Meeting Minutes_Habitat III Civil Society Working Group

September 3, 2014

Participants

MoranaStipisic–Urban Design Lab, Earth Institute, Columbia University

Maria-Paola Sutto-- Urban Design Lab, Earth Institute, Columbia University

Jane Katz—Habitat for Humanity

Tom Dallessio–Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization

Matt Boms-CommunitasCoalition

AliyeCelik-UCLG

Tatiana Dwyer-United Methodist Women

Sri Sofjan-Huairou Commission

Jan Peterson-Huairou Commission

Rachael Wyant-Huairou Commission

Alexis Obernauer-New School University

Genie Birch—WUC and Penn Institute

Allison Garland—Wilson Center

Lorena Zarate--HIC

Alaina Beverly— University of Chicago

John Romano—Stakeholder Forum for a sustainable future

Margo LaZaro—Global Family and ICW

Lindsey Ashby-- Global Family

Pam Ransom—Huairou Commission

Maureen Friar—Community Access

Shulamith Koenig-PDHRE

Robert Keston-PDHRE

Mahfuzul Islam—Youth Representative, Major Group Children & Youth

Sofia Garcia—Major Group Children & Youth

Mary Rowe-MAS

Danielle Grossenbacher—International Real Estate Federation

Ana Moreno—UN-Habitat

LeireBadiola—UN-Habitat

Outcomes

  • Partners Orientation Agenda finalized---invitation letters and agenda to be circulated end of week
  • Social media team established for September 16th (MAS, MGCY, Huairou)
  • Preliminary approvals of open consultations and side events announced (see below for list)
  • Caucuses for Major Groups//Civil Society partners planned for Sept 17-18th
  • Official standing name of this working group agreed to: Habitat III Civil Society Working Group

Urgent Action Items

  • Submit speaker nominations for Prep Com I (see directions below)
  • Rapporteurs for break out groups to have planning meeting via skype (Rachael will coordinate)
  • Send all communications materials on Side events and parallel events to Rachael by 6pm Thursday September 4th—she will submit all information to Habitat III Secretariat
  • Sign up for logistical support roles for the partners orientation (see google doc)
  • Genie and Matt to draft talking points related to New Urban Agenda for use at Prep Com I
  • Determine cost sharing of coffee/refreshments for Partners Orientation

A. Update on Prep Com Registration and Secretariat

  1. About 300 people have registered for Prep Com I (registration has closed)
  2. Habitat III Secretariat is open to declaration and reports from any of these partner events—either the orientation or side events and parallel events
  3. Ana Moreno can bring in cameras for documenting our orientation event, will also support the working group to provide participants with Prep Com agendas etc.

d. Habitat III Secretariat can act as a platform for us to distribute information:

  1. Will be posted on Habitat III website
  2. Will be sent to member states and the 300 people who have been registered
  3. Need to send all documents to Rachael before end of day Thursday to have these sent to Habitat III Secretariat

1. Partnership Structure: Major Groups and Speaking Slots for Prep Com I:

  • Due to Agenda 21, Habitat III Secretariat can’t change the Major Groups structure—however doesn’t t mean that we can’t change that for the conference itself in 2016---Habitat III ---it will be up to member states to decide this change in structure. This Prep Com is an opportunity for us to recommend changes or additions to the partner structure of the MG.
  • Speaking Slots at Prep Com I: Major Groups will be able to claim speaking slots, as well as organizations---doesn’t have to follow the Major Groups for the speaking slots.
  • Speaker list was opened on August 27th: Member states and civil society/observers will both be applying for these slots of no more than 5 minutes (3 min for member states):
  • "Delegations wishing to inscribe on the list of speakers are invited to contact the General Assembly Affairs Branch (e-mail, copying). Statements should be limited tothree minutes when speaking in a national capacity andfive minuteswhen speaking on behalf of a group. Additional information on the first session of the Preparatory Committee for Habitat III is available in the Conference website ()".
  1. Agenda of Prep Com: Member states will discuss:

a)Emerging issue in New Urban Agenda

b)Major Group structure

c)Procedural issues towards Habitat III

3. Open Consultation Approved thus far (no limitation on # of people who can attend each):

  • World Urban Campaign
  • UCLG-September 15th
  • Civil Working Group September 12th at 3pm
  • SDI, WIEGO, HC Grassroots –either Sept 11th or 15th
  • CSU—September 10th
  • AGGI—September 11th
  • Future of Places Forum—September 10th
  • International Association of Public Transport—September 9th

Entire list will be finalized and published on the website

4. Parallel Events:

Send all flyers and info to Rachael and these will be posted to Habitat III website

Send all materials by September 4th at 6pm EST

5. Side Events Approved thus far:

  • Huairou, SDI, WIEGO
  • UCLG
  • International Housing Coalition
  • Communitas Coalition & Penn Institute
  • UNDP Localizing the SDGs
  • EU Commission
  • Cities Alliance
  • UN Women
  • International Association of Public Transport
  • Rockefeller Foundation and American Red Cross

Waiting List:

