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World Habitat Day 2012
by The Ovi Team
2012-10-01 10:57:12 |
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In Resolution 40/202 of 17 December 1985, the UN General Assembly designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day. In 2012, World Habitat Day is commemorated on 1 October.
The United Nations chose the theme "Changing Cities, Building Opportunities" because cities are the engines of growth. It is in the cities that many realise their dreams of a better life. Even if this is not achieved, still many leave the rural areas and flock to the cities for no other reason than the promise of a better future and prosperity. This they pursue by either getting jobs or by starting businesses, which not only provide income for the owners, but also for their employees.
Under this theme, UN-Habitat wants to underscore the need to plan our cities better because the unplanned growth of cities leads to chaotic development and urban sprawl. When well planned, cities can continue to afford opportunities to both the current and future residents. This dovetails with the new UN-Habitat campaign, I am a city changer which seeks to involve all in making their cities a better place to live.
World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 with the theme “Shelter is My Right”. Nairobi was the host city for the observance that year. Other previous themes have included: “Shelter for the Homeless” (1987, New York); “Shelter and Urbanization” (1990, London); “Future Cities” (1997, Bonn); “Safer Cities” (1998, Dubai); “Women in Urban Governance” (2000, Jamaica); “Cities without Slums” (2001, Fukuoka), “Water and Sanitation for Cities” (2003, Rio de Janeiro), "Planning our Urban Future" (2009, Washington, D.C.), "Better City, Better Life" (2010, Shanghai, China) and Cities and Climate Change (2011, Aguascalientes, Mexico).
The Habitat Scroll of Honour award was launched by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 1989. It is currently the most prestigious human settlements award in the world. Its aim is to acknowledge initiatives 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 of urban life. The award, a plaque engraved with the name of the winner and their achievement is presented to the winners during the Global Observance of World Habitat Day.
Secretary-General's message for 2012
Half the world’s people now live in towns and cities. In little more than a generation, two-thirds of the global population will be urban. As the proportion of humanity living in the urban environment grows, so too does the need to strengthen the urban focus of our efforts to reduce global poverty and promote sustainable development.
From necessity springs opportunity. Better planned and better functioning cities can help guide us to the future we want: cities where everyone has adequate shelter, water, sanitation, health and other basic services; cities with good education and job prospects; cities with energy-efficient buildings and public transport systems; cities where all feel they belong.
Good practices of managing urban development exist in all regions – and we can learn from the examples they provide. But we are a long way from turning the ideal of sustainable, inclusive cities into reality. Urban areas are responsible for most of our waste and pollution. Many are particularly vulnerable to disasters, including the growing risks associated with climate change. And, while we have achieved the Millennium Development Goal target of significantly improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers 10 years in advance of the 2020 deadline, absolute numbers continue to grow. Nearly a quarter of urban residents – more than 850 million people – live in slums or informal settlements.
Ninety per cent of the world’s urban expansion is in the developing world.
A sizeable proportion of the inhabitants are young people – by 2030, as many as 60 per cent of all urban dwellers will be under the age of 18. It is essential that these young people have access to decent employment and quality education.
This year’s Rio +20 conference on sustainable development recognized the importance of cities to economically, socially and environmentally sustainable societies. It stressed the importance of global partnerships in implementing the Habitat Agenda and highlighted the key role of municipal governments in setting a vision for sustainable cities, from planning new urban areas to revitalizing older cities and neighbourhoods. On this World Habitat Day, let us urgently commit to work together for integrated, holistic management of the urban environment for the benefit of people and the planet.
Ban Ki-moon
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