Consultation Paper

Canada and the 2004 World Urban Forum

Introduction

This paper offers information to organizations and individuals taking part in the Government of Canada's consultations on the 2^nd World Urban Forum, to take place in Barcelona, Spain, from September 13-17, 2004. The Forum is sponsored by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

The paper:

• introduces the World Urban Forum

• sets outs the broad Government of Canada approach to the Forum;

• suggests some questions that individuals and organizations may wish to consider to help inform the positions that the Government of Canada will take at the Forum.

This consultation process is complemented by UN-Habitat's own relations with local authorities and other Habitat Agenda partners. Building upon groundbreaking efforts at the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in 1996, UN-Habitat has worked to enhance its relations with such groups and increase their participation in UN-Habitat meetings and conferences. Individuals and organizations may wish to consult the UN-Habitat web site.

Context

The world's population is becoming increasingly urbanized. It is projected that by 2030, some 60% of the world's population will live in urban centres. Growth is particularly rapid in the developing world, which is witnessing the growth of mega-cities. Urbanization brings opportunities, as cities are being perceived more and more as engines of economic and social development. It also brings critical challenges to the international community, through the urbanization of poverty and the growth of slums, as cities are unable to provide services to match population growth. Key targets of the United Nations Millennium Declaration Goals include a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 and a reduction by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.

World Urban Forum

The Forum is a new high-level international conference on issues of sustainable human settlements, launched by UN-Habitat in 2001. The first Forum was held in Nairobi, Kenya in April 2002.

The Forum has been developed to help the international community address human settlements issues and contribute to their resolution.

The Forum is a biennial event, with its substantive focus on multilateral cooperation in sustainable human settlements development. The Forum is not a venue for negotiation among UN member states. Rather, it provides an opportunity for representatives of government, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, experts and others to come together to discuss the most relevant issues in human settlements development and to assist in moving forward on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the Habitat Agenda. The results of each Forum are provided to the UN-Habitat Executive Director, who tables them at the subsequent meeting of the UN-Habitat Governing Council.

The theme for the 2004 Forum is Cities: crossroads of culture and diversity? The formal portion of the Forum agenda is divided into 9 dialogue sessions, divided into partner and thematic dialogues. Partner dialogues focus more directly on local issues, including local governance, and look at those elements that make things happen on the ground locally. The thematic dialogues will consider emerging themes and issues.

There are four partner dialogues:

1. Urban Cultures: the state of the world's cities and globalization and culture in an urbanizing world

2. Urban Realities: learning from innovations in local government;

3. Urban Renaissance: the evolving city: towards new powers for local governments in a globalizing world;

4. Urban Governance: involving civil society to improve local governance: identifying and overcoming barriers to inclusiveness.

There are five thematic dialogues:

1. Urban Poor: improving the lives of slum dwellers: assessment of existing tools, programs and policies to make goals a reality;

2. Urban Resources: intensifying resources to reduce urban poverty: alternative approaches to financing urban growth;

3. Urban Sustainability: ecology, economy and society: creating a culture of sustainability through urban management;

4. 4Urban Disasters: mobilizing sustainable relief: transforming disasters into opportunities for sustainable development;

5. Urban Services: revisiting the privatization debate: making the private sector work for the poor.

6. In addition to the dialogue themes, there are several cross-cutting issues that the international community will also be addressing in Barcelona, in the context of sustainable human settlements. These include:

• women's rights to land and property;

• water and sanitation;

• urban poverty reduction;

• HIV/AIDS;

• urban governance;

• young people and the role of the media.

Also, there will be upwards of 80 networking events, as well as special events and an exhibition area. Details can be obtained on the UN-Habitat web site.

Canada's Approach to the 2004 World Urban Forum

In recent years, Canada has increased its level of engagement with UN-Habitat. In 2005, Canada will become a member of the Governing Council for a four-year period.

Canada will host the 2006 World Urban Forum, in Vancouver, British Columbia. This fact will raise the profile of Canada and Canadians at the second Forum. In Barcelona, Canada will be taking steps to market the 2006 event to the international community.

The Government of Canada recognizes that while Canada has a great deal of experience and expertise to add to the discussion at the Barcelona Forum, a focused approach will help direct Canadian efforts. The approach for the World Urban Forum could be similar to that adopted for the human settlements component of the 12th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-12) held in New York in April 2004, which had the four elements outlined below.

