DAY 3 � WORLD URBAN FORUM III
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AND FINANCE

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Download pdf file 

For immediate release

Vancouver, BC � The third session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF3) Our Future: Sustainable Cities � Turning Ideas into Action, continues on Wednesday, June 21st with a focus on responsible local government and finance. A range of dialogues, networking events, and other sessions will explore the importance of local, national, and international partnerships to leverage resources and enhance productivity. The Mayor�s Roundtable will feature local government officials from all over the globe.

Below, find highlights of some of today�s key events including a schedule of announcements.

Please note, the initials (HB) beside an event indicates thatwill be covered by the Host Broadcaster pool feed. To maintain the integrity and dignity of this event, no ENG cameras will be permitted into rooms where Host Broadcaster cameras are installed. These events will be available to all broadcasters at the Vancouver Telus TOC 604-663-5439.

Dialogue session in Ballroom A/B will ONLY be available for recording within the Media Centre.

Attention: Please note room changes for Dialogues and Special Sessions to accommodate increased capacity. Refer to the daily Media Advisory instead of the Conference Program for updated room information. Please also be advised that space is limited in the Dialogue and Networking Sessions, thus entry is on a first come, first serve basis.

Wednesday� s Key Events

8:30 am � 9:30 am
Plenary Session: Partnership And Finance (HB)
Location: VCEC, Exhibit Hall A
Economically vibrant cities are now committed to partnerships with a range of stakeholders at local, national, and international levels, enabling the leveraging of resources for investment, learning from each other�s best practices, and enhancing productivity. This plenary will also address the links between urban safety and security, economic growth, and poverty reduction.
Moderator: Katherine Sierra, Vice President and Network Head, Infrastructure, World Bank, USA
Speakers: Mohammad Yousaf Pashtun, Minister of Urban Development, Government of Afghanistan
Pat Jacobsen, Chief Executive Officer, TransLink, Canada
Pape Diop, Mayor of Dakar; President, National Assembly, Senegal (TBC)

9:30 am � 10:00 am
Daily Media Briefing
Location: UN Plaza � VCEC, Exhibit Hall B
Gerald Tremblay, Mayor of Montreal will brief reporters in advance of the Mayors Roundtable taking place at 2:30pm this afternoon.
 

10:00 am � 12:00 pm
Dialogue 1 � Urban Safety & Security: Taking Responsibility
Location: VCEC � Exhibition Hall A (HB)
Natural disasters and crime represent a serious risk for investment and wealth creation in cities and a major hindrance to economically vibrant, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable urban development. This dialogue will highlight how prevention is more cost effective than a cure in terms of reducing the incidence and impact of disaster, or to limit the occurrence of crime. Steps must be taken to assess and prevent causes of crime and disaster and reduce vulnerability to ensure positive urban development.
Facilitator: Anna Maria Tremonti, Host, The Current, CBC,Canada.
Commentators to include: Juan Manuel Ospina Restrepo, Secretario de Gobierno de Bogota, Colombia
Carole Kidu, Minister of Community Development, Papua New Guinea
Michel Marcus, Executive Director, European Forum for Urban Safety, France
Ghulam Sakhi Noorzad, Mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan
Ian Davies, Visiting Professor, Cranfield University, United Kingdom

10:00 am � 12:00 pm
Dialogue 2 � Municipal Finance: Innovation and Collaboration
Location: VCEC � Ballroom C (not covered by host broadcaster)
Municipalities need a strong fiscal base to create and maintain infrastructure and services amidst pressure to lower taxes to attract foreign and domestic investment. Despite constraints, there are many innovations, reforms, and partnership arrangements with the private sector and civil society that work to remedy local mismanagement.
Facilitator: Anwar Versi, Editor, African Business, United Kingdom
Commentators to include: Jacqueline E. Schafer, Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Economic Growth and Trade, USAID, Government of the United States of America
Lamine Mbassa, Director of Economic and Financial Affairs, Communaute Urbaine de Douala (CUD), Cameroon
Jawaid Akhtar, Managing Director, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation, India
Fernando Damata Pimentel, Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Katherine Sierra, Vice President and Network Head, Infrastructure, World Bank, USA

