The United Nations Millennium Campaign Deputy Director for Africa and leading Pan-Africanist, Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, died in a road accident in the early hours on Monday this week. He was 48.

He was enroute to Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi to board a flight for Rwanda where he was scheduled to launch a maternal health campaign and meet with President Paul Kagame.

Recognized for his outspoken nature and strong leadership, the Nigerian-born Taju as he was popularly known, was adamant in his beliefs that Africa and its people were perfectly capable of solving their own problems. As a prolific writer and public debater, the Nigerian political scientist joined the United Nations Millennium Campaign in March 2006 as the Deputy Director for Africa. His most prominent role was to direct the Africa team in motivating people across the continent to become more proactive in engaging their leaders to deliver on the Millennium Development Goals.

“His most untimely and tragic death on Africa Liberation Day comes as a terrible shock,” said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. “He was a true son of Africa, a tireless campaigner and champion of Africa and Africans at home and around the world. May he rest in eternal peace. Our prayers are with him and his family.”

Africa Liberation Day on 25 May 1963, marks the occasion when the leaders of 32 independent African states met to form the Organization of African Unity. It is on this day that Africa and the rest of the world reflects upon the development and growth of the continent.

Prior to joining the United Nations Millennium Campaign, Dr. Tajudeen was the General Secretary of the Pan African Movement Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda and Co-Director of the London based human rights and peace organization, Justice AFRICA. He was also a freelance journalist and widely sought after commentator on African affairs in major global media and across Africa, including Radio France International, Al-Jazeera, the BBC and Voice of America. He is well known for his syndicated weekly column, “TAJUDEEN’S POSTCARD”, which was widely circulated online and published in a number of newspapers across Africa.

25 March 2009 –With nearly three quarters of the world’s one billion slum-dwellers under the age of 30, a new United Nations programme seeks to empower urban-based, youth-led community initiatives.
The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) “Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development” scheme will provide grants between $5,000 and $25,000 to groups, steered by people between the ages of 15 and 32, promoting sustainable urbanization.

“In this time of worldwide economic crisis, it is not only banks and automakers who deserve financial support, we also need to encourage youth who are often best placed to solve problems in their communities,” said Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT.

“We must harness the energies of the young if we are to overcome the problems of urban poverty,” she added.

The Norwegian Government-backed initiative aims to support efforts in employment, education, environment, health and safety, among other areas.

Nairobi, 25 March 2009: Urban based Youth-led organizations in developing countries who are working to improve the living conditions of their communities can now apply for financial assistance from UN-HABITAT.

The Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development will provide grants between $5,000 and $25,000 to organizations led by young people, aged 15-32 years.

“In this time of worldwide economic crisis, it is not only banks and automakers who deserve financial support, we also need to encourage youth who are often best placed to solve problems in their communities,” said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. “The Opportunities Fund is designed to provide financial support of up to one million dollars per year, to youth-led initiatives aimed at sustainable urbanization. We must harness the energies of the young if we are to overcome the problems of urban poverty.”

Of the one billion slum dwellers in the world today, it is estimated that more than 70% are under the age of 30. Yet these young people have few resources available to improve their own living environment. This is a major oversight as there are many youth-led initiatives in slums and squatter settlements that are in urgent need of financial support.

The Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development has been established with support from the Norwegian Government specifically to provide funds to youth-led community initiatives. The initial grant is for two million dollars over two years with a possibility of renewal.



The fund is committed to support innovative youth-led projects in areas such as employment, education, environment, health and safety. Applications from organizations partnering with government agencies and the private sector are encouraged. Projects promoting gender equality are particularly welcome.

Applications details are now available at www.unhabitat.org/opfund.

16/03/2009
Kuwait City



UN-HABITAT has opened a new office in Kuwait City aimed at supporting the agency’s activities in the region.

A ceremony on 11 March was presided over by the UN-HABITAT Director of Regional and Technical Cooperation Division Mr. Daniel Biau and Mr. Ahmed Al-Adsani, Executive Director of the Arab Towns Organisation, on the occasion of the opening of UN-HABITAT Kuwait Office.

