WUF7 Civil Society Organisations Roundtable
Roundtable title:
A new Urban Agenda responsive to people’s priorities for an equitable urban future.
Objectives of the Roundtable (max. 150)
The objectives of the CSO roundtable are:
1. To highlight civil society key contributions and lessons learned to influence
policy dialogues and implementation of the Habitat III Agenda.
2. To give substantive input from the citizens and civil society to the Habitat III
preparatory process leading up to 2016.
3. To critically review the Habitat III think piece and contribute to the discussion
on equity and urban development from a civil society perspective.
4. To make concrete recommendations resulting from the civil society roundtable
to the post 2015 open working group.
Introduction of the topic (max. 300)
A new urban agenda should truly respond to priorities, needs, and experiences of
citizens, especially the poor in urban areas and other human settlements around the
world. Civil society organisations were effectively involved in the preparation of the
Habitat Agenda in 1996, and the review of its implementation at Istanbul +5 in
2001.They continue to be at the forefront of implementation of the Habitat Agenda. It is
therefore fitting for civil society organisations and the communities they serve to be
actively engaged in the design of a new urban agenda for the next twenty years. Civil
society organisations have first-hand knowledge based on their experiences on the
ground on what worked and did not work and why?, what remains to be done?, and the
emerging issues that should be considered during the development of a new urban
agenda under Habitat III, the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals and a Post2015 Development Agenda.
While progress has been made in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, especially
the recognition of the right to adequate housing, the right to water, formulation of
decentralisation policies and sustained economic growth in many developing countries,
many dwellers in urban areas have not fully realised their right to the city. There are
growing inequalities between the rich and the poor in urban and rural areas. Most poor
people lack access to basic services including water, sanitation, energy, education and
health facilities. They also lack access to land, adequate housing, and security of tenure,
with dismal prospects for gainful employment, access to credit, subsidies, and financial
services, transport and mobility. They suffer from food insecurity and adverse impacts of
natural and man-made disasters, especially climate change and conflicts. The new urban
agenda provides an opportunity to develop strategies to combat the above deficiencies
and accelerate progress towards better cities, better life, and a better world for all, with
civil society organisations and citizens working in partnership with cities and local
authorities, central governments, regional and global institutions.
This roundtable will build on discussions on the rights to land, security of tenure and the
right to the city, that started at WUF5 in Rio de Janeiro and continued in Naples at
WUF6, and will promote a holistic approach to the development of a new urban agenda
by considering the key issues that affect citizens and dwellers in urban and rural areas.
Linkages with Post 2015 and Habitat III (max. 250)
The CSO roundtable will deliberate on a New Pro Poor Urban Agenda as a likely
outcome of the Habitat III preparatory processes and a blueprint for sustainable
urbanization and human settlements development in the 21st Century. Through this
roundtable CSOs will:
(i)
enrich the Habitat III think piece on urbanisation and UN-Habitat vision for
a New Urban Agenda taking into account citizen’s views on an urban future
they want, based on the respect, protection and realization of civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights
(ii)
make inputs into the discussions on equity and sustainable urban
development drawing on their experiences the world over,
(iii)
discuss strategies and make recommendations to influence both the SDGs
and post 2015 negotiations at the global, regional, and national levels, and
(iv)
consider proposals for a specific urbanisation goal and the role of CSOs in
the urbanisation goal campaign.
CSOs will further consider strategies for strengthening partnerships for a new urban
agenda globally and locally. The different categories of CSOs will reflect on their
contributions to the Post- 2015 and Habitat III individually and collectively based on
their areas of influence and expertise.
Key interrogatives (max. 150)
The CSO roundtable will address the following key questions:
1. What should be the critical areas of concern for a New Pro Poor Urban Agenda
from citizens’ and CSO perspective? What else should be considered besides
access to land, housing, basic services, energy, mobility, urban planning, urban
economy, and climate change?
2. How to move forward for the recognition, defense and implementation of the
right to the city for all?
3. What are the lessons learned from implementation of the Habitat Agenda? What
elements should be taken forward?
4. How can multi-sector partnerships be strengthened to effectively engage civil
society, the private sector, and governments?
5. What recommendations would you make as civil society to influence the post
2015 open working group and the Habitat III agenda?
Format of the debate (max. 150 words)
The CSO roundtable will be organized as follows:
1. Introduction and remarks by the Chair--Habitat for Humanity International –
Jonathan Reckford, CEO - 10 mins.
2. Review and lessons learned from the Implementation of the Habitat Agenda –
overview by Lorena Zarate, President, Habitat International Coalition – 10 mins.
3. Panel Discussion: The New Urban Future we want?
 Setting the stage by Mr. Peter Seidal - Moderator - (5 mins)
 Brief introduction by panelists (5 mins each)
 Mr Semiti Qalowasa, Executive Director, Peoples Community Network,
Fiji/Asia Coalition for Community Action (ACCA), Thailand
 Rose Molokoane, Deputy President, Shack/Slum Dwellers International, and
Coordinator of the South African Federation of the Urban Poor (FEDUP),
South Africa
 Ms Nenedito Barbosa, Central de Movimientos Populares”/LAC social
movements, Brazil
 Ms Maite Rodriguez, Groots/Huiarou Commission, Guatemala representing
grassroots women.
Moderated Discussion – (35 mins)
 Discussant: Ms Anita Nayar, Chief, United Nations NGO Liaison Service,
New York Office - (10 mins)
 Dr Joan Clos, UN Under –Secretary-General and Executive Director, UNHabitat
 Q and A discussion open to audience participation – (45 mins)
4. Rapporteur: Renée Lewis Glover, Chair, Board, Habitat for Humanity to
provide final summary and recommendations to be validated at the roundtable
for sharing at Plenary Session, 15 mins