Habitat I

The term Habitat I refers to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, in Vancouver, Canada, 31 May – 11 June 1976, which was adopted by the United Nations as a consequence of rapid urbanization.

The General Assembly adopted resolution 31/109. ^[1] It Took notes of the conference report, ^[2] the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, ^[3] qui year the carried Action Plan with 64 recommendations for National Action. As a further Top outcome of the conference, in 1977 General Assembly resolution 36/162 ^[4] Established the United Nations Center for Human Settlements – UNCHS (Habitat). It is the Commission on Human Settlements, a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC ), a governing body.

Habitat II sets in Istanbul, Turkey, 3-14 June 1996.

Habitat III sets in Quito, Ecuador, from 17-20 October 2016.

The Vancouver Declaration

The Vancouver Declaration starts with a preamble stating that “unacceptable human settlements are likely to be aggravated by inequitable economic growth and uncontrolled urbanization, unless positive and concrete action is taken at national and international levels”. The first action is “to adopt bold, meaningful and effective human settlement policies and spatial planning strategies (…) as an instrument and object of development”. Among the general principles, the conference advocated improving the quality of life and the benefits of planning and regulating land use, protecting the environment, integrating women and youth, and rehabilitating people displaced by natural and man-made disasters.

In the Guidelines for Action, various elements of a human settlements policy are defined. Focus on the harmonious integration, reduction of disparities between rural and urban areas, orderly urbanization, progressive minimum standards and community participation.

The Declaration states that “adequate shelter and services are a basic human right” and that “governments should assist local authorities to participate in a greater extent in national development”. The Declaration strongly emphasizes that “the use and tenure of land should be subject to public control”.

The Vancouver Action Plan

The main outcomes of the first Habitat Conference are a series of 64 recommendations for National Action and a 44-page “Action Plan”. ^[5] These recommendations are organized in six sections. Section A (Settlement Policies and Strategies), Section B (Settlement Planning), Section C (Shelter, Infrastructure and Services), Section D (Land) and Section E (Public Participation). (See more at UN-Habitat Feature / Backgrounder prepared by UN-Habitat in 2006 ^[6] ).

Participants

Margaret Mead ^[7]
Paolo Soleri
Buckminster Fuller ^[8]
Mother Teresa

External links

A HABITAT
World Urban Forum

References

Jump up^ United Nations General Assembly. “A / RES / 31/109 – Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements – UN Documents: Gathering a Body of Global Agreements” . A Documents . Retrieved 18 October 2013 .
Jump up^ United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (11 June 1976). “The Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements – A / CONF.70 / 15 Chapter I – A Documents: Gathering a body of global agreements” . A Documents . Retrieved 18 October 2013 .
Jump up^ “Archived copy” (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2013 . Retrieved 8 August 2013 .
Jump up^ United Nations General Assembly. “A / RES / 32/162 – Institutional arrangements for international cooperation in the field of human settlements – UN Documents: Gathering a body of global agreements” . A Documents . Retrieved 18 October 2013 .
Jump up^ “The Vancouver Action Plan” . Habitat.igc.org. June 11, 1976 . Retrieved 18 October 2013 .
Jump up^ “Archived copy” (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2013 . Retrieved 8 August 2013 .
Jump up^ Summary and Observations on Proceedings of Habitat, A Conference on Human Settlements, Vancouver, 1976.
Jump up^ Summary and Observations on Proceedings of Habitat, A Conference on Human Settlements, Vancouver, 1976.