Second habitat conference recommended for 1997.

• Position: UN Commission on Human Settlements

The Commission on Human Settlements has recommended the convening, possibly in 1997, of a Human Settlements Conference (Habitat 2) to review the changes that have taken place in the human settlements sector since 1976.

It did so at its thirteenth session, held in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 29 April to 8 May.

The proposed meeting is to analyse and evaluate the impact of policy shifts in the human settlements area and take a mid-term review of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000. A plan of action for the twenty-first century is expected to be formulated at the conference.

The session, inaugurated by Zimbabwean President Robert G. Mugabe, was attended by 473 delegates from 86 countries, 24 at the ministerial level. Representatives of other UN bodies, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations also participated. Among its decisions was that the UN Conference on Environment and Development, scheduled to be held in Rio de janeiro, Brazil, from I to 12 June 1992, consider human settlements both as a distinct entity, as well as a cross-sectoral issue. A list of human settlements-related topics to guide the formulation of sustainable policies and programmes was detailed. Those topics were: shelter, water supply, sanitation, waste management, energy, transport, and environment-friendly building materials.

In other action, the Commission noted progress made in implementing the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000, and recognized the...