Official opening of the 8th World Conference of Historical Cities

The first Monday in October has been declared World Habitat Day by the United Nations, and is the opening day of the 8th World Conference of Historical Cities. Dr. Axumite Gebre-Egziabher, Director of the New York Office of UN-Habitat, will honour us with her presence and take the opportunity to bring us a message concerning this world Habitat Day from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, delivered that same morning in New York on the theme of Water for Cities. Dr. Gebre-Egziabher will be attending at the invitation of the LHC Chairperson, the Mayor of Kyoto.

UN-Habitat – United Nations Human Settlements Program

In January 2002, the Commission for Human Settlements and its secretariat, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), including the United Nations Foundation for Habitat and Human Settlements, became a new organization named UN-Habitat. This United Nations agency was created in 1978 to co-ordinate UN activities concerning human settlements, and serves as the central organization for implementing the Habitat Program.

“The Habitat Program is a call to action at all levels worldwide. As part of its goals, principles and commitments, it proposes a positive view of viable human settlements, where everyone enjoys appropriate housing in a healthy and safe environment, with all essential services and access to productive work that they can choose freely. The Habitat Program will help us to make this vision a reality.”

This program was endorsed by 171 GOVERNMENTS AND adopted at the first World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities (WACLA). See: www.unhabitat.org.

Human settlements and historical cities

For many historical cities, the re-establishment of adequate conditions is the key to their development. It will always be residents who give cities their souls; without them these cities would remain mere backdrops. As an example, note the Herculean task undertaken with sunny enthusiasm in Mexico City. We invite you to visit the Centro Historico de Mexico Website, which illustrates the work done and to be done to recreate conditions in the old city to improve peoples’ everyday lives: www.centrohistorico.com.mx (site in Spanish).

The Mayor of Barcelona honoured

In 2002, the Mayor of Barcelona, Mr. Joan Clos, also Chairman of METROPOLIS and of WACLA and a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities, received the Habitat 2002 scroll of honour, as part of World Habitat Day, held on the theme of city-to-city co-operation. He was honoured for his exceptional commitment and participation in global co-operation among municipal authorities and the United Nations.

Source : Barcelona Website

“It is here (in this Committee) that the hundreds of thousands of local governments now find themselves, organized into a network which covers the planet and which works in every corner of civilization to guarantee direct contact with the people, ultimately those on whose behalf we are all working.” - Joan Clos, Nairobi, 2001

Helen Fotopulos attends US/ICOMOS

Helen Fotopulos, Montréal Executive Committee member responsible for Culture and Heritage, took part in the 6th US / ICOMOS International Symposium in Annapolis, Maryland, from April 23 to 26. She gave a talk on heritage issues and the different management tools developed by the City of Montréal. She also took the opportunity to extend an invitation to the 8th World Conference of Historical Cities.

From left to right: Dinu Bumbaru, Secretary General of ICOMOS Helen Fotopulos, member of the Executive Committee of the City of Montréal responsible for Culture and Heritage Ellen O. Moyer, Mayor of Annapolis Gustavo F. Araoz, Executive Director of US / ICOMOS

Montréal, a heritage city:

June 4, 2003