N-HABITAT’s Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, has called on Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs), and others to join in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. She said that the problem of slum upgrading in cities around the world can effectively be solved only through the cooperation of all parties involved in development. Mrs. Tibaijuka made the call on 22 March 2004 at a meeting with the Executive Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Professor Judi Wakhungu. Mrs. Tibaijuka said there were several areas in which UN-HABITAT and ACTS could work together and recalled that she had worked with ACTS in the past. She expressed support for the activities of the Centre. According to UN-HABITAT research, sub-Saharan Africa today has the world’s largest proportion of urban residents living in slums. These slums are home to 72 per cent of urban Africa’s citizens, representing a total of 187 million people. Prof. Wakhungu expressed a desire for ACTS to work with UN-HABITAT in the areas of housing, land rights, water and sanitation, and food security. ACTS, an IGO headquartered in Nairobi founded in 1988, seeks to address African development concerns by increasing the range of policy choices for sustainable development in Africa. Prof. Wakhungu said ACTS works within the East African Community and beyond where it provides and disseminates new knowledge. It conducts policy analysis and outreach activities for parliamentarians, academic and research institutions, national governments and others. ACTS member States include Kenya, Malawi, Malta, Uganda, and Ghana. |
