UN Habitat conference due to start in Quito
NAN-F-13
Conference
Quito, Oct. 17, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Representatives from 180 states on Monday are to take part in the UN’s Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which is due to start in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito.
The conference, dubbed Habitat 3, is the third such global meeting, the first two having been held in 1976 and 1996.
On the agenda, participants are expected to discuss on how to deal with urbanisation over the next 20 years.
Today 54.5 per cent of the world population lives in cities.
As cities are responsible for 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, the use of environmentally friendly transport systems and green energy will be key to reducing the pollution that leads to global warming.
The discussions on reducing emissions are expected to contribute to the Paris climate change deal, which aims to limit global warming to under two degrees Celsius.
The Quito meeting is also expected to discuss controlling the growth of slums on the edges of mega-cities. The squeezing out of poor city dwellers is a worldwide problem.
The conference, which is due to be opened by UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, is scheduled to run until Thursday.
A non-binding new “Urban Agenda” is expected to act as guidelines for planners and decision makers when it comes to urban development in the coming decades.
Some 40,000 people are expected to take part in Habitat 3, including many non-governmental organisations and scientists. (dpa/NAN)
(Edited Damilola Oyewole/Julius Enehikhuere)