Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Housing and City Improvement, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, yesterday chaired the primary session of the 2024 govt board assembly of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, with a pledge to forge strategic alliances.
A press release by the Particular Assistant, Media & Technique, to the minister, Mark Chieshe, mentioned the primary session commenced in Nairobi, Kenya, and is being held on the UN-Habitat headquarters from Could 6 to eight.
In his opening remarks on the assembly, Dangiwa tasked members of the manager board of UN-Habitat to redouble efforts in direction of repositioning the organisation as an impactful international software for tackling human settlements’ challenges in a structured and sustainable method.
As members of the manager board, he drew their consideration to the truth that their nations, at the moment, are among the many privileged few tasked with the essential duty for the common supervision of the worldwide human settlements agenda.
The minister, who additionally doubles because the chair of the 2023 Annual Basic Assembly (AGM) Bureau of the Shelter Afrique Improvement Financial institution (ShafDB), famous that he sees his distinctive positions as a chance to forge strategic alliances which are useful to actualising the mandate of UN-Habitat.
“Now we have an ethical obligation to method this responsibility with our greatest efforts, utmost sincerity, and the very best duty for the nice of mankind. “To this finish, throughout my chairmanship, I intend to pursue international collaboration in partnership with the varied regional and political teams, and I might rely in your assist as I stay up for lively engagement to convey this organisation to its rightful footing.
“I don’t rely it a coincidence that because the Minister of Housing and City Improvement of essentially the most populous nation in Africa, I additionally Chair the AGM Bureau of Shelter Afrique Improvement Financial institution, and I now Chair the Govt Board of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
“ I see these strategic alignments as a name to maximise the alternatives my present positions afford me to advertise extra useful international collaborations, extra worldwide consideration, and hopefully, extra funding for UN-Habitat,” he famous.
The UN-Habitat Govt Board is a legislative physique of UN-Habitat. It contains 36 member states elected by the UN-Habitat Meeting with 10 seats for Africa, one in every of which is occupied by Nigeria at present producing the chair.
As well as, there are eight seats for Asia and Pacific States, 4 seats for Jap European States, six seats for Latin America and Caribbean States, and eight seats for Western European and different States.
Nigeria has been a member of the manager board since 2019 and was granted a renewed time period of two years in 2023 till 2025.
The physique convenes thrice a 12 months to supervise the implementation of the normative and operational actions of UN-Habitat, guarantee accountability, transparency, effectivity, and effectiveness, approve and oversee the implementation of the annual programme of labor and funds of the group.
Notable points slated for dialogue on the first session of the 2024 board assembly embrace monetary, budgetary, and administrative issues, together with the implementation of the useful resource mobilisation technique in accordance with the strategic plan for the interval 2020–2025.
It’ll additionally embrace actions by UN- Habitat to handle geographical and gender imbalances within the composition of its employees; updates on the draft work programme of UN-Habitat and the draft funds of the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Basis for 2025.
As well as, it is going to study progress on the strategic plan of UN-Habitat for the interval 2026–2029, and implementation of the normative and operational actions of UN-Habitat, together with reporting on its programmatic actions in 2023 and the implementation of sub-programmes, flagship programmes, and technical cooperation actions.
The assembly may even evaluate the implementation of the United Nations growth system reform in UN-Habitat and actions taken by UN-Habitat to strengthen safety towards sexual and another sort of exploitation and abuse and towards sexual harassment within the office.
The opening session had in attendance representatives of the 36-member international locations and the Cupboard Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and City Improvement of Kenya, Hon. Alice Wahome who welcomed the members on behalf of the Kenyan President, William Ruto.