10:00 am � 11:00 am
Special Session � The Role of Local Governments: Leadership in Sustainability
Location: VCEC � Ballroom A/B (HB-available in media centre only)
Organized in cooperation with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), this session will focus on municipalities looking for new and innovative ways to achieve sustainability through local leadership, decentralization, access to basic services, and local finance and authority.
Co-Chairs: Wim Deetman, Mayor of The Hague, the Netherlands; President, Association of Netherlands Municipalities
Enrique Riera Escudero, Mayor of Asuncion, Paraguay
Moderator: Elisabeth Gateau, UCLG General Secretary, Spain
Remarks: Anna Tibaijuka, Under Secretary-General, United Nations; Executive Director, UN-HABITAT, Kenya
Panelists: Kadir Topbas, Vice President, UCLG; Mayor of Instanbul, Turkey
Simon Compaore, President of the Association des Maires du Burkina Faso; Mayor of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Abbes Mohsen, President of the Federation Nationale des villes Tunisiennes; Mayor of Tunis, Tunisia
Lu Bing, Deputy Mayor, City of Nanjing, China
Joao Avamileno, Executive Secretary of Mercociudades; Mayor of Santo Andre, Brazil
David Bronconnier, Mayor of Calgary, Canada.

11:00 am � 11:30 am
Press Conference: Harmony Foundation
Location: UN Plaza � VCEC, Exhibit Hall B
The China announcement ceremony is presented in association with the Harmony Foundation and the Earth Council Alliance. It will feature a cultural presentation by the Oxygen Music Ensemble and distinguished guests from China.
Featured Speakers: Tommy E. Short, Chairman, Earth Council Alliance
Michael Bloomfield, Founder and Executive Director, Harmony Foundation
Dr. Wang Lixin, President Environmental Management College, China

12:00 pm
Photo Opportunity With UN Officials
Location: WUF Global Village, Exhibit Hall B
Approximately 30 high profile mayors and other local officials will gather at the Millennium Campaign�s �Voices Against Poverty� recording booth for a photo opportunity.
Available for Interview:
Eveline Herfkens, The UN Secretary General�s Executive Coordinator for the Millennium Campaign
Gerald Tremblay, North American Vice President UCLG, Vice-President AIMF, Mayor of Montreal
Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, UCLG Co-President, Councillor of Tshwane, South Africa
Wim Deetman, Mayor of The Hague, the Netherlands, President of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities
Simon Compaore, Mayor of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, President of the Association des Maires du Burkina Faso
Kamil Iskhahov, Mayor of Kazan, Russian Federation, Vice-President of UCLG
David Bronconnier, Mayor of Calgary, Canada
Joao Avamileno, Mayor of Santo Andre, Brazil, Executive Secretary of Mercociudades
Claudio Arriagada, Mayor of La Granja, Chile, President of the Chilean Association of Municipalities

12:30 pm � 1:00 pm
Press Conference: Shack Dwellers International
Location: UN Plaza � VCEC, Exhibit Hall B
Shack Dwellers International is a network of people�s organizations from an increasing number of countries in the South. The network is made up of Federations of Community Organizations and other Grassroots initiatives that are in the process of developing Federations. Linked to this network is a group of professionals who are committed to supporting Federations of the urban poor. S.D.I. invites media to attend this press conference that will feature noted speakers from this region.
Speakers: Jockin Arputham, National Slum Dwellers, India
Rose Molokoane, South Africa
Somsook Boonyabacha, Thailand
Sikulile Nkhoma, Malawi

2:30 pm � 5:30 pm
Mayors Roundtable � Local Government at the Crossroads: Approaching the Millennium Development Goals Through Practical Innovation and Local Action
Location: Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue � Asia Pacific Hall (580 W. Hastings St.)
** Please note that the Mayors Roundtable is a closed media session. The Roundtable is open to observers by audio feed only in the ICBC Concourse Level of the Wosk Centre. Mayors will be available to speak with reporters after the Roundtable at 5:30pm.
Local governments are crucial to local implementation of the MDGs through strong governance, the engagement of civil society, and partnership with the private sector. The Mayors Roundtable invites more than 110 local government officials, UN-HABITAT Governing Council members, and donor representatives. The focus is on actions and solutions required to address the challenges facing local governments in achieving the MDGs.
Co-chairs: Gerald Tremblay, Vice-President, Association Internationale des Maires Francophones (AIMF), Vice-President, UCLG; Mayor, City of Montreal, Canada
Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, Co-President, UCLG Councillor of Tshwane, South Africa
Moderator: Dominique Dennery, President, Dennery Resources, Canada
Remarks: Inga Bjork-Klevby, Assistant Secretary General, United Nations; Deputy Executive Director, UN Habitat, Kenya

4:00 pm � 4:30 pm
Book Launch: Growing Better Cities
Location: International Development Research Centre Booth in Canada Pavilion, Exhibit Hall B
For more than 20 years, IDRC-supported researchers in the South have gathered hard data and built persuasive arguments in support of urban agriculture. The book provides lessons and recommendations for municipal authorities looking to harness the benefits of urban agriculture and improve their urban environments. Media are invited to pick up a free copy of the book. Author Luc Mougeot will be available for interview.

