News in 2016
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Vice President Diane Dumashie attends the United Nations Conference on
Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III)
17 - 20 October 2016, Quito, Ecuador
Habitat III, Quito Ecuador and Video link to Mr Ban kim Moon- UN Habitat
Opening Address
FIG Vice President Diane Dumashie attended The United Nations Conference
on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, also known as Habitat III,
in Quito, Ecuador 17th to 20th October 2016
Habitat III is one of the first major global conferences to be held
after the adoption of the Post-2015 development agenda. The
conference is also representative of a significant milestone emerging
from over two years of preparatory meetings.
This century will see a substantial majority of the world’s population
living in urban centers. By 2050, the world’s urban population is
expected to double. Urbanization has been termed one of the most
transformative trends of the 21st century, thereby underscoring the need
to plan and monitor the course of urban development.
The Habitat III Conference mission was the adoption of a New Urban
Agenda (NUA)—an action-oriented document which will set global standards
of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we
build, manage, and live in cities through drawing together cooperation
with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors at all
levels of government as well as the private sector.
THE Habitat III successfully concluded with the adoption of the New
Urban Agenda
https://habitat3.org/the-new-urban-agenda. This
highlight document is a policy document that will set global standards
for the way cities are built, managed and inhabited. Unlike the
SDGs the New Urban Agenda is non-binding – it seeks to lay down a shared
vision for those involved in urban development and informs how urban
development takes place across the world.
In the lead up to the development of the New Urban Agenda meetings and
preparatory committees have deliberated for several years before the
Quito conference. Expects from all around the world were invited to
make recommendations for the NUA, through ten policy units. These groups
examined a range of intersecting issues, including an Expert Group
meeting on Gender perspectives of the New Urban Agenda, with
contributions made by FIG Vice President D Dumashie who attended the
meeting in June 2016 in New York, USA.
On its opening day, the Habitat III Conference welcomed 30,000 people,
among them 10,000 international participants from 167 countries attended
the different events and meetings at the Casa de la Cultura conference
centre in Quito, Ecuador. The historic centre of Quito has one of
the largest; least altered and best- preserved historic centers in Latin
America. Quito along with Cracow, were the first World Cultural Heritage
Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978.
The Habitat conference happens once in every 20 years, with Habitat II
being held in Istanbul in 1996 and Habitat I in Vancouver in 1976.
Habitat III is aimed at steering the course of global urbanization
towards environmentally sustainable and socially equitable development
pathways.
The New Urban Agenda aims at implementing the targets of Goal 11 in the
Sustainable Development Goals, which specifically deals with making
human cities and towns inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Key issues that were debated include climate change, as cities are
responsible for 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, housing,
migration, poverty, and inclusion.
In the span of four days almost 1,000 events took place, including 8
Plenary sessions, 6 High-level Roundtable sessions, 4 Assemblies, 16
Stakeholders Roundtables, 10 Policy Dialogues, 22 Special Sessions, 3
Urban Talks, an Urban Journalism Academy, 59 United Nations events, 157
Exhibition booths, 42 Village projects and over 460 side, networking,
training and parallel events were organized by various stakeholders.
Crucially participants at the conference were representative of a strong
and wide range of global stakeholders from national delegations, local
authorities, and civil society to business and industry. Such a
high turnout is a testimony to the strong interest in the conference, in
the relevance of the themes it addresses, and in taking part in the
global conversation about our cities. It signals that the Habitat III
Conference is a global arena where stakeholders, national and
international, can ensure that their voice resonates in the discussions
on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
The conference provides opportunities for partners and stakeholders to
gather for complimentary side events, UN Habitat and partner meetings.
Accordingly, Vice President Diane Dumashie attended and contributed on:
15th October
UN Habitats Women’s Assembly, Diane provided a closing rapporteur of the
group deliberations on ‘How to realise gender responsive, equitable
cities and sustainable urban development, having regard to the key
elements of the New Urban Agenda’ and the Sustainable development goal 5
and 11. The output will be a voluntary commitment list to implement to
ensure the priorities and plans are realised. This is expected end of
2016.
16th October
As a member of the Advisory Group on Gender Issues to the UN Habitat
Executive Director (AGGI), formed in 2014.
17th October
GLTN and Habitat for Humanity joint evening partners meeting
and dinner, opened by Mr. Oumar Sylla (GLTN Head), on video link. GLTN
held four important side events throughout the week including a joint
meeting and partners dinner. The side events covered themes including:
- Launching of a publication, 'Remarking the Urban Mosaic -
Participatory and Inclusive Land Adjustment'
- Special Session on Urban Land : Urban Land Management: Building
the Foundations for the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda
- Building Implementable Partnerships to Realize the New Urban
Agenda: Grassroots to Institutional Levels
- Side Event: Innovative Financing for Urban Land Development with
Gender Equality and Youth Rights in the Muslim World
- Side Event focusing on Urban Land Governance and more
specifically on the use of Land Development Companies for
implementing the New Urban Agenda
20th October
Habitat Professionals Forum (HPF) is one of several partner clusters
established by UN habitat. The HPF enables land professionals from all
disciplines to contribute specifically at UN habitat and World Urban
Forums on common messages and inputs. At this meeting, a new chair
was appointed for the period 2016- 2018, Mr Didier Vanculsem (ISOCARP
Secretary General)
Mr Joan Close, Executive Director UN-HABITAT, opening the
Women’s Assembly |
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GLTN and Habitat for Humanity special partners meeting: Vice
President Diane Dumashie with (left to right) Danilo Antonio
(GLTN) Anne Shaffer Myers (Habitat For Humanity International)
and Jane Katz (Habitat For Humanity International) |
 AGGI Board members: AGGI Joint Chairperson Anna Falu (left) ,
FIG Vice President Diane Dumashie (and AGGI board member) with,
Dr A Kaiya, Deputy Executive Director UN HABIAT (centre) |
FIG Vice President Diane Dumashie and Danillo Antillo (GLTN)
meeting at Habitat III
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 GLTN and Habitat for Humanity special partners meeting: Mr.
Oumar Sylla (GLTN Head) opening joint evening session on (19th
October) |
Group photo of HPF, Incoming President situated [middle]
Dr Diane Dumashie FRICS, Vice President FIG
"It is all about networking..."
20 December 2016
