UNITED  NATIONS	HS
	Commission on  Human Settlements	Distr.  GENERAL  HS/C/17/INF/4  7 January 1999  ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

    In keeping with resolution 16/23 of the Commission, by which the Global Parliamentarians were encouraged to continue their valuable efforts to further the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat held several national and regional meetings, culminating in their Second Global Forum, which included their Twelfth Meeting, in January 1998, in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The principal focus of the last two meetings was a review of the follow-up activities to the Habitat Conference, by the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat, and a general presentation, at the regional level, of legislative and policy actions taken in individual countries, to promote the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. In addition, the meetings adopted a programme of activities for the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat for the biennium 1998-1999 and stressed the need to strengthen the regional councils and the development of cooperation among parliamentarians.
 

1. During its past three sessions, the Commission has reviewed the work of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat. The present report covers the activities of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat since the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in June 1996, and also contains a brief summary of major activities planned for the period 1998-1999.

2. The Global Parliamentarians on Habitat continued to operate as the only international parliamentary body that devotes its activities exclusively to sustainable human settlements development. It was founded in Yokohama, Japan, in 1987 during the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless and has been collaborating since then with the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) (Habitat). To date, it has held 12 general meetings and two global forums of parliamentarians. Its cooperation with other parliamentarians' groups has extended as far as the Latin American Parliament and the European Parliament. 

3. The activities of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat since June 1996 have concentrated both on strengthening the body's structure and organization and on promoting the implementation of the Istanbul Declaration and the Habitat Agenda, at the national, subregional, regional and international levels.

4. During this reporting period, the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat has organized and held several national and regional meetings, culminating in the Second Global Forum of Parliamentarians on Habitat and the Twelfth Meeting of the Global Parliamentarians in Cancun, Mexico, 27-30 January 1998. These last two meetings, attended by 266 parliamentarians and 166 observers from 58 countries from the five continents, reviewed the activities of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat for the biennium 1996-1997, adopted its new by-laws, the Declaration of Principles and Commitments of the Forum and established its work programme for the 1998-1999 period.

5. At the regional level the following activities can be highlighted:

    (a) The Regional Council for the American Continent held its first regional forum in April 1997 in Montevideo, Uruguay, attended by 80 parliamentarians from 17 countries, and the second forum in September 1998 in Havana, Cuba, attended by 143 parliamentarians from 18 countries of the region. Both forums adopted relevant declarations and agreed to promote, in the Latin American Parliament, the creation of a permanent committee on human settlements, urban development and housing;

    (b) Recently, the secretary-general of the Global Group attended in Quito, Ecuador, the First Consultative Meeting of the Urban Management Programme for the Latin American and Caribbean Region, convened by UNCHS (Habitat), on 28 and 29 September 1998, at which it was agreed to include a legislation component as a part of the activities of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat in the region;

    (c) The Regional Council for the European Continent held its first regional forum in Bonn, Germany, in November 1997 and its eighth meeting in Bucharest, Romania, in July 1998, with the attendance of parliamentarians from 15 countries. The main issues considered at those meetings were the further development of the information system of European Parliamentarians on Habitat, and the World Conference on the Future of Cities - "Urban 21" - to be held in Berlin in July 2000;

    (d) The Regional Council for the Asian Continent held a preparatory meeting in Fukuoka, Japan, in August 1997, aimed at the establishment and integration of the Council in preparation for the Second Global Forum in Mexico in early 1998. The UNCHS (Habitat) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is supporting this Council in its activities;

    (e) The Regional Council for the African Continent held its inaugural meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 1997 as a parallel event to the sixteenth session of the Commission. Over 40 parliamentarians from 15 countries participated. The main achievement was the full installation of the Council and the commitment of members actively to promote the establishment of national committees of Parliamentarians on Habitat in their various parliaments. This Council is also being supported by UNCHS (Habitat);

    (f) The Regional Council for the Oceanic Continent is still in its embryonic stages, although countries in the region have been made aware of the need to establish and integrate the Council. The UNCHS (Habitat) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific will be supporting the Council in the initial stages. 

6. As noted above, the Global Parliamentarians adopted, during the Cancun meetings in January 1998, their 1998-1999 programme of activities, with emphasis on the following needs:

    (a) To continue to promote, disseminate and support the principles and commitments contained in the Declaration of Parliamentarians on Habitat, and the Global Plan of Action adopted by the Habitat II Conference;

    (b) To strengthen the role of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat in the enactment of laws and adoption of public policies in urban development and financing for infrastructure, public services and housing to meet the demands of an urbanizing world;

    (c) To establish a network of parliamentarians for the exchange, through electronic means of information on legislative, political and institutional experiences;

    (d) To continue to advocate technical cooperation among parliamentarians, with a view to enhancing capacity-building in developing countries; and

    (e) To evaluate existing legislation and promote relevant laws to facilitate broad-based participatory processes that encourage the development of synergies between governmental agencies and civil society in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.

7. Cooperative efforts are currently under way to develop a partnership between UNCHS (Habitat) and the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat for the establishment of an information system of European Parliamentarians on Habitat, which, once established, could be extended to other regional councils of the Global Parliamentarians.

8. Finally, looking towards the future, the Third Global Forum is scheduled for the year 2000.