AFRICA: Urbanisation, poverty reduction take centre-stage in ACP conference

Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN

Housing (right) built as a rehabilitation programme to relocate slum dwellers in Nairobi, Kenya - file photo

NAIROBI, 8 June 2009 (IRIN) - More than 200 delegates have arrived in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, for the first joint conference of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries (ACP) focusing on the challenges of urbanisation and poverty reduction for millions of slum dwellers.

The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), European Commission (EC) and ACP Secretariat at the UN headquarters in Nairobi are co-hosting the 8-10 June conference.

"As the global financial crisis bites harder, world economic growth slows and climate change problems pose ever greater threats, we are already seeing the impact on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable, especially urban slum dwellers," UN-HABITAT said in a statement. "This situation threatens to undo and possibly reverse gains already made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals in towns and cities."

The agency said the delegates' discussions would build upon a Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme launched in 2008 for 30 ACP countries and financed by the EC. Discussion will focus mainly on technical issues affecting urbanisation and poverty reduction and also discuss the expansion of the programme to all 79 ACP countries.

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