Statement by
Mr. Luc Stevens
UN Resident Coordinator
and UNDP Resident Representative
Regional Conference
Initiatives and Development Innovation in the Arab Cities
Aqaba, 17 January 2008
Your Excellency Eng. Hussni Abu Ghaida,
Mr. Ali Shabou, Chief of UN HABITAT
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great honour for me to talk to you today on behalf of the United Nations in Jordan.
I also wish to thank the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and Your Excellency, Mr. Abu Ghaida, for hosting the conference today in Aqaba city.
Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport and has witnessed noticeable advancement since the establishment of ASEZA. Being here today is a great learning opportunity for all of us of how ASEZA managed to provide services to the Aqaba city and its community in the best ways possible and to set supportive infrastructures for economic development. In addition, the establishment of ASEZA itself is an example of how decentralization will reinforce the management of development without adding extra burdens on the country’s treasury.
I also take this opportunity to note that Aqaba is the first ever to localize the Millennium Development Goals, not only in Jordan but also in the whole region. Aqaba’s MDG report, which will be launched early this year, is a result of joint efforts from ASEZA, the United Nations in the country and different partners from the city’s civil society. The report will not only define Aqaba’s human development challenges, but will also build its capacity in the area of progress follow-up and evaluation regarding the achievement of the MDGs at the local level.
We are proud to say that preparing the MDG report for the governorate of Aqaba is a starting point for preparing a strategic plan that aims at developing the community of the city and the whole governorate.
Distinguished participants,
Arab cities are undergoing significant changes as a result of major forces such as rural-urban migration, population growth and socio-economic development. Also, let us not forget the historical background of the city and its social capital.
You have examined in the previous days experiences of urbanization in the Arab cities and its impact on citizens, economies and policies. It is important that we place a strong emphasis on planning as a tool for urban development and environment management and as a means of preventing future slum growth.
We have to remember that the challenge ahead of us in this century is that the majority of humanity will be living in towns and cities. A major challenge is to minimize increasing poverty in cities and to improve the urban poor’s access to basic facilities such as shelter, clean water and sanitation. Together we need to achieve environment-friendly, sustainable growth, especially at the time when climate change is threatening human development.
Human beings should always remain at the centre of our concern for sustainable development and be the basis for our actions taken in the implementation of tackling urban governance, poverty eradication, urbanization, social integration.
We need to have a big vision in solving the challenges of the Millennium Development Goals. The decisions we make now will have far-reaching consequences. It is important that we agree that all urban players – citizens, local governments, provincial and national government, private sector and civil society work together to solve urban problems and challenges, and not transfer responsibility to each others.
The investment required to plan for and provide decent shelter and basic services should be viewed as a major driving force for socio-economic development.
I am glad that this Conference brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders from different Arab countries and I trust this has provided a platform for enriched partnerships.
We need to live up to the promise of moving ideas to action. Therefore, we look forward that this conference will build a solid foundation for Arab cities’ future progress. We all need to commit to concrete action, if we are indeed to achieve the goals to serve the needs of our citizens and especially the marginalized and vulnerable groups.
Thank you.