Top on the agenda of the office’s activities will be to offer support to local authorities and stakeholders to promote sustainable urban development and active implementation of the Habitat Agenda at the city level. In doing that, the office will closely cooperate with the Arab Towns Organisation and its subsidiaries. It will also partner with the Kuwaiti Government to respond to current and future urban development challenge when requested by the government.

Mr. Biau introduced the new chief of Kuwait Office, Mr. Tarek El-Sheikh to Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi Director of International organizations department in Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Valerie Cliff. In his introduction, Mr. Biau explained that the office’s main focus would be to assist Arab cities and towns.

And fresh from its opening, UN-HABITAT Kuwait office later in the week joined the Arab Towns Organisation in celebrating the Arab Towns Day on 15 March 2009 in Kuwait. Mr. Sheikh planted a tree on behalf of UN-HABITAT in the friendship and peace garden as well as sending goodwill message to the Executive Director of Arab Towns Organisation Mr. Al-Adsani.

12/03/2009
Luanda



UN-HABITAT and the government of Angola on Thursday signed an agreement that will allow the agency to establish a national office in that country.


Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director UN-Habitat, with Dr Antonio Paulo Kassoma,Prime Minister of Angola

The five year agreement was signed by UN-HABITAT Executive Director, Mrs Anna Tibaijuka and the Vice Minister for External Affairs George Rebelo Chicoty. Also present were the Prime Minister Antonio Paulo Kassoma and the Minister for Urban Development and Housing Diankumpuna Sita José.

The agreement was the outcome of fruitful discussions Mrs Tibaijuka had with the Angolan officials when she was in Luanda for the World Day celebrations last October. It was also made possible due to the strong support of the UN Resident Coordinator in Angola Mrs. Jocelline Basile-Finlay.

Responsibilities for the office will include encouraging international cooperation to implement the Habitat Agenda in Angola, cooperate with regional and international organizations, national government, local authorities, civil society institutions and private sector and promote the implementation of UN-HABITAT global programmes and global campaigns in Angola.

The office, to which the Angolan has pledged the first USD 680,000 will also raise funds, together with UN-HABITAT Headquarters, for the formulation and implementation of activities and programmes in Angola, promote and implement UN-HABITAToperational activities in Angola as well as organize international, regional and national conferences on human settlements issues.

During the talks with the Executive Director, the government of Angola expressed the need for immediate support of UN-HABITAT on two specific matters - housing (social housing and finance) and land reform.

he Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development: Turning Urban Challenges into Opportunities for Youth


The United Nations is supporting underprivileged young people’s initiatives to turn their cities into better places – and you can be part of that. Tell UN-HABITAT how you would tackle major challenges like poverty, HIV/AIDS, poor education and health, crime, and unemployment, and you could receive a grant under the Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development.

We are entering an era in which the majority of the population now lives in cities. Many of the cities experiencing the most rapid growth are in developing countries; however, that growth has been accompanied by increasing poverty, youth unemployment, and environmental degradation.

UN-HABITAT helps the urban poor by transforming cities into friendlier, healthier and greener places and providing them with better opportunities. UN-HABITAT works with organizations at every level, including local governments and youth, to build, manage, plan and finance cities that are livable for all.

For the first time, the UN is dedicating funds specifically aimed at addressing the issue of urban youth unemployment.

By directly funding, engaging with and researching the results of innovative grassroots urban youth-led initiatives, UN-HABITAT will build the capacity of local and national governments to develop effective policies and practices.

In the first two years, the Fund will disburse 1 million USD in grants per annum, thanks to a generous contribution from the Government of Norway. Small, grassroots initiatives are eligible for funding up to (and including) 5,000 USD and larger projects are eligible for funding from over 5,000 to 25,000 USD.

The call for applications will be announced on March 23rd, 2009. Application documents will be available shortly at www.unhabitat.org/opfund. Please check back regularly.

For more information send your inforamtion and questions to opfund@unhabitat.org

09/02/2009
Nairobi, Kenya



The United Nations headquarters in Kenya on Monday launched a charity drive to help millions of people facing starvation in their host country.

The ‘Hunger is not an option’ campaign was launched by Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT in her capacity as Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON).

