UNITED NATIONS	HS
	Commission on Human Settlements	Distr. LIMITED HS/C/17/L.13 11 May 1999 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

The Commission on Human Settlements,

Recalling paragraph 213 of the Habitat Agenda, 1/ which states that local authorities should be supported in their efforts towards implementing the Habitat Agenda inasmuch as local action is required and that all appropriate participatory mechanisms, including local Agenda 21 initiatives, should be developed and employed,

Recalling chapter 28 of Agenda 21, 2/ which places emphasis on the role of local authority initiatives and that of local Agendas 21 in support of the implementation of sustainable development at the local level,

Recalling also paragraph 33 of chapter II of the Habitat Agenda, entitled "Goals and principles", which highlights the importance of partnerships to the achievement of sustainable human settlements development and the provision of adequate shelter for all and basic services, as well as section III of Agenda 21 (chapters 23-32), which outlines the roles of different partner groups in implementing sustainable development;

Bearing in mind the experience gained by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in implementing programmes at the local level through: the Sustainable Cities Programme, the Urban Management Programme, the Localizing Agenda 21 Programme and the Community Development Programme;

Recognizing the many local environmental management and development activities initiated within the context of local Agendas 21, the many useful lessons learnt therefrom, and the continuing importance of local Agendas 21 as an instrument for implementing sustainable development at the local level;

Concurring with the Secretary-General's observation, in his report on implementation of and follow-up to the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlement (Habitat II), that the Habitat Agenda provides a useful framework for the implementation of relevant aspects of Agenda 21, since a number of chapters of Agenda 21 are targeted at impacts of activities that originate within human settlements; 3/

Further recalling its decision 16/31 of 7 May 1997, requesting the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) to prepare, inter alia, a theme paper on local implementation of the Habitat Agenda, with particular attention to local Agendas 21, for the consideration of the Commission at its seventeenth session,

1. Takes note of the report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlement (Habitat), containing the theme paper on local implementation of the Habitat Agenda, with particular attention to local Agendas 21 4/;

2. Calls upon Governments, in cooperation with local authorities and civil society partners, and with assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), as appropriate, at national and local levels, to initiate national publicity campaigns to increase awareness of both the Habitat Agenda and local Agendas 21 and to support their implementation at the local level;

3. Calls upon Governments, in cooperation with local authorities and civil society partners, and with assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), as appropriate, at national and local levels, to initiate the revision of legal and institutional frameworks to enable and facilitate partnerships at the local level;

4. Calls upon Governments at national and local levels, jointly with civil society partners and with assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), as appropriate, to develop or intensify programmes for training locally elected representatives, community leaders and all local-level partners on how to establish and manage local-level partnerships within the context of the Habitat Agenda and local Agendas 21;

5. Calls upon Governments at national and local levels, jointly with civil society partners and with assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and other interested organizations, as appropriate, to put in place or intensify existing programmes and projects designed to improve the financial resource mobilization and management capacities of local authorities so as to establish sustainable institutional and financial frameworks for local development;

6. Requests the Executive Director to increase efforts to sensitize and assist countries in the local-level implementation of both the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21, especially with regard to the mounting of national publicity campaigns, revision of legal and institutional frameworks to enable the participation of local-level partners and setting up of urban observatories;

7. Urges the international community, including the United Nations system and relevant international organizations, working in cooperation with national Governments, to facilitate the provision of technical and financial assistance to local-level partners to implement the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21, taking into account local-level priorities;

8. Further requests the Executive Director to make efforts to ensure that increasing awareness of the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21 at the local level is an integral part of the two global campaigns, for secure tenure and urban governance, proposed in the Centre's work programme for the period 2000-2001 and its related publicity activities.
 

1/    Report of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996, chap. I, resolution 1, annex II (A/CONF.165/14).

2/    Report of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996 (A/CONF.165/14).

3/    A/51/384, paragraph 34.

4/    HS/C/17/5.
 
 

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