UNITED NATIONS	HS
	Commission on Human Settlements	Distr. LIMITED HS/C/17/L.1/Add.3 7 May 1999 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

1. Committee I considered agenda item 6 at its 1st meeting, on 5 May 1999. It had before it the report of the Executive Director entitled "Follow-up to the special session of the General Assembly for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21" (HS/C/17/4).

2. Introducing the item, the representative of the Acting Executive Director referred to resolution 16/24 of 7 May 1997, in which the Commission called upon the General Assembly, at its special session for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21, to take into account the outcome of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II).

3. He said that the outcome of the sixteenth session of the Commission, including resolution 16/24, had been submitted to the General Assembly at its nineteenth special session, from 23 to 28 June 1997. At that session, the General Assembly had adopted resolution S-19/2 of 28 June 1997, in which, recognizing that sustainable human settlements development was essential to sustainable development, it underscored the importance of global urbanization as a cross-sectoral issue and its impact on all aspects of sustainable development. In addition, the resolution called for urgent action to implement fully the commitments made at Habitat II regarding Agenda 21 and added that transfer of technology, capacity-building, decentralization of authority through, inter alia, strengthening of local capacity and private-public partnerships should be accelerated.

4. He noted that, as recorded by the Acting Executive Director in his report, the Centre had been particularly active in four of the six priority areas identified by the General Assembly: sustainable human settlements; second, eradicating poverty; health; and changing consumption patterns.

5. In conclusion, he informed participants that the Centre was supporting local sustainable development initiatives in some 30 demonstration cities and that the Centre's activities focused on areas such as freshwater, transport and energy. He further mentioned that, with support from the United Nations Foundation for International Partnerships and jointly with UNEP, the Centre had launched a regional programme on managing water for African cities.

6. No representatives took the floor under this agenda item.

[to be completed]