She appealed to staff members, who number an estimated 3,000, to purchase food vouchers so that the Red Cross can help feed as many people as possible.

“Hunger is not an option,” she said. “But at the moment for 10 million people it is a reality. And as a UN family we have to grapple with the underlying issues. There is food in this country, but the real problem is access.”

A representative of the Kenya Red Cross, Mr. Abdi Noor, said that the famine crisis in Kenya was unprecedented because of a combination of failed rains, and violence and displacement following disputed 2007 presidential elections.

“This therefore means that even areas that have usually been food independent have now been forced to rely on food aid,” he said.

On a separate matter, Mrs. Tibaijuka announced that the World Health Organization in cooperation with the Governments of Italy and Switzerland, would send two surgeons who specialize in burns to Nairobi to help treat the victims of a devastating fire that hit downtown Nairobi last week.

Outside of Vienna and Geneva, Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is home to one of three headquarters of the world body outside the global HQ in New York.

05/02/2009
Lausanne



UN-HABITAT and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday signed Memorandum of Understanding aimed at promoting youth empowerment through sport by targeting mainly vulnerable and disadvantaged communities world-wide.

The landmark pact was signed by Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, UN-HABITAT Executive Director, and the IOC President, Mr. Jacques Rogge, at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

A joint statement issued at the ceremony said that through the agreement both sides would strive to encourage advocacy and field-level activities in pursuit of these objectives through UN-HABITAT’s offices and the National Olympic Committees. They would also encourage youth to participate in sports activities and thus promote the Millennium Development Goals to alleviate poverty and to improve the living conditions of slum dwellers everywhere.

“This MOU between UN-HABITAT and the IOC is an important step forward in meeting the challenges of sustainable urbanization especially in the developing world. We must not forget that over 50 percent of slum populations are made up of young people and there is no better way to give direction and motivation than by encouraging them to participate in sports,” said Mrs. Tibaijuka.

The two organizations agreed to establish a follow-up committee that will meet annually to further define, develop, and maintain a programme of international cooperation and implement activities of common interest. The aim is to enable a regular exchange of information and lessons learned, as well as to prepare, publish and disseminate information of mutual interest on the role of youth and sport in urban development.

“The IOC is working closely with a number of UN agencies. The Memorandum of Understanding with UN-HABITAT is another step to promote development through sport and to support the UN Millennium Development Goals. Through this collaboration the IOC and UN-HABITAT will focus on the urban poor: millions of people, particularly children in the slums, for whom sport can bring escapism and hope”, said Mr. Rogge.

27/01/2009
Barcelona, Spain



The City of Barcelona and the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments hosted the Cities Alliance Annual Public Policy Forum, on 20 and 21 January, which this year focused on ways to improve the effectiveness of development aid.



La Pedrera (Catalan for 'The Quarry'), is a Barcelona landmark designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi during the years 1906–1912. Photo © D. Biau / UN-HABITAT


Local and regional government representatives, donor agency representatives and development institutions agreed on the need to improve city management to combat poverty at the global level, by focusing efforts on the poorest neighbourhoods and by putting local actors in the driver’s seat of urban development.

“Cities are ready to fulfill their responsibilities to the most disadvantaged among their citizens. We cannot, however, be truly effective unless we reinforce joint plans and strategies with all the actors involved in development. For this to happen, there needs to be an agreement between local and national governments and multilateral organizations,” the mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, declared at the opening of the forum.

The participants urged the international community to redouble efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals, which they said could only be achieved if local authorities were brought in as 'real' partners.

Acknowledging the relevance of the principles established by the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, participants asked national and international stakeholders to ensure that, in the implementation of international programmes of action, such as the Accra Agenda for Action, local governments are systematically included in the definition, implementation and monitoring of these projects.

The representative of UN-HABITAT, Mr. Daniel Biau, said that his agency was fully committed to the principles of the Paris Declaration on country ownership, the alignment of external support on national priorities and harmonization of external assistance, including around the newly defined UN-HABITAT country programmes.

