Welcome to the 22nd session of the Governing Council. We are deeply honoured to greet you today Honourable Kalonzo Musyoka, Vice-President of the Republic of Kenya. Honourable Ministers, Heads of Delegations, Excellencies, it is also a great honour that so many of you here today have come from so many countries to be here with us for these important deliberations.
I am happy to begin our substantive deliberations with agenda item 2. Once again allow me to extend my warm greetings to all of you and especially to those of you who have travelled from afar and hope that your stay will prove to be fruitful and enjoyable.
Mr. Chairman, Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, and Distinguished Delegates, I now have the honour of introducing the Proposed Work Programme and Budget of the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation for the 2010-2011 biennium, document HSP/GC/22/5 which is before you. For your information, you also have before you, documents HSP/GC/22/5/Add.1 which is the “Report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)”, and HSP/GC/22/5/Add.2 which is the “Gender Equality Action Plan for 2008-2013”.
Nairobi
It is with a profound word of thank you, on my behalf, and that of UN-HABITAT that we are all gathered here tonight as guests of the Government of Kenya. For years Kenya has stood by us as our host country and the home to the only UN Headquarters in Africa.
Today is a milestone, when the United Nations Programme for Human Settlement (UN-HABITAT) and the Swedish National Police Board (SNPB) join forces to enhance the governance of safety at municipal level through democratic policing and improve the role of Police in Urban Development. With the valuable support of the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency, the two agencies will promote democratic policing in urban areas, as well as foster a better involvement of the police in urban governance, planning and management, and advance a culture of community crime prevention in urban settings.
It is indeed a privilege to be share this moment with you as a guest of the Government of Indonesia. We have enjoyed a long and fruitful history with your country that goes back many years.
It is a privilege to address you today on the eve of our 22nd Governing Council. I am delighted that you are standing by us at this important occasion. I am delighted also see Jan Peterson, Chair, Huairou Commission, and Ms. Sylvia Kinigi, the former Prime Minister of Burundi, in this distinguished audience.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 22nd session of the Governing Council for UN-Habitat.
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat for helping us gather here today the distinguished Members of your Board of Directors.
Many of you have travelled from afar and I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation. Your presence and support is vital to us in our joint quest for sustainable and harmonious cities.
Welcome to Nairobi. Karibuni!
Seoul, Republic of Korea
It is an honour and a pleasure for me to address this third meeting of the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit. Given Seoul’s fascinating approach to urban environmental issues, I am delighted that this conference is being held in this dynamic city. Although the Conference will address issues of interest to cities around the world, holding this meeting in Korea – and for the first time in Asia - should provide an excellent opportunity to pay attention to some of the specific issues facing the rapidly growing cities in the region.: Korea provides an interesting case study as it is one of the most highly urbanized countries in the world, 82 out of every 100 Koreans live in a city whilst in 1975 only 50 percent of the Korean population was urban.
This exhibition showcases how far applied science has come. The technologies presented here will go a long way in reducing our Climate Footprint. Innovations that result in new levels of energy efficiency and new technologies and processes that lead to a fossil-fuel free future must also be at the forefront of a Green New Deal to revive our economies.
It is my great pleasure to be with you all today to discuss the critical issue of responding to the food crisis through sustainable development.
Some of you may be wondering what the Head of the United Nations agency for cities has to say on the issue of food security. I will show you that cities are fundamental to the food security issue and that without putting them into the equation we will not solve the food security problem.
As I am sure has already been said, this conference is very timely. I must thank the organisers of this conference at Wilton Park for their foresight in putting such a complex set of issues onto their agenda.
It is my pleasure to join you in this conference as you celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, a key member of the ACUHIAM. Allow me to congratulate you Mr Vice Chancellor on this occasion for the success of your university over the past 25 years and also for your presidency at ACUHIAM.
Nairobi
It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be invited to deliver the 10th Gandhi Memorial Lecture, here at the University of Nairobi. I would like too start my lecture by briefly reflecting on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, a real inspirational political and spiritual leader.
Iraq
Good morning to you all. It is a great honour to address this distinguished audience at the launch of the UN-HABITAT Iraq Country Programme. From the outset, I wish to apologize that a prior international engagement has prevented me from being with you in person today.
Today marks the 8th annual United Nations’ International Youth Day. A day that provides an opportunity for everyone, from youth led agencies, national and local governments, and international agencies, to draw attention to youth issues worldwide.
Washington, DC
It is an honor for me and my colleagues from UN-HABITAT to be here on this historic occasion when World Habitat Day is hosted by the Government and people of the United States of America in the nation’s esteemed capital, Washington, D.C.
It is an honour to report to you today with an update of the activities of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. As my term of office comes to a close, this occasion marks the last time that I appear before this Committee in my capacity as UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director to highlight the achievements and the challenges that confront us in a rapidly urbanising world.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
It is a great honor to be asked to address this distinguished Alumni and the Graduation Ceremony of this esteemed University. This was an invitation that was gladly received and had to be given top priority, coming as it did from my own boss and mentor, Prof. Geoffrey Mmari. I am glad God has enabled me to make it from New York where I was attending the UN General Assembly. I am delighted to be here on this asuspicious occassion.
It is a great honour and privilege for me to accept the Honorary Degree conferred upon me today by the prestigious Warsaw School of Economics. I must start by expressing my deep and humble appreciation to this School as well as the many others involved in initiating and supporting this highly significant gesture of recognition.
Food Security