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 The
22nd Session of the Governing Council of the United
Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN Habitat) was held from 30th
March to 03rd April 2009 at the UN Habitat
Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya under the theme “For A Better Urban
Future”. More than 1000 delegates from 58 member countries
including Sri Lanka has participated this conference.
The Minister of Urban
Development, Mr. Rohana Dissanayake led the Sri Lankan
delegation for this conference with Secretary to the Ministry of
Urban Development and Sacred Area Development, Dr. P. Ramanujan,
Chairman of Urban Settlement Development Authority, Mr. Prasanna
Gunawardena, General Manager of National Housing Development
Authority, Mr.L.S. Palansuriya and Acting Sri Lankan High
Commissioner in Kenya, Mr. K. Maheshan participated as the other
members of the delegation.
On the invitation of
the Executive Director of UN Habitat, Mrs. Anna Tibajuka, Vice
President of Republic of Kenya Mr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka were
ceremonially inaugurated the inaugural session of this
conference with the foreign delegates comprising Ministers of
Housing and Urban Development, International Non-Governmental
Organizations and International Urban Sector Institutions.
Kenya Vice President
Mr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka addressing the inaugural session
said nearly 2/3 of the world population have migrated to cities
and the fact that the majority of them are poor, had led to
aggravate the urban settlement and housing problem of the city.
Further speaking, Vice President of Kenya said in parallel to
seeking solutions to the problem of poverty, it is the
responsibility of the rulers of every country to find solutions
to housing and human settlement problems and said collapsing of
the global economy has obstructed to find solutions to housing
and human settlement problem.
 Executive
Director of UN Habitat Mrs. Anna Tibajuka addressing the session
said even though world has faced various economic problems,
solutions could be found for human settlement problem faced by
the global community through international conference of this
nature.
At the 22nd session of the Governing Council meeting
has drawn a special attention of the peoples’ participation and
the reconstruction housing programme of Sri Lanka. Expressing
views on Tsunami housing programme UN Habitat officials said
that Sri Lanka takes special attention among the South and South
East Asian countries that implementing Tsunami reconstruction
housing programme efficiently and methodologically.
Minister Mr. Rohana
Dissanayake and Sri Lankan delegation met the Minister of
Housing and Urban Development of Islamic Republic of Iran Mr.
Mohammad Saeedi Kia during this conference and he explained the
ongoing housing and urban development programme of Sri Lanka.
Expressing his views the Minister of Housing and Urban
Development of Iran said that his country is willing to
contribute towards the housing and urban development activities
of Sri Lanka and further said that arrangements would be made to
send the team of public officials in the field of housing and
construction in near future.
After the above
meeting the Sri Lankan delegation met the Vice Minister of
Housing and Urban – Rural Construction of Peoples Republic of
China Mr. Qi Ji. At this meeting Minister Mr. Rohana
Dissanayake has explained Chinese assistance which were given to
the Hambantota Port Development Project and proposed middle
class housing project in Homagama. Minister further requested
the Chinese Minister to give some assistance for the proposed
housing programme for the low-income families in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Qi Ji expressing
his views said that the China is willing to give the assistance
for low-income housing activities in Sri Lanka and he requested
the Sri Lankan delegation to make an official visit to China to
find some suitable Chinese investors for the low-income housing
programme of Sri Lanka.
After the above
discussion Mr. Rohana Dissanayake and Sri Lankan delegation met
the Executive Director of UN Habitat, Mrs. Anna Tibajuka and has
made a special request to have the international World Habitat
Day function in Colombo – Sri Lanka which will be held on 1st
October 2009.
The UN Habitat has
selected 27 country settlement programmes in the regions of
Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sri Lankan urban housing
development programme was selected as one of the successful
projects and it was presented by Mr. Rohana Dissanayake at this
conference.
On behalf of the
Asian Countries Sri Lanka has proposed a special resolution on
“strengthening the development of urban young people” and which
was highly commended by all the delegates who participated in
this conference. According to this resolution UN-Habitat will
make a special fund for urban youth development activities and
UN-Habitat will co-ordinate a special exchanging programme on
youth experience in housing settlement activities.
With this resolution
Sri Lankan delegation said that high proportion of the world’s
population is young, especially in the developing world, and
that segment of the population is inordinately affected by the
problems of unemployment and unsustainable urban development,
issues which are further exacerbated by the current global
economic crisis
India, Uganda,
Nigeria and Pakistan were highly commended by this resolution at
this conference which was proposed by Sri Lanka.
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07th April
2009.
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