Briefing by Department on WSSD; Committee programme: discussion

Meeting report

HOUSING PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
14 August 2002
BRIEFING BY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING ON WSSD; COMMITTEE PROGRAMME: DISCUSSION

Chairperson: Miss ZA Kota (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Department Presentation document (Appendix 1)

SUMMARY
The Department of Housing briefed the Committee on the WSSD, as a follow up to the briefing in May. It also dealt with the Round Table and issues to be discussed in the up-coming WSSD in Johannesburg between the 26 of August to the 4 of September 2002.

The Committee also briefly looked at the provisional Committee programme and agreed to reconsider it later.

MINUTES
The Chairperson gave over to Mr Arendse to start his briefing. [For the presentation please refer to the attached presentation document].

Discussion
Mr G Schneemann (ANC) was concerned that he could not see sustainability in practice but only in word. He attributed that to what he saw during his visit to New York. He then moved on to ask the Department of Housing's view on the issue of sustainable villages.

In reply to the Member's suggestion of sustainable villages, Mr Arendse said that world-wide research showed that growth was taking place in major cities. He said that he acknowledged the fact of no real integration as the Department of Housing desired. He noted that the Department of Housing was preparing a paper on human settlement to be submitted before Cabinet

Regarding the issue of alternative buildings to the low cost ones, he said he doubted it would be discussed at WSSD.

A Member asked if all MECs would be invited to the WSSD.

Another Member asked if alternates would be allowed. He complained about the current building of low cost housing and said the poor were still being settled far away from the industrial centres. She asked Mr Arendse to comment on that.

Mr Arendse responded that all MECs had been invited. As yet there had been no response on whether they were coming or not.

Mr WM Sikhosana (ANC) asked why the Department of Housing was not playing a key role. Before speaking about sanitation and water, one must first have a housing unit.

Another Committee Member asked for clarity on what the Round Table Forum was all about.

Mr Arendse explained that the round table forum was part of the Local Government forum and participants were members of Local Government.

A Member said that sustainability could only occur when there was integration. He argued that unless that happened first there would no sustainable development. He further argued that unless people sat together and discussed and saw what was possible in different regions, there would be no sustainable development. Success with one idea elsewhere would not necessarily guarantee the success of the idea anywhere else.

The Member asked if the Department of Housing should not focus on improving rural areas instead of focussing on major cities.

Mr Schneemann asked if individuals could as such go to the WSSD and with the department of housing registering them on their behalf.

Mr Arendse said whether Committee Members who went to Johannesburg without accreditation would not be allowed to enter the WSSD.

The Chairperson said according to her knowledge there was only one Member from the Committee confirmed to be going. She asked Mr Arendse to help them have five accredited Committee Members.

Mr Arendse promised to look into the request and respond very soon.

Committee programme
It was resolved that the Committee would release a revised formal Committee programme for adoption later.

The meeting was adjourned.

Appendix 1:
Updated Briefing on the World Summit for
Sustainable Development (WSSD), Johannesburg,
August 2002

Presented to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Housing
August 2002

1. Background
From 26 August to 4 September 2002, Johannesburg will host the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD). The WSSD is expected to be the largest international summit ever convened with approximately 65 000 participants anticipated. The theme for the WSSD is "People, Planet, Prosperity". During the WSSD preparatory process a clear emphasis on poverty eradication has emerged, with a renewed focus on achieving greater equity between rich and poor and developed and developing countries.

As the WSSD is a United Nations summit, the event is primarily a government to government meeting.
193 Heads of State are expected to represent their countries at the Summit and the most important (Type1) outcome of the event is a political declaration (the Johannesburg Declaration) that is agreed to by all UN member states represented at the WSSD.

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the international community adopted Agenda 21, an unprecedented global plan of action for sustainable development. But the best strategies are only as good as their implementation. Ten years later (Rio+10), the WSSD presents an opportunity for the UN member states to adopt concrete steps and identify quantifiable targets to better implement Agenda 21.

