The establishment of an internationally recognised government in Afghanistan has given millions of Afghans hope for peace and prosperity. An estimated 5 million people who fled the country are now returning home. But more than 2 million houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair, while all basic health and education facilities ceased functioning. Through conflict and war, UN-HABITAT has continued to serve the people of Afghanistan without interruption. Although much work has been done to develop a comprehensive national development framework, considerable resources are needed to translate the framework into tangible improvements in the quality of life of Afghan citizens.
Chronology of events October 2001: Fall of the Taliban regime December 2001: Bonn Accord signed presenting political roadmap for Afghan Interim Administration January 2002: Tokyo Conference pledges US$4.5 billion for reconstruction June 2002: Loya Jirga selects Hamid Karzai as head of Afghan Transitional Authority March 2003: First official Government budget presented at Afghanistan Development Forum January 2004: President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution, paving the way for elections planned this year. NeedsAfghanistan’s development needs are varied and extensive. Around the time the present government assumed power, only one-third of Afghan children were enrolled in schools, more than 70 per cent of the population was malnourished, and an estimated 15,000 women died every year from pregnancy-related causes. Further, there were five million Afghans as refugees, another 920,000 internally displaced and over 800,000 disabled. The extent of the unmet basic needs is so great that an average Afghan cannot expect to survive beyond a mere 45 years, as compared to 63 years for the region.
The establishment of an internationally recognised government in Afghanistan has given millions of Afghans hope for peace and prosperity. An estimated 5 million people who fled the country are now returning home. But more than 2 million houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair, while all basic health and education facilities ceased functioning. Through conflict and war, UN-HABITAT has continued to serve the people of Afghanistan without interruption. Although much work has been done to develop a comprehensive national development framework, considerable resources are needed to translate the framework into tangible improvements in the quality of life of Afghan citizens.
Chronology of events October 2001: Fall of the Taliban regime December 2001: Bonn Accord signed presenting political roadmap for Afghan Interim Administration January 2002: Tokyo Conference pledges US$4.5 billion for reconstruction June 2002: Loya Jirga selects Hamid Karzai as head of Afghan Transitional Authority March 2003: First official Government budget presented at Afghanistan Development Forum January 2004: President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution, paving the way for elections planned this year. NeedsAfghanistan’s development needs are varied and extensive. Around the time the present government assumed power, only one-third of Afghan children were enrolled in schools, more than 70 per cent of the population was malnourished, and an estimated 15,000 women died every year from pregnancy-related causes. Further, there were five million Afghans as refugees, another 920,000 internally displaced and over 800,000 disabled. The extent of the unmet basic needs is so great that an average Afghan cannot expect to survive beyond a mere 45 years, as compared to 63 years for the region.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
Towns and cities are growing today at unprecedented rates setting the social, political, cultural and environmental trends of the world, both good and bad. In 1950, one-third of the world's people lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this rose to one-half and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or 6 billion people, by 2050. Cities are now home to half of humankind.
Cities are the hubs of much national production and consumption - economic and social processes that generate wealth and opportunity. But they also create disease, crime, pollution, poverty and social unrest. In many cities, especially in developing countries, slum dwellers number more than 50 per cent of the population and have little or no access to shelter, water, and sanitation, education or health services. It is essential that policymakers understand the power of the city as a catalyst for national development. Sustainable urbanisation is one of the most pressing challenges facing the global community in the 21st century.
UN-HABITAT's programmes are designed to help policy-makers and local communities get to grips with the human settlements and urban issues and find workable, lasting solutions. The organization's mandate is outlined in the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, Habitat Agenda, Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and Resolution 56/206. UN-HABITAT's work is directly related to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, particularly the goals of member States to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020, Target 11, Millennium Development Goal No. 7, and Target 10 which calls for the reduction by half of the number without sustainable access to safe drinking water.UN-HABITAT's strategic vision is anchored in a four-pillar strategy aimed at attaining the goal of Cities without Slums. This strategy consists of advocacy of global norms, analysis of information, field-testing of solutions and financing. These fall under the four core functions assigned to the agency by world governments - monitoring and research, policy development, capacity building and financing for housing and urban development.
