Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000

A/RES/43/181View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1989.

What other versions does this mandate have?

6 versions · 1988–1998

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/52/191

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
1998	A/RES/52/191	Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000	474	24%Compare
1994	A/RES/48/178	Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000	873	—
1992	A/RES/46/163	Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000	—	—
1990	A/RES/44/173	Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000	—	—
1989	A/RES/43/181	Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000	1,271	19%Compare

What subjects does this mandate have?

12 subjects

Budget Contributions Coordination Within UN System Debt Relief Environmental Management Guidelines Housing Finance Housing Policy Human Settlements Popular Participation Programme Management Socially Disadvantaged Persons Women in Development

What’s in this document?

16 operative paragraphs

Adopts the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000;

Decides that the main objective of the Strategy is to facilitate adequate shelter for ali by the year 2000, that the main focus should therefore be on improving the situation of the disadvantaged and the poor and that the following fundamental objectives and principies should form the basis of the Strategy:

Enabling policies, whereby the full potential and resources of ali governmental and non-governmental actors in the field ofhuman settlements are utilized, must be at the heart of national and international efforts;

Women, as income-earners, home-makers and (b) heads of households, and women's organizations fulfil a crucial role as contributors to the solution of human settlements problems, which should be fully recognized and reflected in equal participation of women in the elaboration ofhousing policies, programmes and projects, and the specific interests and capabilities of women should be adequately represented in human settlements policy formulation and in government mechanisms employed at all levels for the implementation of housing policies, programmes and projects;

Shelter and development are mutually supportive and interdependent, and policies must be developed in full recognition of the important links between shelter and economic development;

The concept of sustainable development implies that the provision of shelter and urban development must be reconcilable with a sustainable management of the environment;

Designates the Commission on Human Settlements as the United Nations intergovernmental body responsible for co-ordinating, evaluating and monitoring the Strategy and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements

Habitat

as the secretariat for the Strategy and the lead agency for co-ordinating and monitoring the relevant programmes and activities of other United Nations organizations and agencies concerned:

Urges Governments to develop appropriate national and sub-national strategies for shelter in the light of the guidelines provided in the report ofthe Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements

Habitat

entitled "Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000"19 and to report regularly to the Commission on Human Settlements, beginning at its twelfth session, on their relevant experience and on progress achieved in implementing those strategies;

Requests the Executive Director to monitor the relevant global experience and progress of ali countries in implementing the Strategy and to report thereon to the Commission, beginning at its thirteenth session;

Decides to review and clarify the Strategy on a biennial basis, within regular budgetary resources, with the assistance of experts selected on the basis of equitable geographic representation, and to revise the Strategy in the light of global and national experience from ali regions and subregions;

Requests the Commission on Human Settlements, as the body designated to co-ordinate implementation of the Strategy, to report biennially to the General Assembly on progress made in its implementation;

Also requests the Commission to strengthen, within existing resources, its role in regard to the promotion of innovative measures by which bilateral and multilateral financia! institutions may support the shelter strategies of developing countries, for example, by way of suitably devised loan agreements that would lead to the building up of national revolving funds for shelter;

Requests financia! institutions and creditor countries to consider, as one ofthe conditions for the success of the Strategy, immediate measures to reduce the externa! debts by their conversion into long-term loans;

B 10.

Adopts the guidelines for steps to be taken at the national and international levels, as set out in the annex to the present resolution, in support of the guidelines fornational and international action contained in the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, l9 prepared pursuant to its resolution 42/ 191;

Ca/ls upan ali States and others in a position to do so to make generous contributions to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation to facilitate implementation of the Strategy.

13 Report of Habitat: United !Vations Conference on Human Settlements, Vancouver. 31 May-1 I June 1976 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.76.IV.7 and corrigcndum), chap. l.

14 /bid., chap. II.

15 Report of the World Conference to Review und Appraise the Achievements of the United Natiom Decade far Women: Equality, Development and Peace. Nairobi, 15-26 Julv 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV. IO), chap. l. séct. A. , 16 See Official Record, (J/" the General A sscmbly. Forty-first Session, Sufflement f'!o. 8 (A/41/8), annex 1, sect. A.

Ib,d., Forty-second Se.mon. Supplement No. 8 and corngendum (A/42/8 and Corr.l), annex 1, sect. A.

18 /bid., Forty-third Sessio11. Supplcment Nu. 8 (A/43/8), annex [, sect. A.

ANNEX

l. Guidelines for steps to be taken at the national leve!

CONSIDERATIONS FOR ÜOYERNMENTS WHEN FORMULATING A NATIONAL SHELTER STRATEGY l.

A national shelter strategy must spell out clear operational objectives for the development of shelter conditions both in terms of the construction of new housing and the upgrading and maintenance of existing housing stock and infrastructure and services.

