Start Date : 24 Sept 08   End Date : 26 Sept 08 Location: Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

Background

The Global Research Network on Human Settlements (HS-Net) is a network of individuals, institutions and regional networks engaged in human settlements research. The goal of HS-Net is to promote global dialogue, collaboration and exchange of information on human settlements conditions and trends and the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and the targets of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on slums, water and sanitation.

Monitoring and reporting priorities relevant to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda fall into three broad categories: firstly, monitoring urban conditions and trends, including progress towards realization of Habitat Agenda goals and the targets of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on slums, water and sanitation; secondly, improving understanding of emerging urban conditions and issues in a globalizing and urbanizing world; and, thirdly, evaluating the effectiveness of past and present urban policies adopted by Governments and their partners in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and the targets of the MDGs.

The major instrument for monitoring the Habitat Agenda and the targets of the MDGs on slums, water and sanitation is the Global Urban Observatory, established by UN-HABITAT in 1998. UN-HABITAT’s research based flagship reports, the Global Report on Human Settlements and The State of the World’s Cities report (published biennially) are the main vehicles for global reporting and dissemination of the results of both monitoring and substantive research. The research on substantive issues and policies required for the Global Report on Human Settlements, the larger of the two flagship reports, is based on partnerships with research institutions all over the world. In order to strengthen this partnership, UN-HABITAT established the Global Research Network on Human Settlements (HS-Net), which was launched in November 2004.

The key functional organs of HS-Net are the Secretariat and the Advisory Board. The Secretariat, based at the Policy Analysis, Synthesis and Dialogue Branch of UN-HABITAT, manages the network on a day-to-day basis. The HS-Net Advisory Board consists of multidisciplinary researchers in the human settlements field representing the various geographical regions of the world. The key role of the Advisory Board is to advise UN-HABITAT on the substantive content and organisation of the Global Report on Human Settlements and various other activities of HS-Net. The Board had its inaugural meeting in November 2004 followed by subsequent meetings in September 2005, June 2006 and October 2007. The fifth meeting will be held from 24 to 26 September, 2008 at Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.

Objectives

The Fifth Advisory Board Meeting has the following key objectives:

• Review of draft chapters of the 2009 Global Report on Human Settlements (Revisiting Urban Planning);
• Review of the draft outline of the 2011 Global Report on Human Settlements (Cities and Climate Change); and
• Review of core HS-Net activities.

Organisation of the Meeting

The meeting will be largely interactive with brief presentations on the draft chapters of the 2009 Global Report, the draft outline of the 2011 Global Report as well as core HS-Net activities interspersed with discussions.

Programme

The tentative programme for the meeting can be downloaded here.

Participants

The list of participants for the meeting can be downloaded here. 

Venue

The meeting will take place at the following venue:

Culture Lab Spaces 4 & 5 - Newcastle, Newcastle University
Grand Assembly Rooms, King's walk
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
1 Park Terrace
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Telephone: + 44 (0) 191 246446

(http://www.ncl.ac.uk/culturelab/about/).

For further information contact:

Edlam Abera Yemeru
The HS-Net Secretariat
Policy Analysis Branch
UN-HABITAT
P. O. Box 30030
Nairobi 00100
KENYA
Tel: + 254-20-7625019
Fax: + 254-20-7624790
Email: edlam.yemeru@unhabitat.org OR hs-net@unhabitat.org