Launched in 1999, by the World Bank and UN-HABITAT, the Cities Alliance partnership is dedicated to urban development. It brings together development agencies, national governments and local authorities. The World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), a member of the Cities Alliance, provides leadership in various areas such as local finance and decentralization

23/01/2009
NewYork



UN-HABITAT is to field a mission to Gaza to assess the damage and to take part in the early recovery programme as part of the larger UN assessment team which was initiated earlier this week by the UN Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon after his visit to the region.


Damaged Warehouse at UNRWA Headquarters. Pic © UNMultimedia

In a statement issued in New York, the Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka said: “In line with UN-HABITAT’s technical mandate, the focus of this advance mission will be to focus on shelter and settlement recovery, basic infrastructure rehabilitation and to support to local authorities in managing post-conflict reconstruction. In fact, our Habitat Programme Managers on the ground are already taking part in the initial consultations.”

She concluded by committing UN-HABITAT to extending support and expertise to the Palestinian people in Gaza in order to help them overcome this humanitarian disaster.

The 22-day conflict claimed over 1,300 lives and wounded 5,450 as well as causing widespread suffering and destruction.

During his visit Mr. Ban Ki-moon said: “I have come to Gaza to see for myself the extent of the damage caused by the last three weeks of fighting and to demonstrate my solidarity with the population of Gaza and to assure you of the United Nations and the international community’s full support to help you overcome this difficulty.”

As a full member of the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, UN-HABITAT’s contribution and response with regard to upcoming rehabilitation and reconstruction needs are fully integrated with the United Nations system efforts led by the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA.

For further information see also http://www.un.org/News/

17/12/2008
Baluchistan, Pakistan

For the residents of the south western Pakistan region of Baluchistan, a bleak winter was a looming reality until an intervention by UN-HABITAT helped them to put roofs over their heads.

A winter in the open with the attendant calamitous effects would have been a double disaster for the 800 families residing in the mountainous area who suffered a huge blow last October after a devastating earthquake hit the area.

The earthquake of magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale hit the area on 29 October 2008 affecting a huge swath of land extending from Ziarat district, some 110 kilometres northwest of Quetta, to Pishin and Harnai districts. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority the total population affected by the earthquake was 68,200 people.

The Government Response Plan, mapped by the District Authorities, Pakistan Military and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in consultation with the Emergency Shelter Cluster, assigned UN-HABITAT the construction of 947 transitional shelters in 19 villages in the Union Councils of Kutch, Kawas and Ziarat in the District of Ziarat in Baluchistan province.

To realize this mandate, UN-HABITAT applied for and managed to get some USD 900,000 from the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Through the Shelter Cluster, UN-HABITAT launched a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, inviting NGOs for partnership in implementation. Ultimately two NGOs, the Taraqee Foundation and Islamic Relief were selected based on technical and operational capacity to join UN-HABITAT for implementation of the transitional shelter project. Moreover, several in-kind donations of shelter materials were received from USAID, Bali Memorial Trust and Zaman Foundation.

Out of a total of 947 shelters assigned to UN-HABITAT, 299 transitional shelters in 6 villages are being constructed by Taraqee Foundation under a partnership agreement with UN-HABITAT, while another 302 shelters (with same number of pit latrines) are being constructed by the Islamic Relief in 2 villages under similar arrangement. The remaining 346 shelters are to be constructed by UN-HABITAT directly.

According to the UN-HABITAT Country Programme Manager Siamak Moghaddam, the enthusiasm the beneficiaries had exhibited for the agency’s transitional shelters was proof that UN-HABITAT was the best placed organization in housing disaster victims.

““UN-HABITAT is extremely happy with the support we received from CERF, NDMA and the Pakistan Military. As the premier UN agency in charge of human settlements we believe such partnerships are very crucial in helping people whether victims of disasters or not, to get shelter,” he added.

09/12/2008
Lilongwe, Malawi


The first Malawi Urban Forum, held in Lilongwe from 8-9 December, brought close to 200 stakeholders to seek solutions to what is considered to be the most significant demographic and poverty dynamic in Malawi today - rapid urbanization and the urbanization of poverty.

The theme of the first Malawi Urban Forum was “Harmonious Urbanisation: the Challenge of Sustainable Urban Development in Malawi”, chosen in line with this year's World Habitat Day theme and also the focus of the World Urban Forum held in November, in Nanjing, China.