Networking Sessions

1:30 pm � 3:30 pm
Networking Sessions - Partnering with the Poor: Leveraging Land for Change
Location: VCEC � Meeting Room 3
This session explores urban housing strategies, incorporating growth with community-based design. Innovative approaches to urban upgrading are illustrated by four city examples of �edible landscapes�: Kampala, Uganda; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Montreal, Canada; Rosario, Argentina.
Speakers: James Sseggane, Town Clerk and Acting Mayor, City of Kampala, Uganda
Maxensia Nakibuuka Takirambule, Community Representative
Dr. Jayantha Liyanage, Municipal Commissioner, Colombo Municipal Council; Acting Mayor, City of Colombo, Sri Lanka
K.A. Jayaratne, President, Sevanatha Urban Resources Centre
Gerald Tremblay, Mayor, City of Montreal, Canada
Daniel Reid, Animateur Horticole, City of Montreal, Canada
Gerardo Barro, Director of Secretariat for Public Housing, Municipality of Rosario, Phillipines
Antonio Lattuca, Project Leader, Coordinator of the Municipal Urban Agriculture Programme

1:30 pm � 3:30 pm
Networking Sessions � Measuring Up: The Accessible and Inclusive City
Location: Pan Pacific Hotel � Oceanview Suites 3 & 4
This session features a collaboration between 2010 Legacies Now and the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Agreement partners to deliver �Measuring Up�, a guide to assist communities in improving accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Speakers: Sam Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver
Judy Rogers, City Manager, City of Vancouver
Mayor Stewart Alsgard, Powell River
Dena Coward, Director of Paralympic Games for VANOC
Venus Ilagan, Chair, Disabled Persons International
Michael Bach, Executive director of the Canadian Association for Community Living

1:30 pm � 3:30 pm
Networking Sessions � Africa Beyond 2005
Location: VCEC � Meeting Room 12
In 2005, The Commission for Africa, the G8, and the Millennium Summit all prioritized the problems of Africa. Commitments were made to double the aid to the continent in the coming years, and to pursue new political relations with Africa. After the AIDS epidemic, rapid urbanization is the second largest problem facing Africa. This networking session will address this problem.
Panelists: Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Commissioner for Africa
Hon. Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Housing, South Africa
Hon. John Pombe Magufuli, Minister of Land and Human Settlements, Tanzania
Asenath Omwega, International Director Africa, ActionAid International
Myles Wickstead, Ex-Head of Secretariat, Commission for Africa
Masse Lo, Director LEAD Francophone Africa
Hon. Irene Ovonji-Odida, Member, East African Legislative Assembly
Alistair Wray, Head of Profession � Infrastructure Group, Department for International Development, UK
Sam Park, Chief Executive, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor

4:30 pm � 6:30 pm
Networking Sessions � Grassroots Women and Local Authorities Partner to Fight AIDS in Africa
Location: Pan Pacific Hotel � Oceanview Suites 3 & 4
This event will bring together grassroots women from home-based care groups responding to AIDS in cities throughout Africa with local authorities to share their practices on partnering in creating a more effective response to AIDS. Grassroots women�s groups are implementing programs in home-based care and orphan care, as well as engaging in micro-credit and collective enterprises to support their AIDS work.
Speakers: Florence Enyogu, Uganda Community-Based Association for Child Welfare
Violet Murila, GROOTS Kenya
Margaret Jobita, AMICAALL Kenya
 


WUF3 Media Centre Contact Numbers

• 604-647-7460
• 604-647-7459
• 604-647-7458

For Further Information
Jeremy Dunn
Curve Communications
(604) 684-3170 / (604) 726-8350 (cell)
[email protected]

Sharad Shankardass
Spokesperson, Head Press & Media Relations
UN-Habitat
+254-733-760-332
[email protected]

Zahra Hassan
Media Liaison
UN-Habitat
604-723-5851
[email protected]