Side events day-by-day schedule

Training events organisers meeting (By invitation only)
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 200

WUF Campaign preparatory meeting (By invitation only)
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 205

Promoting Human Values-based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education (HVWSHE) for Harmonious Cities
Society for the Preservation of Water and UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 301

The event aims at explaining the concepts of HVWSHE which have been developed in combination of perspectives from the education sector and the water and sanitation sector. The event also proposes to share experiences from different regions in responsive values based public policy formulation. HVWSHE not only aims at ensuring sustainability by developing responsible behavior towards water and sanitation related issues, but also acts as a catalyst in improving performance of service providers. Society for the Preservation of Water (SPW), Thailand in cooperation with UN-HABITAT, under the Water for Asian Cities Programme, has been working towards the development of a new water-use and sanitation friendly ethics in society.

Global Campaign for Sustainable Urbanization
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 201

This side event will seek feedback on the strategy of a new global Campaign which UN-HABITAT and its partners will launch in 2009. The Campaign will promote sustainable urbanization, through advocacy, awareness creation and catalytic partnerships. The Campaign actions will include annual and biannual events as well as targeted national and global actions, congruent with yearly Campaign themes. Through the Campaign, the combined influence of governments, local authorities, media, private sector, civil society and academia will be harnessed to achieve policy change, investment and changed mindsets, which are needed to shape our cities towards a sustainable future.

 Habitat Exchange
University of British Columbia, Canada and UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 209

The Habitat Exchange is the result of an agreement between UN Habitat and the University of British Columbia to "Turn Ideas Into Action" through the online sharing of practical, innovative and adaptable urban resources. The Habitat Exchange is an online venue for governments, NGO's, academics and civil society to share and discuss tool kits, best practices, manuals, action plans and other resources being used in the quest for more ecologically sound and socially equitable urbanization. This event will demonstrate the intent and functionality of the Habitat Exchange website and explore future directions for greater information sharing.

UNESCAP and partners meeting (By invitation only)
UNESCAP
Room: MR 303A

SCP/LA21 achievements and outlook (By invitation only)
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 303B

Challenges for China and Asia under the global finance crisis (Chinese language only)
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 301

This event will discuss the current housing finance crisis and its impacts on China and Asia. It examines the underlying factors and evolution of the sub-prime crisis and its spreading, and the major players in the crisis, its wide implications for Chinese and Asian housing markets and real estate development. How can China, Asia and developing countries respond to the crisis? How China and Asia can contribute to reconstructing a new global financial systems?

Taking the Gender Mechanism further:  What does upscaling mean for grassroots women? (By invitation only)
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 206

This event will unpack the issue of upscaling land tools- which has shown to have different meanings to different stakeholders. Key relevant concepts around upscaling will be drawn from a recently prepare paper on the theme for GLTN, and a discussion will follow by 10-15 grassroots women's representatives.

Reception: Launch of the Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth Led Development
UN-HABITAT and the Government of Norway
Room: Zhongshan Ballroom

Expert Group meeting on international Guidelines on Access to Basic Services for All GC res. 21/5  (By invitation only)
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 303B

Taking the Gender Mechanism further: How can grassroots women be involved in piloting evaluation criteria? (By invitation only)
UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 206

This side event will present the evaluation criteria on gender-responsive land tools that have been discussed through a 5-week e-forum running from 8 September-15 October 2008 on the GLTN website (www.gltn.net). A short brochure will be available on the theme. The question to discuss is what to do next, from a grassroots perspective, in testing and using this evaluation criteria. The side event will include a short presentation followed by discussion by 10-15 grassroots women's representatives

 Launch of "State of Russian Cities Report" and book launch of "China’s Urbanization: Pattern Process and Mechanism”
Ministry for Regional Development of Russia, National Natural Science Foundation of China, PhD Programs Foundation of the State Ministry of Education of China and UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 302

The State of Russian Cities Report is an outcome of joint UN-HABITAT and the Ministry for Regional Development of Russia activities. Its aim is monitoring of living environment in Russian Cities under conditions of on-going transformation. The Report suggests analysis of current situation as well as a retrospective analysis needed for comparisons. It highlights achievements and challenges in implementation of Habitat Agenda and MDG in Russian cities. Among the rest the Report includes findings of the pilot Local Urban Observatories in 4 Russian cities working in collaboration with and under guidance of National Urban Observatory closely linked to UN-HABITAT Global Urban Observatory and Regional and Technical Cooperation Division.

The book entitled "China’s Urbanization: Pattern Process and Mechanism" is compiled on the basis of “Study on the Types, Process, and Mechanism of China’s Urbanization”, a key project sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China and PhD Programs Foundation of the State Ministry of Education of China. It examines the patterns, processes, and mechanisms of China’s urbanization from multiple perspectives.

Cities: Key players for addressing the causes of health inequities
World Health Organisation
Room: MR 303B
In many developing countries slum dwellers live less healthy and die younger than people living in more affluent areas and even rural populations. However, the health of urban populations is not only a measure for urban inequities and therefore a measure of how well a city functions but it is the ultimate measure of human welfare.  This side event will introduce the findings of the Knowledge Network on Urban Settings which provided the substantive inputs to the report of the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health which will be launched on 7 November 2008. The sessions will further provide an overview of the importance of health indicators to measure the “wellbeing” of cities and it will introduce case studies of cities tackling the underlying causes of ill health.

Cocktail reception
Nanjing Women Federation and UN-HABITAT
Room: Zhongshan Ballroom

The Nanjing Women's Federation and UN-Habitat warmly welcome partners and delegates to the Reception to celebrate the deliberations held on gender equality, women's rights and sustainable urbanization at the Fourth Session of World Urban Forum. Please join us on this occasion to share ideas, strengthen partnerships and promote the goal of inclusive development with leading experts, networks and organizations from around the world throughout this social evening

Cities Alliance and UN-HABITAT meeting (By invitation only)
Cities Alliance and UN-HABITAT
Room: MR 200