The forum zeroed in on Malawi's key urban priorities which include urban planning, shelter, energy and environment, gender, youth, disability, HIV/AIDS and public-private partnerships to promote sustainable urbanization. Meetings, which included a session for parliamentarians, were moderated by key experts.

Participants came from a many sectors and included government officials, members of parliament, local authorities, private sector organizations, urban utility providers, to civil society organizations, community representatives, universities, professional institutes, and other urban practitioners.

The forum exhibition featured best practices, case studies, urban applications such as Geographical Information Systems for urban development, water and sanitation systems as well as exhibits on housing, urban agriculture and community groups efforts. The meeting received wide media coverage; a special television programme and a live radio debate enabled the wider public to take part in the discussion on priority urban issues.

The level of support for this first urban forum in Malawi underscores the importance of addressing rapid urbanization in the country. Support was received from the United Nations Development Programme, the German development agency (GTZ), Action Aid, UN-HABITAT, the Center for Community Development (CCODE), the Malawi Institute of Physical Planners and the Malawi Government through its Ministries of Housing and Lands.

A number of resolutions were passed at the forum. These will be circulated in a comprehensive report which will be published television programme together with papers presented at the Forum.

Background
Mrs. Tibaijuka was asked the following question at the Chief Executive Board meeting of the United Nations in Poznan, Poland, on Thursday 11 December:

Question: To Ms. Tibaijuka (UN-HABITAT):
With rapid urbanization, so much of the action is planning for our habitats of twenty years from now. Our choices will play out in spatial planning, building industry standards etc. As a small agency facing this enormous task, how are you working with other parts in the UN system to address these issues, as well as urban transportation and other action at the local level?

Below is a summary of her response.

It is no coincidence that global climate change has become a major international development issue at precisely the same time and the same pace as the world has become urbanised.
We live in a world where, according to UN-HABITAT’s research, 1 billion people languish in slums, mostly in developing countries. In a process we call the urbanisation of poverty, the locus of global poverty is moving into cities.

So when it comes to urban planning, we have to find a system that works to alleviate the plight of slum dwellers. It must combine concerted action by local authorities, with that of national governments, civil society and the international community.
If we fail to do anything about this, that figure is projected to double over the next 30 years to 2 billion, making the cauldron of misery and the potential impacts of disaster, twice as great as today. Member States of the United Nations committed themselves to “achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020” (Target 11, Goal No.7).

UN-HABITAT is the agency mandated to help governments, municipalities and all urban actors find the way here. It means too that we have to link urban planning to the global challenges created by the urbanisation of poverty, and the threats posed by disasters that result from climate change. We need to think globally and locally at the same time.

We have to be careful that powerful economic interests may feel threatened by planning recommendations; that plans may not reflect the priorities of community groups, especially when it comes to climate change mitigation, and thus that they might not reflect the priorities of politicians either. With such issues in mind, we have, for example, started working with cities in Ecuador, Mozambique, the Philippines and Uganda to integrate climate change concerns into their planning processes.

At the national level, we are working with UNDP and UNEP. Municipalities, communities, and states all engage in planning. And we therefore work at the national and local level at the same time so that local processes become part of a country’s national processes and priorities.

Communication of problems, especially those like climate change impacts expected in a long time hence, is a key to successful planning. In this new urban age, many mega-cities around the world loom as giant potential disaster traps. In sub-Saharan Africa, slum dwellers constitute over 62 percent of the urban populations.

In south Asia, the figure is close to 50 percent. Everywhere it is the urban poor who live in places no-one else would dare set foot - along beaches and river estuaries prone to flooding, alongside slopes vulnerable to landslides after heavy rains. They live in shaky structures that would be flattened the instant disaster hit, causing untold loss of life and destruction.

As UN-HABITAT plays a more and more active role in humanitarian crises around the world, we work as one UN ever more closely with our sister agencies through our seat on the Executive Committee of Humanitarian Agencies (ECHA), as well through as our participation in the Inter Agency Standing Committee working groups in Geneva.

