The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
was established in 1978, two years after the United Nations Conference on
Human Settlements held in Vancouver, Canada. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, UNCHS
(Habitat) is the lead agency within the United Nations System for coordinating
activities in the field of human settlements and in the implementation of the
Habitat Agenda adopted at the second United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II) held in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996. With an explicit
focus on the urban poor and using universal principles of social justice and
equity to guide its work, the Centre is a global advocacy agency dealing with
human settlements issues in the context of an urbanizing world. Strategies of
the Centre in implementing its work programmes include enablement and
participation, capacity-building and institutional development on the two main
themes adequate shelter for all and sustainable urban
development. To address these themes effectively, the Centre is initiating
two global campaigns on secure tenure and urban governance. Further information
can be found on the website at www.habitat.unchs.org
The Institute of Public Administration (IPA) is a
private, non-profit organization concerned with building capacities for
effective governance. It is headquartered in New York City where it was
established in 1906, and operates worldwide with a programme of research,
technical assistance and training organized around three themes: public sector
governance and management, public finance and fiscal reform, and sustainable
urban development. IPA is affiliated with the Wagner Graduate School of Public
Service at New York University, and is governed by a distinguished Board of
Trustees. Further information can be found on the website at
www.theipa.org.
In June 1998, UNCHS (Habitat) and IPA signed a
Memorandum of understanding to establish and develop cooperation modalities to
join their capacities in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and relevant
aspects of Agenda 21, with specific focus on initiation of a research project
aimed at improving living conditions of older persons in human
settlements as a contribution to the International Year of Older
Persons, 1999. |