In the definition of those objectives, development of shelter should be seen as a process whereby conditions are gradually improved for both men and women. The objectives need to address the scale ofthe problem, while the "adequate" standard aimed at should be identified on the basis of an analysis of the standa:rds and options affordable to the target population and society at large. The objectives should be based on a comprehensive view ofthe magnitude and nature of the problem and of thc available resource base, including the potcntial contribution of men and

19 HS/C/11/3. See also Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-third Session, Supp/ement No. 8, addendum (A/43/8/Add.l). women. In addition to finance. land, manpower and institutions, building materials and technology also have to be considered irrespective of whether they are hcld by the public or prívate, formal or informal sector.

The objectives ofthe shelter sector need to be linked to the goals of overall economic policy, social policy, settlement policy and environmental policy.

The strategy needs to outline the action through which !he objectives can be met. In an enabling strategy, actions such as the provision of infrastructure may mean the direct involvement of the public sector in shelter construction. The objective of "facilitating adequate shelter for ali" also implies that direct govemment support should mainly be allocated to the most needy population groups.

The public sector is responsible for developing and implementing measures for national shelter policies and for the adoption of measures to stimulate the desired action by other sectors. This can be done through measures in areas such as the locally based small-scale building-materials industry, appropriate financial schemes or training programmes.

ó.

Another important componen! is the development of administrative, institutional and legislative tasks that are the direct responsibility of the Government, for example, land registration and regulation of construction.

An analysis of affordability will provide the criteria for defining the right priorities and appropriate approaches and standards for public sector involvement. Likewise, such an analysis gives the criteria for planning the indirect involvement of the public sector, that is, the type of activities to be promoted and the appropriate way of going about it.

The appropriate institutional framework for the implementation of a strategy must be identified, which may require much institutional reorganization. Each agency involved must have a clear understanding of its role within the overall organizational framework and of the tasks expected ofit. Mechanisms for the co-ordination ofinter- and intra-agency activities need to be developed. Mechanisms such as shelter coalitions are recommended and may be developed in partnership with the prívate and non-governmental sectors. Finally, arrangements for the continuous monitoring, review and revision of the strategy must be developed.

STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY GovERNMENTS WHEN IMPLEMENTING A NATIONAL STRATEGY 9.

Work for the preparation of the strategy must be organized. For instance, a task force may be appointed for the actual work anda steering committee ensuring high-level political commitment set up to guide its work. Alternatively it may be possible to use existing mechanisms. Equal participation of women should be ensured at ali levels.

Needs and resources must be assessed. Estimates are required of the needs in housing construction and in upgrading and maintenance, including housing-related infrastructure, as well as of the resources that can be mobilized during the period to the year 2000 to cover those needs.

1 L Shelter options and standards that are affordable by the target groups and society at large nmst be analysed, taking into account both the scale of need and ali the resources available -finance, land, manpower and institutions, building materials and technology.

Objectives must be set for the construction of new housing and for the upgrading and maintenance ofthe existing housing stock in terms both of the scale of the activities and of the housing standards to be met.

Action must be identified through which thosc objectives can be realistically met. The estimated required resources for this action must not exceed those that can be made available by society. The action ineludes both direct government involvement and measures needed to encourage, facilitate and integrate active participation of other sectors in shelter delivery.

A plan of action must be prepared in consultation and partnership with non-governmental organizations, people and their representatives. which:

(a) Lisis the activities that are the direct responsibility of the public sector;

(b) Lisis the activities lo he taken to facilitate and encourage the other actor, to carry out their part of the task;

(e) Outlines resource allocation to the aforementioned activities;

(d) Outlines the institutional arrangements for the implementation, co-ordination, monitoring and review of the strategy;

Outlines a schedule for lhe activities of the various agencies.

(e) international level lnternational action will be necessary to support the activities of countries in their endeavour to improve the housing situation of their poor and disadvantaged inhabitants. Such assistance should support national programmes and use know-how available locally and within the international community.

The goal of externa! assistance should be to enhance and support national capabilities to develop and implement national action components of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000.

Mutual co-operation and exchange of information and expertise bctween developing countries in human settlement work stimulate and enrich national human settlement work.

The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) will act as the co-ordinating agency in the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Y ear 2000, on the basis of biennial plans to be drawn up with the involvement of experts working with Governments and the Centre al the regional and subregional levels.

As the co-ordinating agency for the Strategy, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habita!) will stimulate international and national action by incorporating the Strategy in its future medium-term plans and biennial work programmes.

An inter-agency-level working arrangement will be made within the existing budget to provide continuous co-ordination of the Strategy.

The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) will prepare a reporting format to facilitate monitoring by the Commission on Human Settlement~ of progress achieved in the implementation of the Global Strategy.

20 Official Records of the General Assembly. Forty-third Session,

Supplement No. 15 (A/43/15), vol. 1, annex 111.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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