A five-member Norwegian delegation led by Mr. Jostein Leiro, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday concluded a two-day annual meeting with the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, and other officials on progress in the agency’s work programme. They discussed a range of issues of common concern. These included the World Urban Forum, disaster management and reconstruction, UN-HABITAT’s slum upgrading facility, legal empowerment of the poor through access to land, and integration of gender and youth in human settlements programmes. The talks followed a two-year framework agreement Norway signed with UN-HABITAT in 2004. The objective of the framework agreement is to support the realization of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world – the key aims of the Habitat Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals. The meeting concluded on a optimistic note with appreciation for UN-HABITAT’s revitalized efforts in addressing the problems of unplanned urbanization and urban poverty especially affecting women and youth. It is hoped that the framework agreement will be renewed after the current period.  | Nairobi, 5 November 2005: A two-day annual bilateral consultative meeting between Norway and UN-HABITAT opened today at the United Nations Complex, Nairobi, Kenya. Photo shows members of the delegation with the Executive Director, UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka (third from right). The leader of the delegation is Mr. Jostein Leiro, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Norway (second from right). First from right is Mr. Erik Berg, Senior Adviser, MFA; then Mr. Per Nygaard, Director General, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and deputy leader of the delegation; and Ms. Mona Helland, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. First right is Mr. Andre-Thomas Eid, Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway to UN-HABITAT |
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