On the question of a breakthrough for energy conservation in new housing: She cited the example: UN-HABITAT and UNEP is developing an exciting new project with the governments of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda on Promoting energy efficiency in buildings in East Africa.

As 40 percent of the total national energy consumption is used in buildings, this project will save at least 10 percent of that energy – an amount sufficient to cover the total energy needs of Rwanda and its neighbour, Burundi. With UNEP we are setting up a city network for energy efficient buildings so that cities in the developing world can benefit from the latest thinking and the best ideas.

Finally, on the urban transport question and other action at the local level: How we plan, manage, operate and consume energy in our cities is the key driver behind the phenomenon of global warming. As we all know, urban transportation is the planet's fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.

As such, just one dollar spent reducing this is the
single most cost-effective measure local governments can take in climate change mitigation. While cities must indeed “adapt” to the impacts of climate change within their boundaries, they remain in the driver’s seat in terms of continued efforts at mitigation. As I said earlier, planning is the key. There is still time to reduce the overall impact of this ecological catastrophe by better planning. As cities sprawl, energy consumption vastly increases both from transport and housing energy distribution costs. Low-density, sprawling cities are two to three times more expensive to run and service than more densely populated cities.

UN-HABITAT promotes urban development strategies that integrate better land use planning, environmental conservation and transport systems. We promote public transport and non-motorized transport as alternatives to over-reliance on the private automobile. With UNEP we serve on the steering committee of the Eco-mobility alliance.

It represents a broad swathe of government, civil society and private sector to fashion better urban transportation and reduce its ecological footprint; we work directly with UNESCAP in Bangkok, and ECLAC in Santiago on UN Development Account projects.

These promote more sustainable urban infrastructure investments in our cities, including those in urban transport and urban energy access; and we work under the inter-agency "UN-energy" group as part of a One UN to encourage sustainable energy consumption. Many of the climate change problems begin and end in cities. Reducing urban poverty will thus make a huge contribution to reducing climate change and its impacts.

11/12/2008
POZNAN, Poland



The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon on Thursday said the world had to avoid backsliding in the fight against global warming and devise a "Green New Deal" to fix the twin climate and economic crises.

In an address to more than 100 environment ministers from around the world, he said the crises were an opportunity to address both challenges simultaneously:

"Managing the global financial crisis requires massive global stimulus. A big part of that spending should be an investment - an investment in a green future, an investment that fights climate change, creates millions of green jobs and spurs green growth.


The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.
Picture © unescap.org

"We need a Green New Deal", he told the ministers gathered in Poznan, Poland for UN climate talks overshadowed by the concerns about a global recession.

"Yes, the economic crisis is serious," he said. "Yet when it comes to climate change, the stakes are far higher. The climate crisis affects our potential prosperity and peoples' lives, both now and far into the future."

"This is a deal that works for all nations, rich as well as poor. It is an idea that was embraced with enthusiasm at the recent development conference in Doha, Qatar, and at the meeting of finance ministers in Warsaw which concluded this past Tuesday.

"We also urgently need a deal on climate change to provide the political, legal, and economic framework to unleash a sustained wave of investment. In short, our response to the economic crisis must advance climate goals, and our response to the climate crisis will advance economic and social goals," he said.

In short, Mr. Ban, said, "what we need, today, is leadership -- leadership by you". Prior to the address he held a private meeting with heads of UN agencies, including Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, to discuss these issues. She also later addressed an open meeting of the Chief Executive Board of the United Nations presided by Mr. Ban.

The Poznan talks are reviewing progress at the halfway mark of a two-year push to work out a global pact to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, the UN pact binding 37 nations to curb emissions by about 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012.

Mr. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, took the cue and added: "We need to hear, feel and see your resolve to complete the task that you set us all in Bali a year ago. You launched the Bali Road Map to fulfill this task – not to procrastinate on it. The Bali Road Map is about issues of today, not about delay."

He cited examples of what he called clear signs of urgency – Mauritania in the grip of a triple stranglehold with a spreading desert, encroaching ocean and worsening floods. The Maldives island nation saving up for exodus because of rising seas.

