|
SOUTH
AFRICA
TO CHAIR
THE
FIRST
AMCHUD
UNDER
THE AU
South
Africa
will use
its
experience
and its
commitment
to the
improvement
of
Africans
as it
chairs
the
bureau
of
African
Ministers
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
says
Housing
Minister
Lindiwe
Sisulu.
Minister
Sisulu
was
speaking
at the
conclusion
of the
first
African
Ministerial
Conference
in
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(AMCHUD)
held in
Durban
from 3-4
February
2005,
African
Ministers
agreed
to
establish
AMCHUD
as the
consultative
mechanism
on the
promotion
of
sustainable
development
of Human
settlements
in
Africa
under
the
auspices
of the
African
Union.
AMCHUD
was
convened
by the
African
Union
and UN
Habitat
to
enable
African
countries
to
discuss
the
enhanced
framework
of
implementation
in
overcoming
the
challenges
of
shelter
and
urbanisation.
Ministers
also
identified
strategies
for
turning
the
urbanisation
challenge
into an
opportunity
for
development
by
consolidating
integrated
approaches
to urban
development.
The
conference,
which
started
with a
meeting
of
experts
from
January
31 to
February
2, 2005
considered
ways of
enhancing
the
collective
capacities
of
governments
in
Africa
to meet
the
challenges
of
urbanisation
and the
implementation
of
Decision
29 of 2nd
Ordinary
Session
of the
Assembly
of Heads
of
States
and
Government.
Central
to the
objective
of the
conference
was to
provide
a
platform
for
developing
a common
understanding
among
African
countries,
on
issues
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
to
enable
African
countries
to speak
with one
voice
during
regional
and
international
meetings.
The
first
segment
of the
conference
which
included
senior
government
officials
and
housing
experts
from
across
the
continent
deliberated
in form
of
working
groups
on slum
challenge
and
shelter
delivery
with
special
focus on
meeting
the
Millennium
Development
Goals.
Delegates
also
dealt
with
issues
related
to
decentralization
and
local
government
reforms,
innovations
in
Africa,
developing
mechanisms
for
financing
human
settlement
and
fostering
regional
co-ordination
and
integration.
The
second
segment
of the
conference
considered
the
report
of the
Expert
meeting
and also
adopted
the
Durban
Declaration
on
AMCHUD.
The
Declaration
outline
that
AMCHUD
will
serve as
a forum
to
discuss
urban
challenge
at the
continental
and
regional
level.
It
further
emphasize
that it
will
promote
development
of
appropriate
housing
and low
cost
construction
technology
for
rural
and
urban
housing;
facilitate
South-South
and
international
exchange
of
expertise,
research,
experience
and best
practices
and
support
and
strengthen
the
NEPAD
Cities
Initiative.
To
ensure
implementation
of
AMCHUD
decisions,
Ministers
agreed
to
establish
a
Secretariat
and a
Bureau
to be
elected
by the
Biennial
conference
of
Ministers.
The
elected
Bureau
was
formed
of the
following:
Southern
Africa –
Represented
by South
Africa
as
Inaugural
Chair
West
Africa –
Represented
by
Senegal
as first
Vice-Chair
North
Africa –
Represented
by
Algeria
as 2nd
Vice
Chair
Central
Africa-
Represented
by Chad
as 3rd
Vice
Chair
Eastern
Africa-
Represented
by Kenya
as
Rapporteur
A report
of the
conference
will be
submitted
to a
meeting
of
African
Heads of
State,
to the
Policy
Organs
of the
African
Union,
to the
20th
Session
of the
Governing
Council
of the
UN-Habitat
including
the UN
Commission
on
Sustainable
Development
(CSD13)
which
takes
place in
New York
in April
2005. It
will
also go
to the
international
fora
such as
the
Blair
Commission
for
Africa.
In
addition,
the
respective
governments
in
Africa
will be
informed
about
the
outcomes
of the
conference
and the
expectations.
Issued
by:
AMCHUD
Media
Team
Enquiries:
Thabang
Chiloane
on 082
8888 783
February
07, 2005 |