Global strategy for shelter to the year 2000 adopted; poor and homeless are its main focus.

A "Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000" an international policy framework to help solve the world-wide housing crisis-was approved by the 58-member Commission on Human Settlements at its eleventh session (New Delhi, 6-12 April). The 32-page text is expected to be endorsed by the General Assembly later this year

Specific guidelines to help Governments set up national shelter strategies and to guide international action were approved as part of the Strategy. Habitat-the Centre for Human Settlements-will coordinate international action triggered by the Strategy.

In an opening speech, the Commission Chairman, Mrs. Mohsina Kidwai, India's Minister of Urban Development and Tourism, called attention to the importance of the informal sector, the co-operative sector and self-help as a major part of housing activity

Ranasinghe Premadasa, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, the original sponsor of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, recommended establishment of a global housing and shelter bank and a specialized United Nations agency focused on shelter.

Habitat Executive Director Arcot Ramachandran said that a country's claim to development would appear hollow, regardless of how impressive its macro-economic statistics might be, as long as the great majority of the population lacked the basic necessities of life, such as adequate shelter.

In a message to the session, Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar said the International Year had heightened awareness of the escalating problem of homelessness throughout the world and asked all present at the session to provide the leadership needed for the implementation of the Strategy To house the poor

Improving the housing situation of the poor and the homeless all over the world is the main focus of the Strategy. The crucial role of women and women's organizations in solving that crisis should be fully recognized, the Strategy states. Women should have equal participation in all aspects of the housing initiative.

"Despite efforts of Governments and international organizations, more than 1 billion people have shelter unfit for habitation, and this number will expand dramatically unless determined measures are taken immediately", it warns.

The Strategy advises Governments to adopt an "enabling" approach to solving the crisis. This means that rather than attempting to solve the housing problem by itself the public sector should function as a catalyst enabling other social forces to join the action.

"Ultimately, the 'enabling concept' implies that the people concerned will be given the opportunity to improve their housing conditions according to the needs and priorities that they themselves will define", the Strategy states.

Redefining roles

During debate, some delegations expressed fears that that concept might be misinterpreted as a diminution of the role of the public sector. But the Strategy, while strongly insisting on a redefinition of the role of Governments to be supportive of non-governmental initiatives, affirms that the public sector should be directly responsible for ctshe provision of infrastructure-roads, water supply, sewage, transport and other basic serviccs-and that it should directly support the most needy population groups.

"While the private sector has almost invariably proved itself more efficient than the public sector in producing and distributing shelter, it cannot function without a matching 'enabling' framework provided by the public sector", it says.

The Strategy also stresses grassroots participation: national shelter strategies must be accepted by the community at large and supported by direct public participation at all levels, it says.

Developing countries, crushed by rising external debt, must devise innovative financing schemes for infrastructure and housing. The Strategy suggests exploring the potential for infrastructure financing by the private sector or community organizations, strengthening user and property tax collection, and improving the mortgage recovery and default rates.

In a related resolution on financing of shelter, the Commission recommended better access to international credit and aid, more contributions from developed countries and reallocation of resources currently used for the arms race. Creditor institutions and countries should consider partially amortizing the external debt of developing countries and give them long-term , low-interest-rate loans to finance shelter projects.

Other action

The Commission also approved a resolution calling the 1987 International Year of Shelter for the Homeless a success and asking Governments to sustain the momentum gained.

By other texts, the body condemned the use of chemical weapons and urged respect for human settlements in armed conflicts, called on Iraq and Iran to end their war, and asked for international help for the displaced and homeless victims of apartheid in southern Africa. The resolution on Iran/Iraq was adopted by 21 to 1, with 23 abstentions.

A resolution calling on Israeli authorities to stop destroying Palestinian houses in the occupied territories was adopted by 35 to 1, with 9 abstentions. Another text asked that "Israeli settlements" be referred to as "Israeli colonies in occupied territories" in all UN documentation. The vote: 23 to 8, with 9 abstentions.

Among the issues that the Commission will consider in 1989 will be shelter in the context of sustainable development, as suggested b"Our Common Future", the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development issued in 1987.