[hepr-vn] UN AGENCY RECEIVES MAJOR CASH INJECTION TO ENSURE ADEQUATE SHELTER FOR ALL

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: UN AGENCY RECEIVES MAJOR CASH INJECTION TO ENSURE ADEQUATE SHELTER FOR ALL
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 18:00:07 -0400
From: UNNews <UNNews at un.org>
To: <news4 at secint00.un.org>

UN AGENCY RECEIVES MAJOR CASH INJECTION TO ENSURE ADEQUATE SHELTER FOR ALL
New York, Apr  3 2009  6:00PM
As most businesses and organizations tighten their financial belts in these 
times of economic turmoil, the head of the United Nations agency tasked with 
ensuring adequate shelter for all today praised its oversight board for 
approving a record-breaking budget hike.

“We requested a total of $356 million including a general purpose budget of $66 
million representing an increase of 32 per cent,” Anna Tibaijuka, Executive 
Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme 
(<"http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=9">UN-HABITAT), said at the 
close of the agency’s yearly Governing Council meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

Noting that this was the highest budget hike in the history of UN-HABITAT, Ms. 
Tibaijuka said that it “shows the confidence of the Governing Council in our work.”

Ms. Tibaijuka pointed to the signing of agreements with six financial 
institutions to create pilot house financing schemes, as well as the passing of 
a breakthrough resolution calling for governments to support UN-HABITAT’s work 
on human settlements development in the occupied Palestinian territories, as 
some of the achievements of the week-long meeting.

In her farewell 
<"http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6501&catid=571&typeid=8&subMenuId=0">speech 
as the head of UN-HABITAT, the Executive Director also underscored the 
improvements the agency has made under her stewardship.

“We now have well-established flagship reports, and our findings and conclusions 
about urbanization and the slum challenge are beginning to influence the work of 
other UN agencies and partners, including the press,” she said.
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