2. Participation
Agenda 21 recognised that broad participation and inclusiveness are key to the success of sustainable development. All sectors of society have a role to play in building a future in which global resources are protected, and prosperity and health are within reach for all of the world's citizens. In addition to governments, there will be active participation by representatives from business and industry, children and youth; farmers, indigenous people, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, scientific and technological communities, women and workers and trade unions. These represent the Major Groups identified in Agenda 21.

The activities of these groups have been organized in the following way:
a) The formal WSSD meeting will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre. South Africa will be represented by the President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, with some technical support.
b) A Civil Society Global Forum will be held from 19 August to 4 September at the Expo Centre (NASREC). This event will be open to representatives of all of the Major Groups identified in Agenda 21. It is being managed by the Civil Society Secretariat operating independently of both the UN and JOWSCO.
c) A Business Lekgotla, will be held at the Hilton Hotel, near to the Sandton Convention Centre on Sunday 1 September. This is being organised by Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD). Between 800 and 1,000 business leaders from all over the world will gather to discuss issues surrounding sustainable development and provide business's articulation of the core themes that will shape the Summit.
d) The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEJ) is co-ordinating local government input to the Johannesburg Summit. It will be convening a Local Government Forum centered around the unique ability of local government to achieve tangible improvements in global environmental and sustainable development conditions through cumulative local action. Themed, "Local Action Moves the World'; this forum will provide an opportunity for local government leaders and their partners to present the key messages from the Local Government Dialogue Paper, the official representation of the local government position, to the Summit and the world. Between 500 and 800 representatives from around the world will be attending this forum at the Sandton Crowne Plaza from 27-30 August.
e) An Ubuntu Village and Exhibition will serve as the cultural and infrastructural hub for all people in Johannesburg for the Summit and the parallel events. It will provide the opportunity for people from diverse cultures around the world to interact, share and showcase their unique cultural heritage and its impacts on sustainable development through entertainment and exhibition activities. In terms of logistics, the Ubuntu Village will provide a central information and service venue, which can be accessed by all delegates on a 24-hour basis. It will be located at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg's Innesfree Park. With 11,000 square metres of covered space, it will provide a home to the International Best Practice Exhibition and many leisure and entertainment facilities.

For more information on participation at WSSD, visit the JOWSCo website: www.ioburgsummit2oo2.com

In addition to the major meetings and fora, there will be a number of side events that are being co-ordinated by JOWSCo. The Minister of Housing and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat will co-host a Round Table on Partnerships on Sustainable African Cities (on Tuesday 27 August 2002 at the Sandton Crowne Plaza from 09:00 to 13:00) as one of these events.

3. Context of the Round Table on Partnerships for Sustainable African Cities
The Minister of Housing, as chair of the first meeting of the World Urban Forum (which took place in Nairobi in May 2002) was mandated to provide an input to the preparatory process for the WSSD on sustainable human settlements and sustainable urbanization. This input was made in collaboration with the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Dr Anna K Tibaijuka, at a press briefing during Prepcom 4 for the WSSD in Bali in June 2002.

Furthermore, the Minister was invited to co-host a Round Table event during the WSSD with Dr Tibaijuka on sustainable African cities. This side event later evolved into an event that will provide a platform for discussions on the Type 2 partnership opportunities in order to promote sustainable cities in the African Region. As a result of clear synergies with the Local Government Session, the Mayor of the City of Johannesburg was invited to be part of the event, and the event was planned as a parallel event to the Local Government Session at the Sandton Crowne Plaza.

2 The programme for the morning is attached for your information. The formal inputs during the Round Table will be limited to formalities and three additional substantive inputs by Ministers from Senegal, Egypt and Nigeria.

Participation by members of the Portfolio Committee will be most valued as input during the discussion period.

Mr Diet von Broembsen
Chief Director: Policy Planning, Department of Housing
1
ROUND TABLE ON PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE AFRICAN CITIES 27 AUGUST,
e-mail [email protected]