 | Mrs. Tibaijuka and Mr. Zainuddin. |
The new Permanent Representative of Malaysia to UN-HABITAT, Mr. Zainol Rahim bin Zainuddin, today presented his credentials to the Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka. Mrs. Tibaijuka briefed the envoy on the activities of UH-HABITAT worldwide, particularly its activities in Malaysia. She stated that the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) is a member of the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) of the organization. She also stated that under the Network, UN-HABITAT, in partnership with IIUM, delivered a pilot training in Kuala Lumpur on “land and property rights in Islamic contexts.” The training was held in 2009 and attracted 20 participants from 10 countries. The objectives of the training, she said, were to communicate the principles of Islamic law and how they relate to land and property rights; develop knowledge, networks and capacity on Islamic approaches to land and property rights; and generate possible action plans and strategies for using the package in university and work place contexts. Mrs. Tibaijuka informed the envoy that at the end of the training, participants adopted the Kuala Lumpur Action Plan (KLAP) aimed at initiating and collaborating in additional projects and at taking the Islamic land agenda forward. The potential projects include research, publication and training on Muslim women’s land and property rights. The Executive Director congratulated the envoy on his appointment and called for stronger cooperation between Malaysia and UN-HABITAT. She invited Mr. Zainuddin and other members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to personally participate at the Fifth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF5) to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 22-26 March 2010. She explained that during forum, the World Urban Campaign would also be launched. The Executive Director presented Mr. Zainuddin with some flagship publications of the organization. In his response, Mr. Zainuddin expressed appreciation to the Executive Director for the briefing and for the warm reception accorded him. He gave the assurance that he would strive to strengthen the cordial relationship between his country and UH-HABITAT. According to him, “We know that UN-HABITAT is doing a very good job.” Mr. Zainuddin also gave the assurance that Malaysia would participate fully in WUF5 in Rio de Janeiro. |
