and practice, for new urban technology and for community-based solutions, and a meeting place between the public and private sectors and civil society – all joined by a common purpose: Sustainable growth and harmonious urbanization.

April 17, 2008 | 12:51 PM Comments  1 comments

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Olympic torch gets rousing, trouble-free African passage
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

14/04/2008
Dar es Salaam

Thousands of people braving heavy downpours joined dancers and musicians on Sunday to cheer the 2008 Olympic torch relay as it was carried through Tanzania's commercial capital on its only African stopover.

"I can only congratulate the people," said UN-HABITAT's Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, hailing the warm and peaceful passage of the torch in her home country. One of 79 bearers of the Olympic flame on Sunday, she used it to light the cauldron at Tanzania's national stadium. "We should be proud that we have been selected among many to represent Africa," she said.

The torch procession started at the headquarters of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority, which operates a railway line built with Chinese help in the 1970s. Vice-President Ali Mohamed Shein lit the Olympic torch, passing it on to cabinet minister Mohamed Seif Khatib, who led the relay team from Dar es Salaam's train station to the national stadium where it was handed to Mrs. Tibaijuka.

A crowd of mainly youthful people carrying miniature Olympic flags ran behind the relay team. They chanted, "we are happy the torch came to Tanzania".

"This torch is not a Chinese torch. It is a symbol of our togetherness as the people of the world and that is why as members of the world community, we people of Dar es Salaam and Tanzania in general are ready to give it a very warm welcome and show the rest of the globe our commitment to peace," said the deputy Mayor of Dar es Salaam, Mr. Ahmed Mwilima, setting the stage for the cheerful mood that pervaded this coastal city as the residents and their leaders eagerly greeted the event.

His remarks were a veiled reference to protests in other cities against China's policies in Tibet, the Sudanese Darfur disctrict and its human rights record. Kenya's Nobel Peace Laureate, the environmentalist, Ms. Wangari Maathai, withdrew from the Dar es Salaam as a mark of protest.

In remarks at a news conference earlier during the weekend, Mrs. Tibaijuka said it was "very healthy to raise such concerns so long as you do it peacefully and do not turn it into a violent protest".

The Congolese environmentalist, Mr. Pierre Kakula, who also carried the flame on Sunday, said it was a great honour for Africa to have the torch passing through Tanzania. His fellow torch bearer, the legendary Kenyan track star Mr. Kipchoge Keino was equally upbeat saying that he was proudly participating an east African keen to promote unity among youth around the world.


April 14, 2008 | 5:29 PM Comments  1 comments

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Giving Africa’s public a greater say in municipal spending
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

07/04/2008
Dakar

Top officials from the government and civil society bodies gathered in the Senegalese city of Kaolack last week to launch a national participatory budgeting programme for cities of Kaolack, Rufisque Est and Meckhe designed to give the public at large a greater say in government and municipal spending.

The so-called participatory budgeting system, widely practised in Latin America, is expected to be introduced in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique and other African countries to ensure more transparency and better governance in Africa’s rapidly growing towns and cities. UN-HABITAT is expected to play a major role as a key advisor and partner providing firsthand information on the implementation of the system.

Speaking at the Dakar launch, Mr Alioune Badiane, UN-HABITAT’s Director of the Regional Office for Africa and the Arab States, urged government leaders and other elected civil officials to make every effort that would ensure the successful implementation of the programme.

“Lessons learnt from this exercise should be shared at the international forums such as World Urban Forum coming up later this year in Nanjing in China,” he said.

It was hoped that the programme will enable municipalities in Senegal and in other parts of Africa reduce the biting poverty, and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Speakers at the launch expressed gratitude to the Spanish Cooperation, who supported the initiative and expressed their commitment to implement in their municipalities and local authorities the participatory budgeting programmes. They hoped the system will give local communities a greater say in local spending, improve service delivery and promote transparency.

April 14, 2008 | 4:33 PM Comments  0 comments

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