"Distrust and suspicion have haunted these talks for much too long," Mr. de Boer said. "This is your opportunity to move on, to tell the world how you will deliver together, to tell the world how you will reach out to each other on finance and technology, to tell the world how you will create governance structures for finance in which no one is more equal than the next."

Developing nations, such as China and India, say recession is no excuse for the rich to delay fighting climate change. "If Europe sends a signal that it can make deep cuts only in the prosperous times, what are the developing countries supposed to say?" asked Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo.

In Poznan, details of a new Adaptation Fund to help poor countries adapt to the impacts of rising seas, droughts, floods and heat-waves are among the most contentious remaining issues. Tuvalu's Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia, whose Pacific island nation is threatened by rising seas, accused some industrialised nations of "burying us in red tape" to deny access to cash in the Adaptation Fund.

The fund could reach about USD 300 million a year by 2012 to help build coastal defences or develop drought-resistant crops.

"We will not sink," he said to applause. "Were not contemplating migration ... we will survive," 'Mr. Ielemia said.

Addressing the plenary on behalf of the world's least developed countries, Mr. Mohamed Shareef, Deputy Minister of Housing, Transport and the Environment of Maldives, said there was no time to lose.

"We understand the need for discussion and to bring ideas to address climate change – but we don't have the luxury to waste time any more," he said. "We have to consolidate our ideas and concrete steps should be agreed to take the decision on time. Copenhagen is only a year from now…"

He said the world's poorest countries appreciated steps being taken by the European Union. Speaking for the Union, French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Barloo said the world's most powerful economic bloc would be ready to cut its emissions by up to 30 percent if an agreement is reached in Copenhagen next year.

10/12/2008
Poznan, Poland



Mayors and local authorities representing cities around the world this week urged delegates attending a milestone session of climate change talks to ensure that cities are kept high on the agenda given that they are home to half the world's population and responsible for much of the emissions that cause climate change.

"The voice of cities has to be heard at the COP in Poznan," said the city's mayor, Ryszard Grobelny, referring to the 14th Conference of the Parties which started last week under the auspices of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC).

He was speaking at a Local Government Climate Session co-organized by Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and the Association of Polish cities.
Picture © UNFCCC

In a joint message to the conference, they said: "We, cities and local governments, represent half of the world's population; consume up to 80 percent of all energy, implement strong local climate actions; commit to ambitious reduction targets, mobilize citizens around the globe; and offer national-local partnership to limit global warming.

"It is the local authorities which have a much closer relationship with their citizens than national governments. It is our duty to ensure that the opinions and voices of our citizens are heard when it comes to climate change," Mr. Grobelny said.

Echoing his views, the Mayor of Entebbe Uganda, Mr. Stephen Kabuye who serves as Vice-President of ICLEI, said that local authorities were in a special position.
"We need to go to the leaders and we need to go down to the schools, the places of worship to spread the gospel of climate change," he said. The issues at hand in Poznan were so important that if not well handled – all the other problems (of urban poverty) could get worse, he said.

World leaders meeting in Poznan are expected this week to create a successor treaty to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, in which dozens of nations, but not the United States, agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Several mayors said they hoped this position would now change.

In Bali last year, nations set a goal of negotiating a successor to Kyoto, which expires in 2012, in Copenhagen in 2009. Delegates in Poznan are discussing ideas and setting a work schedule leading to Copenhagen.

But the economic crisis and the timing of the talks have dampened expectations for the conference. There was concern that sour economy may discourage wealthier nations from agreeing to help fund cleaner energy in developing countries. And the United States is being represented in Poznan by the Bush administration.
President-elect, Barack Obama, who has promised to take strong action on climate change, did not send representatives. But he said in a statement: "The time for denial is over. We all believe what the scientists have been telling us for years now, that this is a matter of urgency and national security, and it has to be dealt with in a serious way. That is what I intend my administration to do."

Mr. David Cadman, a Vancouver City Councillor and President of ICLEI added that the problems were urgent and that the world could no longer delay on a sound climate change agreement.

"Climate change is happening all around us. We are in a crisis. We have to make some very substantial changes. The world's cities have got it; now national governments need to hear us."

UN-HABITAT's Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, who arrived in Poznan this week, will raise the urban profile at the meeting as the United Nations focal point for cities.