UNDP WORLD ALLIANCE OF CITIES AGAINST POVERTY FORUM

UNCLAS ROME 001399

SIPDIS


FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME

STATE FOR G, E, OES/PCI, PRM/P AND IO/EDA
INFO USAID FOR A/AID, DCHA/FFP LANDIS, DCHA/OFDA MENGHETTI
INFO GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EAGR PREF UNDP WFA
SUBJECT: UNDP WORLD ALLIANCE OF CITIES AGAINST POVERTY FORUM


1. SUMMARY. THE WORLD ALLIANCE OF CITIES AGAINST POVERTY (WACAP)
HELD ITS 4TH FORUM IN ROME FROM MARCH 31 THROUGH APRIL 2, 2004.
ITS PURPOSE WAS TO EXAMINE HOW ELECTED MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATIVES
MIGHT SHARE AND SEEK WAYS OF ACHIEVING MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS (MDGS) AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. ON THE WHOLE, THE INTERVENTIONS
WERE INFORMATIVE AND BUILT GREATER AWARENESS IN DEVELOPING AND
DEVELOPED STATES ABOUT DEVELOPMENT GOALS, PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. END SUMMARY.


2. AS THE DESIGNATED SCOREKEEPER FOR THE MDGS, UNDP IS TASKED WITH
SPREADING AWARENESS WITHIN THE UN SYSTEM TO WORK COHERENTLY WITH
HOST GOVERNMENTS TO MONITOR, ANALYZE AND REPORT ON MDGS. UNDP
FACILITATES NATIONAL MDG REPORTS, WHICH ARE BEGINNING TO PROVIDE
DATA ON PROGRESS ACHIEVED TOWARD THE MDGS. AS SUCH, THE REPORTS
MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO COMPARE DATA BETWEEN REGIONS, COUNTRIES AND
SECTORS. CURRENTLY, 52 COUNTRIES HAVE PRODUCED MDG STATUS
REPORTS. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 100 ARE EXPECTED.
RECOGNIZING THAT MDGS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT THE CONTRIBUTION
OF MUNICIPALITIES, UNDP ALSO HELPED TO CREATE THE WORLD ALLIANCE
OF CITIES AGAINST POVERTY (WACAP),WHICH CURRENTLY HAS 155 MEMBER
CITIES. THE FORUM INCLUDED PARTICIPANTS FROM 95 COUNTRIES
REPRESENTING 140 CITIES, 13 ASSOCIATIONS OF CITIES, AND ABOUT 80
PARTICIPANTS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS.


3. SELECTED INTERVENTIONS. THE PLENARY SESSION BEGAN WITH A WELL-
RECEIVED SPEECH BY WALTER VELTRONI, MAYOR OF ROME, WHO SPOKE ABOUT
ROME'S ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMS, ENCOURAGED ATTENDEES TO PERSEVERE
DESPITE THE DIFFICULT CHALLENGES OF THE MDGS, AND TRANSFORM THE
IMPOSSIBLE TO THE POSSIBLE.


4. UNDP ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR BRUCE JENKS CALLED FOR A SPECIAL
FOCUS ON AFRICA AND ENCOURAGED DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO DO MORE,
PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING THE DECREASE BY 50 PERCENT IN OFFICIAL
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (ODA) DURING THE LAST DECADE.


5. EUSEBIO LEAL, UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR, OPINED THAT RICH
COUNTRIES SHOULD INCREASE ODA AND END AGRICULTURAL POLICIES THAT
DESTROY THE MARKETS OF POOR COUNTRIES, E.G., REDUCE AGRICULTURAL
SUBSIDIES. BECAUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE BASIC SERVICES,
CITIES ARE APPROPRIATE ENTITIES TO BUILD POLITICAL WILL FOR BETTER
EDUCATION, WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, AND OTHER
SERVICES.


6. FAROUK TEBBAL, OF UN HABITAT, MENTIONED THAT TODAY ABOUT ONE-
THIRD OF THE WORLD'S POOR ARE URBAN DWELLERS, AND WITHIN 5 TO 10
YEARS OVER 50 PERCENT WILL BE POOR. IN AFRICA, THE TWO MOST
SERIOUS CHALLENGES ARE RAPID URBANIZATION AND GROWING POVERTY.


7. WFP DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHEILA SISULU DISCUSSED WFP'S
WORK IN TERMS OF MDGS, NOT ONLY THOSE THAT PERTAIN TO POVERTY AND
HUNGER, BUT ALSO TO MDGS GROUNDED IN GENDER EQUALITY, NUTRITION,
AND HIV/AIDS ISSUES. MS. SISULU WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE PRESENCE OF
THE FORUM'S PARTICIPANTS AND OBSERVED, "ONLY WITH A BROAD
PARTNERSHIP OF CITIZENS, CITIES, GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS [CAN] WE HOPE TO MEET THE MDGS."


8. PETER SCHATZER, CHIEF OF IOM, EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT MANAGING
URBAN MIGRATION AND POLICIES THAT ARE CONGRUENT WITH DEVELOPMENT
AND LAND USE.


9. IAN MCCLELLAN, ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR, UNOSAT, GAVE AN
INTERESTING PRESENTATION ON USING SATELLITE IMAGERY TO MITIGATE
DISASTERS. UNOSAT WAS CREATED BY THE UNITED NATIONS INSTITUTE FOR
TRAINING AND RESEARCH (UNITAR) AND IS EXECUTED BY THE UNITED
NATIONS OFFICE FOR PROJECT SERVICES (UNOPS) TO PROVIDE GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION TO UN ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENTS, AND IMPLEMENTING
PARTNERS TO RESPOND TO HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND INCORPORATE
GEOGRAPHIC MAPPING TO DISASTER REDUCTION AND PREVENTION SCENARIOS.
UNOSAT CAN PROVIDE GIS TURNKEY SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.


10. A FEW INTERVENTIONS WERE STRAIGHTFORWARD REQUESTS FOR
ASSISTANCE BY STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE DEVELOPING WORLD TO THE
DEVELOPED WORLD.


11. COMMENT. MOST ALL OF THE INTERVENTIONS WERE PREPARED
SPEECHES, AND THE FORUM DID NOT GENERATE MUCH DIALOGUE AMONG
PARTICIPANTS. NEVERTHELESS, THE INTERVENTIONS WERE INFORMATIVE
AND BUILD GREATER AWARENESS IN DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED STATES
ABOUT DEVELOPMENT GOALS, PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL. WITH APPROPRIATE LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL
EFFORTS, MUCH CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE 10 YEARS REMAINING TO
ACHIEVE THE MDGS. WE SHARE THE HOPE AND ARE WORKING TOWARD THE
DAY WHEN NO ONE WILL BE CONDEMNED TO GO HUNGRY. HALL

NNNN
2004ROME01399 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED