International Housing Research Seminar

ICC, CAPE TOWN, JULY 4-6, 2005

MEDIA RELEASE

South African Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu will host an International housing research seminar under the theme “Building an International Body of Knowledge on Urban Development: Towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The objective of the seminar is to develop a comprehensive knowledge base on urban development by providing a platform for researchers, governments, institutions, academics, practitioners, civil movement, NGOs and the broad base housing and human settlements sector across countries to deliberate on the proposed thematic subjects.  This will provide an opportunity for countries to share best practices, information and experiences in order to influence policy research agendas and practices.

The seminar is thus intended to focus on developing mechanisms and instruments to operationalise the knowledge base, and upgrade existing or build new capabilities for the countries involved to respond to challenges on urban development.

The thematic presentations will include the following:

Towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets on slums:

·         Human settlements and multilateral funding for urban infrastructure;

·         Sustainable Human Settlements:  Responding to the backlog and the challenge of slums;

·         Housing Finance, Housing Market and Private Sector Engagement; and

·         Monitoring and Evaluation:  Developing Systematic Mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation for human settlements. 

Towards improving urban governing and planning:

·         Sustainable Urban Planning:  Developing effective models and tools;

·         Sustainable Land Management for Urban Development;

·         Viable Urban Governance;

·         Community Participation Processes in Sustainable Urban Planning; and

·         Collaborative mechanisms for effective knowledge base on housing.

The seminar will be run over three days.  The first two days, 4 and 5 July 2005, consist of high level open sessions with keynote speakers, parallel sessions with technical experts and presentations on the critical areas of research.  This will be followed by a one day closed Ministerial Level AMCHUD Bureau Meeting on 6 July 2005.

Issued by

Thabang Chiloane
Chief Director: Communication Services
Cell: 082 8888 783
thabang@housing.gov.za

For registration and accreditation please contact:

Ndivhuwo Mabaya on 083 645 7838
ndivhuwo@housing.gov.za

Bongani Mlangeni
Bongani@housing.gov.za
Cell:084 500 5552
July 21, 2005