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”.
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 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.
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.
