..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 27 April 2007
Press Release No. G/11/2007

PACIFIC REGION CONVERGES TO TACKLE NEW ERA
IN URBAN MANAGEMENT

Bangkok (UN Information Services) – The Pacific Operations Centre (UN-EPOC) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Local Government Pacific Project, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, organized the Pacific Regional Workshop on Urban Management, from 23 to 25 April 2007, in Nadi, Fiji.

Financing for low cost housing, secure land tenure for urban residents and enforceable building codes are essential for addressing pressing urban development concerns in the Pacific. This was concluded by Pacific urban management practitioners and experts at the 2nd Pacific Regional Workshop on Urban Management.

Commenting on the critical urban issues facing the Pacific, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Greg Urwin, noted that urbanisation and urban management were increasingly becoming critical areas of focus for Pacific countries and Development Partners.

“Rapid urban migration provides an increasingly complex array of challenges and opportunities for us as policy makers,” said Mr. Urwin, adding that the inclusion of such issues in the Pacific Plan provided the impetus needed to bring them to the forefront of the region’s development agenda.

“Success is evidently dependent on the commitment and resolve of Pacific island countries, and this workshop is a practical example of effective coordination and strong resolve to take this important agenda forward.”

Mr. Hervé Berger, Head of UN-EPOC, expressed concern at the rapid rate of urban growth in many Pacific island countries and noted that urban populations may double in a very short time.

“Urbanisation in the Pacific is a reality and irreversible phenomenon,” said Mr. Berger. “Countries can learn from each other’s success and failures in addressing squatter settlement expansion and the delivery of essential services such as water and sanitation.”

Mr. Berger added that political commitment is essential, as often urban issues are not attractive enough to warrant additional attention or resources.

The 2nd Pacific Regional Workshop on Urban Management was attended by 32 participants from 13 Forum Island Countries. Delegates took the opportunity to share in-country information and experiences on urban management and planning.

The workshop noted:

• Ownership and tenure of land affected urbanisation in most countries of the Pacific;
• Villages in urban areas are increasingly aware of the potential for development of their customary land;
• Country case study presentations highlighted that the right to adequate housing has yet to be recognised, housing policies implemented and land use plans updated;
• A significant proportion of economic activity is generated in urban areas, by both the formal and informal sectors. Yet there is still a need to understand how people make their livelihood in urban areas in order to be able to directly address their needs; and
• Increasing disparity in wealth is a concern in many countries.

The workshop resolved that urban poverty can be addressed through better access to land, housing, water, sanitation, health and education. It also recognised that the issue of squatter settlements needs to be addressed, as political tension often arises in such instances.

The first meeting on Pacific urban management was held in 2003, where a ‘Pacific Urban Agenda’ was formulated. The purpose of this workshop was to review progress of the Agenda’s implementation and refine priorities for urban management consistent with the mandate of the Pacific Plan.

For more information, please contact:

Alastair Wilkinson
Regional Adviser on Social Development and Planning
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Pacific Operations Centre (UN-EPOC)
Tel: +679 3319669 Mob: +679 9997958

Terry Parker
Regional Adviser
Commonwealth Local Government Pacific Project
Tel: +679 3300257 Mob: +679 9926114

Sanjesh Naidu
Economic Adviser
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Tel: +679 3220382