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UN-Habitat has recruited a Habitat Programme Manager (HPM) for the Pacific, Sarah Mecartney, who is based within the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, (ESCAP) Pacific Operations Centre. It is anticipated that the Pacific HPM will strengthen UN-Habitat support to regional, national and local efforts for poverty reduction in the Pacific Region within the framework of the Habitat Agenda, the Millennium Goals and the World Summit for Sustainable Development as well as the Pacific Urban Agenda by providing urbanisation policy support, technical assistance and knowledge dissemination.
Co-hosting the HPM in the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre further emphasizes the role of ESCAP in coordinating the implementation of the Pacific Urban Agenda and support to PICs in achieving their obligations under the Pacific Plan and to integrate sustainable urbanisation policies and programmes in their National Sustainable Development Plans and policies. It is anticipated that this will enable the two agencies to jointly implement their shared priorities in support of Pacific Island Governements in the field of sustainable urbanisation, building on their comparative strengths and advantages.
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- Building Local Government Alliances: for vibrant and resilient local economies and communities in the Pacific, 11-15 October, Port Vila, Vanuatu
The Commonwealth Local Government Forum in the Pacific hosted its 2010 Pacific Local Government Symposium: Building local government alliances: for vibrant and resilient local economies and communities in the Pacific in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 11-15 October. The event considered CLGF’s past work in the region and confirmed a new focus of activity in promoting local economic development with the inclusion of urban management as a key focus area. UN-ESCAP collaborated with UN-HABITAT on a Managing Urbanisation in the Pacific technical working group session which provided an overview of recent efforts in the region to tackle rapid urban growth, inform of renewed commitments to the Pacific Urban Agenda (PUA), highlight the value of regional cooperation and advise of the planned third PUA workshop to be held in 2011. More from UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific...
  
The Port Vila Declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the Symposium defines the direction to be taken by local government partners in the Pacific to continue to build more vibrant and resilient local economies and communities.
- Outcome Report_Technical Session Managing Urbanisation;
- Technical WG Managing Urbanisation in the Pacific_October 2010;
- Port Vila Declaration 2010
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- Funafuti Urban Dialogue, Tuvalu, 2 and 5 July 2010
 In preparation for the development of an urban management plan for Funafuti, (as stipulated in the Te Kakeega II), the Ministry of Home Affairs and Rural Development hosted a Funafuti Urban Dialogue workshop on the 2 and 5 July. The Ministry requested technical assistance from UN-HABITAT and UNESCAP Pacific Office and CLGF Pacific Project provided financial and technical support.
The workshop was attended by 40 persons. Participants included representatives from the Funafuti Kapule (including community, women and youth representatives), Departments of Environment, Health, Land, Education, PWD and representatives from the Ministry of Communication and Transport and the Office of the Prime Minister. The workshop was opened by the Honourable Willy Telavi, Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development, and was attended by the Head of the Funafuti Kapule (Ulu Fenua), Mesako Usufono. 
In his opening speech, the Minister highlighted the transformation of Funafuti into an urban area, the continued population growth, the increasing pressures on services and infrastructure and the lack of an adequate institutional set up to coordinate develop and manage this transformation. He stated that rational pro-actions to manage urbanisation as vital.
Outputs included a definition of an urban area in the Tuvaluan context and identified 5 strategic areas for intervention: urban environments (services), housing, land, planning and quality of life. It was agreed that an urban working committee be established and chaired by the DRD, MHARD with due recognition of the importance of genuine collaboration and effort for inter-agency communication and coordination and a need to build clarification of roles and responsibilities. Opening speech by Hon. Willy Telavi, Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development.
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