Source Human Development Report 2003 (all figures rounded to nearest integer)
Chronology of events October 2001: Fall of the Taliban regime December 2001: Bonn Accord signed presenting political roadmap for Afghan Interim Administration January 2002: Tokyo Conference pledges US$4.5 billion for reconstruction June 2002: Loya Jirga selects Hamid Karzai as head of Afghan Transitional Authority March 2003: First official Government budget presented at Afghanistan Development Forum January 2004: President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution, paving the way for elections planned this year. NeedsAfghanistan’s development needs are varied and extensive. Around the time the present government assumed power, only one-third of Afghan children were enrolled in schools, more than 70 per cent of the population was malnourished, and an estimated 15,000 women died every year from pregnancy-related causes. Further, there were five million Afghans as refugees, another 920,000 internally displaced and over 800,000 disabled. The extent of the unmet basic needs is so great that an average Afghan cannot expect to survive beyond a mere 45 years, as compared to 63 years for the region.
The establishment of an internationally recognised government in Afghanistan has given millions of Afghans hope for peace and prosperity. An estimated 5 million people who fled the country are now returning home. But more than 2 million houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair, while all basic health and education facilities ceased functioning. Through conflict and war, UN-HABITAT has continued to serve the people of Afghanistan without interruption. Although much work has been done to develop a comprehensive national development framework, considerable resources are needed to translate the framework into tangible improvements in the quality of life of Afghan citizens.
Chronology of events October 2001: Fall of the Taliban regime December 2001: Bonn Accord signed presenting political roadmap for Afghan Interim Administration January 2002: Tokyo Conference pledges US$4.5 billion for reconstruction June 2002: Loya Jirga selects Hamid Karzai as head of Afghan Transitional Authority March 2003: First official Government budget presented at Afghanistan Development Forum January 2004: President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution, paving the way for elections planned this year. NeedsAfghanistan’s development needs are varied and extensive. Around the time the present government assumed power, only one-third of Afghan children were enrolled in schools, more than 70 per cent of the population was malnourished, and an estimated 15,000 women died every year from pregnancy-related causes. Further, there were five million Afghans as refugees, another 920,000 internally displaced and over 800,000 disabled. The extent of the unmet basic needs is so great that an average Afghan cannot expect to survive beyond a mere 45 years, as compared to 63 years for the region.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
Towns and cities are growing today at unprecedented rates setting the social, political, cultural and environmental trends of the world, both good and bad. In 1950, one-third of the world's people lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this rose to one-half and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or 6 billion people, by 2050. Cities are now home to half of humankind.
Cities are the hubs of much national production and consumption - economic and social processes that generate wealth and opportunity. But they also create disease, crime, pollution, poverty and social unrest. In many cities, especially in developing countries, slum dwellers number more than 50 per cent of the population and have little or no access to shelter, water, and sanitation, education or health services. It is essential that policymakers understand the power of the city as a catalyst for national development. Sustainable urbanisation is one of the most pressing challenges facing the global community in the 21st century.
UN-HABITAT's programmes are designed to help policy-makers and local communities get to grips with the human settlements and urban issues and find workable, lasting solutions. The organization's mandate is outlined in the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, Habitat Agenda, Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and Resolution 56/206. UN-HABITAT's work is directly related to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, particularly the goals of member States to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020, Target 11, Millennium Development Goal No. 7, and Target 10 which calls for the reduction by half of the number without sustainable access to safe drinking water.UN-HABITAT's strategic vision is anchored in a four-pillar strategy aimed at attaining the goal of Cities without Slums. This strategy consists of advocacy of global norms, analysis of information, field-testing of solutions and financing. These fall under the four core functions assigned to the agency by world governments - monitoring and research, policy development, capacity building and financing for housing and urban development.
Source Human Development Report 2003 (all figures rounded to nearest integer)
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