Governance

Good governance is a prerequisite for sound decisions for human settlements and in other fields. It is one of the most important factors in reducing poverty and promoting economic and social development because it fosters the transparency and stability that public and private investors need. Governance is concerned with the need to ensure that decisions - how they are made and the capacity to implement them - will tend to improve the social, economic and environmental quality of people's lives in rural and urban settlements, including the poor, and promote sustainable approaches. It ensures that institutions responsible for these services have the strength and capacity to function effectively, transparently and in ways that encourage the positive contribution of all stakeholders, including the private sector.

Canada understands the importance of effective governance that leads to the achievement of goals such as: providing adequate shelter for all; sustainable land use; appropriate, effective recognition of land tenure; integrated environmental infrastructures to meet sustainable development objectives; and sustainable energy and transportation. Canadian support for capacity- and institution-building, such as in housing financing, is an example of sharing Canadian governance knowledge with other countries.

Within Canada, recently, the Government of Canada has been providing funding and developing partnerships to support quality of life and sustainable growth. This represents real and growing investment in urban transit, affordable housing, clean water and good roads. It recognizes the need for partnerships that complement the work of provincial, territorial and municipal partners. For example, local governments are gaining substantial experience as they explore ways to implement "smart growth" policies and practices. Community members are becoming more engaged in the decision-making that affects them through consultation mechanisms.

Governance that draws partners together is increasingly evident in efforts to address issues affecting the quality of life at the local level. For example, a mix of strategies is being employed to address homelessness and shelter issues, both in terms of immediate response to needs and longer-term strategies to address root causes.

Science

The body of research on human settlements is expanding. Research into issues such as transportation, sustainable housing design and construction, energy use, provision of services, and urban economic and social development is building a knowledge based for application in Canada and internationally.

Canada has various organizations and institutions that focus on human settlements issues, adding to that knowledge base. This research represents information and insights that may be relevant to the needs of other countries. For example, as countries in transition to free market economies or higher-income developing countries consider how best to ensure affordable housing, Canadian examples could be of value.

Canada is committed to the most efficient and effective development and use of science, new knowledge and technology by strengthening national innovation policies and programs, and by enhancing existing global collaborative networks.

Canadian Technology and Expertise

Technology and expertise are critical to improving the quality of life in human settlements and addressing the needs of all residents. Communities need the knowledge and technology for practical solutions, and the informed, trained people to implement those solutions.

Canadian companies, organizations and institutions are working with partners to deal with the array of challenges facing local governments and organizations that provide services in cities, towns and rural municipalities. Canada also has a positive international reputation for its housing technologies.

Canada's experience working directly with 15 cities on five continents through the Sustainable Cities Initiative shows cities want practical solutions for help with: governance, housing, power generation and transmission, urban planning, water, sanitation, waste, port development, transportation, basic infrastructure, telecommunications, information management, tourism and capacity building.

Development

The explosive growth of cities, particularly in developing countries, has provided impetus for human settlements work within the United Nations framework. The Habitat Agenda summarizes the goals facing the international community as 'adequate shelter for all' and 'sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world'. The goal of Canada's Official Development Assistance (ODA) program, as articulated in the 1995 Foreign Policy document, Canada and the World, is to support sustainable development in developing countries in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world. The ODA program includes a valuable role for contributions by municipalities and Canadian urban actors (academia, civil society organizations, etc.), who can share their experiences and expertise. Government action must be complemented by engaging the energies and competencies of all groups in society. Canada's Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI) and Canada's engagement in the Cities Alliance initiative provide examples of efforts to work with the private sector and other stakeholders in partner cities and countries to address urban challenges.

Possible Questions for Consultation Participants

• what best practices and lessons learned can Canada take to Barcelona in the area of sustainable urban development, including urban culture and social inclusiveness?

• what governance models and strategies are associated with increased action for sustainable human settlements?

• how can we build capacity for sustainable human settlements at the local level?

• what has worked in the area of addressing the needs of the urban poor in developing countries?

• how can greater resources be brought to bear to relieve urban poverty in developing countries?

• what are the characteristics of a sustainable city?

• what examples of sustainable community development could be profiled in Barcelona?

• what are the major gaps in knowledge that would be relevant for achieving the Millennium Development goals and Habitat Agenda targets?

• are there examples of Canadian technology and expertise that would be particularly relevant to addressing the priority needs of human settlements, and particularly of their poorer residents?

If you wish to provide input into this consultation process, kindly provide your comments to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, at ESS@dfait-maeci.gc.ca, no later than Friday, August 6, 2004. All contributions will be carefully assessed as the Government of Canada finalizes its approach to the 2004 World Urban Forum in Barcelona.