Consulatation in progress

ENGO: 2006 World Urban Forum - National Advisory Committee

The RCEN has selected Amelia Clarke, from Sierra Club of Canada, to be the ENGO representative to join the 2006 World Urban Forum National Advisory Committee (NAC). Amelia is President of the Board for Sierra Club of Canada. She is currently doing a PhD at McGill University in the Faculty of Management, in Montreal, and her dissertation topic will be sustainable development policy creation and implementation in cities. She has 10-year history on the UN-Habitat file, including participating to Habitat II in Turkey.

Please note that Amelia's participation at the NAC is pending Minister's approval. His decision should be announced in a few weeks.

The Government of Canada formed the NAC, made up of representatives of provinces, territories, municipalities, the private sector, professional associations, academics, and stakeholder groups, to provide advice and guidance to Ministers on Forum preparations.

The World Urban Forum (WUF), a biennial event sponsored by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), will be held in Vancouver, BC in June 2006. Created by UN-HABITAT and held once every two years, the WUF provides an opportunity for international public, private and not-for-profit organizations, governments and experts to come together, to exchange information, insights and best practices on one of the main challenges of the new Millennium: the transition of our planet to an essentially urban world.

The current commitment for the NAC is to provide advice to the Minister, up until the Fall 2005, on themes to be approved by the UN Habitat in April 2005 as well as on program content to be approved by the UN Habitat in the Fall 2005. It is also very likely that further activities will be proposed, which will bring the National Advisory’s commitment up to and including the World Urban Forum in June 2006.

It is expected that the Committee will meet from January 2005 until March or April of 2005. The Committee will make recommendations to the Minister as to the frequency of its meetings and work, after the conclusion of the consultation and discussion processes.

There will be no more than three or four face-to-face meetings and possibly three or four conference calls. Meetings may take place every second month. For the face-to-face meetings, travel, food and accommodation costs will be covered.

To review the Committee terms of reference, please click here.

For more information on the World Urban Forum, please visit the following web pages: http://www.unhabitat.org/wuf/2006/
or:
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/News/

For more information, please contact Chantal Bois at: telephone: (613) 728-9810 ext. 24.