UNITED NATIONS	HS
	Commission on Human Settlements	Distr. LIMITED HS/C/17/L.23 13 May 1999 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

The Commission on Human Settlements,

Recalling paragraph 222 (n) of the Habitat Agenda, 1/ which states that the Commission on Human Settlements, under the Economic and Social Council, has the objective to monitor and evaluate progress made towards - and obstacles encountered in - achieving the goals of the Habitat Agenda and to recommend appropriate measures and alternative actions as deemed necessary to enhance the dynamic nature of the Habitat Agenda,

Recalling paragraph 240 of the Habitat Agenda, which states that all partners of the Habitat Agenda, including local authorities, the private sector and communities, should regularly monitor and evaluate their own performances in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda through comparable human settlements and shelter indicators and documented best practices,

Noting with appreciation the contribution of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in identifying and analysing best practices and lessons learned, and the role of the Dubai International Award for Best Practices in facilitating their dissemination and transfer in support of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,

Recognizing that confusion exists as to what is exactly expected from countries by way of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and that clear guidelines for national Governments will contribute to the success of the special session of the General Assembly in the year 2001 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,

Bearing in mind the outcome of a seminar on the theme "Monitoring the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and the use of indicators", organized at the initiative of the Dutch Habitat Platform Foundation, on March 30 1999, and the important role of the Global Urban Observatory in the process of monitoring,

1. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat):

    (a) To select from the commitments and recommendations of the Habitat Agenda no more than twenty key items, differentiated by region, on which Governments will be asked to report;

    (b) To provide a uniform set of indicators and bench-marking dates which countries will be asked to use in reporting on the key items mentioned under subparagraph (a);

    (c) To ask countries to include in their national reports information on "best practices" and lessons learned" related to the key items mentioned in subparagragh (a);

    (d) To collect and process the data under subparagraphs (b) and (c) and to report back to national Governments;

    (e) To create awareness among countries on the benefits they will obtain from a sound monitoring system and provide training programmes to assist countries in implementing a sound monitoring system;

    (f) To coordinate data collection and analysis through local and national urban observatories with other United Nations agencies, as a step towards a uniform United Nations monitoring system;

2. Recommends to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, the adoption of the following resolution:

"The General Assembly,

"Bearing in mind its resolutions 52/192 of 18 December 1997 on the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and the future role of the Commission on Human Settlements, and 53/180 of 15 December 1998 on the special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,

"Noting that the 2000-2001 work programme adopted by the Commission on Human Settlements at its seventeenth session, in line with General Assembly resolution 52/192, is organized according to the structure of the Habitat Agenda,

"Further noting that the two subprogrammes of the 2000-2001 work programme correspond to the Habitat Agenda's goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlement developments in an urbanizing world,

"Recognizing that the overall thrust of the new strategic vision for the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and its emphasis on two global campaigns on secure tenure and urban governance are strategic points of entry for an effective implementation of the Habitat Agenda,

"Reaffirming the role of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) as focal point for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, and the need for the Centre adequately to perform this role through the active mobilization and broadening of its network of United Nations, governmental and non-governmental partners,

"Stressing the need to provide strategic support to the efforts of local authorities and partners from civil society in the global, regional and local implementation of the Habitat Agenda,

"1. Calls upon all the relevant United Nations organizations and specialized agencies to take initiatives and continue with their specific actions towards the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;

"2. Also calls upon relevant United Nations organizations and specialized agencies that have not yet done so to identify specific initiatives and actions to be undertaken in preparation for the special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;

"3. Invites the United Nations coordinator system to strengthen its support to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda through, inter alia, assistance to the implementation of national local plans of action based on the full involvement of local authorities and partners from civil society;

"4. Further calls upon all member states to initiate preparations for reporting on in-country implementation of the Habitat Agenda, in line with the recommendations by the Commission as described in its resolution 17/.. of ....., with a view to contributing fully to the preparatory process for the special session of the General Assembly to be held in the year 2001 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, including, inter alia, the strengthening and activation, wherever necessary, of national coordination mechanisms inclusive of local authorities and civil society partners along the models pioneered at Habitat II;

"5. Invites all Member States in a position to do so to provide financial resources for the preparatory process of the special session, particularly to enable least developed countries and their national civil-society partners to prepare adequately for, and be fully involved in, the above preparatory process and the special session itself";

3. Requests the Executive Director to report on the progress attained in the implementation of this resolution to the Commission at its eighteenth session.

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