• The board, properly known as the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, comprises of 36 member states and convenes twice or thrice a year.
• Housing PS Charles Hinga has also urged members of the diplomatic community in Kenya to support and attend the ninth Africities Summit in Kisumu on May 17- 21.
Kenya has been elected one of the vice-chairs of the executive bureau of UN-Habitat.
The executive board of the UN body elected Kenya to represent African states during its first session held in Nairobi from March 29 to March 31.
A statement from UN-Habitat said Brazil was elected to represent Latin American and Caribbean States; Pakistan, represented Asia and Pacific states and Poland represented Eastern European states.
France, representing Western European and other states, was elected rapporteur.
The board, properly known as the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, comprises of 36 member states elected by the UN-Habitat Assembly and convenes twice or thrice a year.
Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga has also urged members of the diplomatic community in Kenya to support and attend the ninth Africities Summit in Kisumu on May 17- 21.
Africities is the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa’s flagship pan-African event that is held every three years in one of the five regions of Africa. It is supported by the UN-Habitat.
Africties mobilises communities and local authorities in African countries, as well as financial institutions, civil society groups and development partners at continental and international level.
This year’s theme is “The Role of Intermediary Cities in Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063.”
Hinga said the world was urbanising rapidly with urban areas being home to more than half of the world's population.
Projections showed that by 2030, the world would have 43 megacities with more than 10 million inhabitants. By 2050, two-thirds of humanity will be living in urban areas.
“The role of UN-Habitat is, therefore, crucial in promoting sustainable cities and human settlements. Also, enabling member states to effectively harness the transformative power of urbanisation,” he said at the opening of the executive board.
“Since we last met in November 2021, in the space of four months, the world has changed dramatically. We are in the grip of political uncertainty worldwide.
"Let me reiterate the statement of the secretary general that it is never too late for peace,” the executive director of UN-Habitat Maimunah Mohd Sharif said at the opening of the executive board.
In her statement, Kenya’s Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat Ambassador Jean Kimani appreciated the presentation of the High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda.
“We look forward to an action-oriented meeting which will revitalise the New Urban Agenda. Kenya is among the 28 countries that submitted the national report on voluntary local review on the progress of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
"Following a meeting of all national stakeholders we have also submitted a revised version of the same,” she said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)