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| Ms. Désirée Martinez,
Mr. Derek Martin,
Mr. Stig Enemark,
Mr. Pablo Vaggione,
Ms. Christine Auclair,
Mr. Nicolas Buchoud,
Ms. Louise Cox,
Mr. Xavier Crépin,
Mrs. Christine Platt,
Ms. Alison Brown,
Mr. Mohamed Faouzi Zniber. |
At the Fifth Session of the World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro in March, human settlement professionals made a mark by their active participation at the event.
Representing a large spectrum of urban practitioners from architects to planners, the professionals’ presence was felt across all types of events, through the different dialogues, networking events, special sessions, roundtables as well as the exhibition.
The Habitat Professionals Roundtable was focused on the theme “What role for urban professionals in the World Urban Campaign?” This was a key event for the professionals to debate and highlight best practices and principles for achieving urban sustainability. It was organised by the Habitat Professionals Forum (HPF), a platform established after the Habitat II Conference to foster cooperation and partnerships between professionals and UN-HABITAT. The Professionals Roundtable was also the opportunity for presenting the Draft of the HPF Charter: The role of human settlement professionals in delivering a sustainable and equitable future.
The meeting gathered about 200 participants from professional associations and individuals. They stressed the importance of professionals in responding to the challenges of urbanization, emphasizing the current tremendous pressure on cities. They debated the proposed new Charter which is meant to bring a new vision for the future of cities, bridging urban gaps. The Habitat Professionals Charter will be a key instrument and vehicle for professionals to commit to core principles and professionals practices. The Charter is envisioned as a new opportunity for the professionals to come together in a more sustained approach, to find a conduit for sharing their expertise and to make it available to other urban stakeholders. In that respect, the World Urban Campaign can play a key role in uniting the different partners around common objectives and commitments.
The Habitat Professionals Forum (HPF) meeting was convened in a separate venue for a full-day brainstorming session on the role of the HPF Charter and the way forward, as well as the eligibility criteria for joining the HPF, as a continuation of the March 2009 HPF Strategic Meeting.
The HPF Chairmanship was also transferred from Derek Martin (Secretary General, International Federation for Housing and Planning) to Louise Cox (President, International Union of Architects) for the next two years. |
