{{Rwanda is set to host the 2nd international tripartite conference jointly organised by the African, Caribbean and Pacific Secretariat, the European Commission and UN-Habitat together with Ministry of Infrastructure on sustainable urban development from 3rd to 6th September 2013 at Serena Hotel, Kigali. }}
The high level conference will be held under the theme “Sustainable Urbanisation as Response to Poverty Eradication in ACP countries – Slum Upgrading and Community Empowerment”.
The conference will bring together 300 participants from 60 countries. Three quarters of the participants are expected to come from outside Rwanda including; Europe and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states.
They include Ministers, Mayors, Planning, Land and Housing Directors, Development Partners, housing experts and representatives from civil society involved in urban planning and development.
The conference seeks to present the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) and other programmes and actions for sustainable urban development and slum upgrading.
PSUP is being implemented in 34 ACP countries that include Rwanda, and advocates for each country to reduce by half the number of slum dwellers by the year 2020.
In addition, the conference aims to harmonise contributions towards the post-2015 Development Agenda and to take stock of the achievements of the Millennium Development Goal 7 on improving the living conditions of slum dwellers.
It will also serve to prepare African Caribbean and Pacific Countries for participation in the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III, 2016).
The conference comes at the right time when the priorities of Rwanda in the Economic Development and Poverty. Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) and vision 2020 are focused on promoting an inclusive and sustainable urbanisation agenda.
Outcomes of the conference will strengthen efforts geared towards providing decent urban development which is inclusive of all income classes.
This conference will be also an opportunity for all African Caribbean and Pacific countries to exchange ideas on sustainable urban development and to showcase achievements and progress made in urban housing, slum upgrading and prevention.
The conference offers an opportunity of engaging potential investors, key partners and other invited funding agencies to invest in housing industry towards achieving affordable and decent houses in Rwanda.
In addition, Rwanda will share its best practices in good urban governance and actions towards achieving sustainable urban development; and a platform to present innovative solutions for improving the living conditions of people living in urban and urbanising areas.
The conference will build on the results from the first international conference held in Nairobi , Kenya in June 2009, which led to the adoption of a declaration committing to commonly address urban poverty and urbanisation issues by expanding participatory slum upgrading programs to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
It will also consider recommendations of the Morocco conference of last year 2012 which was held under the theme “Improving the lives of slum dwellers: Making slums History-A worldwide challenge for 2020”.
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