SALGA congratulates president Tau on UN appointment 

Posted: 19 April 2017

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The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) congratulates President Parks Tau on his appointment to the United Nations (UN) high level independent panel to oversee the effectiveness of the UN-Habitat – a programme that promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities.

The United Nations’ panel announcement this morning follows the adoption of the New Urban Agenda at the Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which is known as Habitat III, held in Quito, Ecuador, in October last year.

In making the announcement, the UN indicated that the independent panel assessment is a part of the follow-up and review of the Habitat III outcome and it will contain recommendations on enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and oversight of the UN-Habitat.

The assessment report will also serve as an input to a two-day High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly to be convened by the UN President of the General Assembly during the 71st session in September this year. The meeting will further discuss the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the positioning of UN-Habitat in that regard.

Speaking shortly after the news of his appointment, Mr Tau, who is also the President of SALGA, described his new role on the UN panel as an instrument to advance the interests of local government both on the local and international scale.

“Having committed to advocate for the location of local government at the centre of a changing world, the panel presents an opportunity to lead this agenda – hence it is a welcome platform by the local government sphere,” he said.

Mr Tau added: “This specific agenda speaks to localising and financing the post-2015 Development Agenda, Developing a collaborative local coherence agenda on peace, safety and security, as well as leading a local narrative around migrancy, displacement and social cohesion.”

Included on the new panel, alongside Mr Tau, are architect Peter Calthorpe; Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN; Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of the French capital, Paris; Sheela Patel, Founder and Director of the Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres; Rosario Robles, Secretary of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development of Mexico; Ambassador František Ružicka, Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the UN; Ponsto S.M. Sekatle, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Lesotho.