By Aminata Kuyateh
National Youth Council in partnership with United Nations Development Program Monday commemorated the World Habitat Day held at the Friendship Hotel in Bakau.
The day was meant to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, on the basic right of all to adequate shelter.
The theme of the event was ‘housing policies and affordable homes’.
Speaking at the event, national executive director, Mr Lamin Darboe said the day takes on a new theme to bring attention to UN-Habitat’s mandate to promote sustainable development policies that ensure adequate shelter for all.
He added that the day also focuses on promoting all levels of government and all relevant stakeholders to reflect on how to implement concrete initiatives to ensure adequate and affordable housing in context of the implementation of the new Urban Agenda at all levels.
“The 2030 agenda for sustainable development gives a prominent role to urbanization and cities with the inclusion of a stand-alone goal for cities and human settlement,” he said.
He said the interactions are important to formulate integrated policies that enhance the transformative role of urbanization and contribute to achieve sustainable development.
UN-Habitat has been designated as custodian agency in 8 indicators and as a supporting agency in another 5 for goal 11.
He said the agenda 2030 targets to significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disaster.
