UNITED NATIONS	HS
	Commission on Human Settlements	Distr. LIMITED HS/C/17/L.4/Rev.1 14 May 1999 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

The Commission on Human Settlements,

Recalling the Habitat Agenda, adopted at the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), 1/ which, in its paragraphs 64, 170 and 176, stressed the importance of international and national cooperation in promoting adequate shelter for all, in particular in areas affected by war,

Noting that the work programme of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) for the biennium 2000-2001 2/ contains, in its subprogramme II, the objective of improving the capacity of national and local government authorities for policy formulation and for the management of mitigation and rehabilitation programmes for natural and human-made disasters,

Taking into account the consequences of the hostilities in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which have resulted in the destruction of human settlements and city infrastructure, in massive displacements of the population, and in a serious deterioration of the living conditions of people,

Recognizing the need to provide for adequate shelter and to rehabilitate housing for the population in affected areas, including measures necessary for the resettlement of refugees,

Recognizing further the importance of cooperation among Governments and international organizations to mobilize the necessary resources to reconstruct human settlements in affected areas,

1. Welcomes the establishment of a United Nations Environment Programme/United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) joint task force for the Balkans, which will, inter alia, assess the impact of military operations on human settlemens and their infrastructure, develop strategies and formulate programmes and projects for the rehabilitation of human settlements;

2. Urges the Executive Director actively to continue to coordinate with national authorities and United Nations agencies to address human settlements rehabilitation needs and to assist in the mobilization of international assistance for rehabilitation programmes;

3. Further requests the Executive Director to present to the Commission at its eighteenth session a comprehensive report on the implementation of the present resolution.]
 

2/    HS/C/17/8.