ACP/EC/UN-HABITAT CONFERENCE ON
URBANISATION CHALLENGES & POVERTY REDUCTION
IN ACP COUNTRIES

Nairobi (Kenya), 10 June 2009

Opening Statement of Sir John R. KAPUTIN
Secretary GeneraI of the ACP Group of States

Ministerial Meeting

Honourable Ministers,
Executive Director,
Representative of the European Commission, Representative of the European Union,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour to address this august assembly for the 1st "International Tripartite Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation Challenges and Poverty Reduction in ACP States. It is encouraging to see the important number of ministerial representation, which is indeed a clear demonstration of the seriousness that your respective Governments attach  to ACP-EU-UN-Habitat cooperation regarding urban issues.

I am particularly proud to take the floor in a country whose son has produced the best hope for the world - President Obama - and I am sure that his achievements will influence and inspire your deliberations today. Allow me to thank, on behalf of all ACP Delegates, our Hostess, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, and her staff, for the excellent facilities put at our disposal and the warm welcome in the beautiful city of Nairobi, the "Green City in the Sun".

Honourable Ministers,

On Monday and Tuesday, senior officials of your respective countries worked hard to prepare for your Meeting. They have considered all the agenda items and entered into substantial debate on several issues of importance for Urban Development, in particular Slum Upgrading in ACP States.

The main purpose of your meeting is to deepen policy dialogue in order to enhance international cooperation. As it was underlined during the Preparatory Technical Meeting, your presence here today illustrates the unique character of our cooperation: Development funds from Europe, political commitment and strategy planning from ACP States, and technical know-how and capacity of UN-Habitat - indeed.a unique combination. This cooperation led to the implementation of the very ambitious "Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme in ACP States", implemented by UN-Habitat. You will consider today the status of implementation of this Programme and the ACP Secretariat, together with the European Commission, are expecting to obtain your direct orientations for the continuation of its implementation.

Honourable Ministers,

At the 4th Session of the World Urban Forum, which was held in Nanjing, China, during the period Ito 3 November 2008, 1 underscored the need to
roll-back the number of slum dwellers in a sustained and permanent manner, and develop policies and strategic programmes that will not only counter this
phenomena with vigour, but will also create cities that can contribute to economic and social development. I stated that as leaders, we have to provide the democratic space that allows for the inclusion of all people in decision-making, the promotion of democratic principles, human rights, rule of law, and good governance.

Your Meeting is taking place when the world is facing a global recession brought about by the economic and financial crisis. It has been observed that for most ACP States, the crisis is characterized by the slowdown in growth rates, export decline and job losses in sectors such as mining and forestry, food-security concerns and exchange rate depreciation. We cannot ignore that the financial crisis is impacting overall the poorest of the poor; amongst them, the billion slum-dwellers of ACP States and the rest of the developing world.

Therefore, it is fitting that the agenda for your round-tables today will examine the urgent need for urban infrastructures, as well as affordable housing
interventions and finance strategies.

From the ACP Secretariat, we are here to ensure that the outcomes of your debate do not remain dormant: we want to make sure that whatever decision
you take today will be followed by action, and that this action will be geared toward the active participation of all stakeholders. It is high time, Honourable Ministers, that we come up, in ACP States, with results on policies that can be viewed and experienced by the very ones in the names of whom we are gathering today- the 730 million ACP citizens. It is our responsibility, together with our Partner in development, the European Commission. to make sure that the words inscribed in the Cotonou Agreement become reality. I wish that we can visit a few of the 79 ACP Countries in the near future to witness, with pride and satisfaction, that we have been true to our development engagements, and that funding provided to UN-Habitat has been transformed in improved living conditions for ACP people.

Honourable Ministers, I wish you a successful meeting.

Thank you for your kind attention.