  • MAS
  • HIC

6. Bureau of Member States (still voting on chairs and co-chairs)

  • Chad and Senegal
  • UAE and Indonesia
  • Czech Republic and Hungary
  • Chile and Ecuador
  • Germany (plus one more)

7. Content & Advocacy towards New Urban Agenda:

  • After the Prep Com, there will still be a need to support and watch this process because there are going to be lots of tough dialogues going back to things debated in the Habitat II etc. many contentious issues. Even the idea of a New Urban Agenda is a controversial issues. Will need to track these proceedings throughout the fall in New York.
  • We need talking points on why these issues are important---role of local authorities, rural urban focus, etc. Genie and Matt will help put talking points together from their experience with the WUC and SDG debates.
  • We need further talking points and advocacy messages to come out of the orientation, too.
  • Urban Thinkers Campus Event in Caserta Italy (WUC event in October)

B. Partners Orientation—September 16th

**Need to tell UMW 2 days before orientation on how we want the room layout

Location: 8th Floor of the Church Center, Boss Room

Objective: give a space for civil society to produce something, learn about Habitat III, and network with one another around Major Group organizing

1. Outline:

  • Panel I: Educate people on what was Habitat II, how are we moving to Habitat III?
  • Panel II: What does the new urban agenda look like and what does civil society want this agenda
  • Breakout groups on thematic areas with rapporteurs: We need to have a clear statement on what is an urban focus from our perspective—this is the purpose of the breakout groups and orientation---and clarifying what contribution they make to Major Groups

2. Edits to the Agenda

Are these breakout groups representative of the topics we think are important, especially to showcase what the different major groups will contribute to the new urban agenda?

  • Let’s start the orientation at 9AM, end at Noon, then use the last hour to report back and discuss the caucuses and our recommendations/strategies around the Major Group structure
  • UN-Habitat will provide a representative to open the orientation, someone with Habitat II experience, someone also
  • Looking into Colombia government representative to welcome everyone—very brief but to carry on the WUF7 representation and importance
  • Tatiana will welcome everyone to the Church Center at the beginning on behalf of UMW
  • Need someone to introduce the Committee and Purpose of the Orientation: Matt and Rachael
  • Add UCLG representative as a panelist on Panel II—potential mayor
  • Add someone to Panel I from HIC –Jan and HIC to follow up
  • SDI representative would be willing to be rapporteur for the slum breakout group
  • Genie and Mary Rowe in their moderator role cans provide some statistics or visuals on the state of urbanization
  • Making a connection to human rights based approach within these groups in Breakout Group 3—add this to good governance breakout
  • Tom (CSU) suggests that we should increase the focus on importance of urban design in Panel II, perhaps we need a Design focused speaker to participate in the panel

3. Logistics for Orientation

  • Will people choose a breakout group in advance? Within the RSVP please state a preference for which breakout group they want to participate in?
  • The breakout groups should come up with specific recommendations towards the New Urban Agenda ---perhaps 5 points
  • 5 rapporteurs should be on a call ahead of time to plan this
  • Need name tags for this orientation
  • Need a scribe for each breakout groups –each breakout rapporteur should bring a scribe
  • Let’s try to bring large poster paper and markers, people should bring laptops for notes
  • Need a sign-in sheet for registration
  • Potential for Twitter feed to cover the event and get participation from people participating remotely. Maybe livestream of event?

4. Communications

  • Invitations coming from Jan Peterson, on behalf of Habitat III Civil Society Working Group
  • Matt will finalize the agenda
  • Invitation letter will include location, RSVP details (first come first serve RSVP)
  • Working group members should circulate this package of agenda and invitation letter to their networks

Additional information required for participants of orientation:

During orientation, make people aware of afternoon events available (specific reference to capacity of each event):

  • 2:30-3:30 Major Groups Caucus time in the Boss Room after lunch break
  • HIC event (3:30-5:30pm)
  • New School event (2-5pm)
  • UCLG event (9-1pm)

SEND ALL FLYERS AND INFORMATION TO RACHAEL TO COMMUNICATE TO BE PUBLICIZED: all side events, parallel events, invitation letters, orientation event

C. Major Group Structure

  • How are people getting involved in the Major Groups related to Habitat III? Many members of this committee are already working through specific Major Groups and we need to be clear how we’re organizing ourselves through these groups
  • Let’s go with the assumption that Major Groups will be the dominant form of partner involvement, but perhaps with additional groups previously not recognized added to this.
  • In particular there are no grassroots groups represented specifically in the Major Groups—there has been some move from Huairou and other networks pushing for a Grassroots Major Group where there is specific institutionalized spaces for them to speak

1. Working Group Action Points

  • We need someone to speak on the kind of partnership we want to promote beyond the Major Group Structure in this slots: all partners of working group should nominate speakers to ensure a diversity of observers can take the floor.
  • Possible to have a joint statement of civil society both on substance and partnership recommendations---this could be partly communicated if we get a Speaking Slot
  • Need to have a space during the Prep Com I to discuss and make recommendations towards the MG structure---we need to have civil society caucus through the conference to come to consensus on this issue
  • Potential Caucus Time: September 17-18th 9-10am in Boss Room of Church Center
  • September 18th: 6pm wrap-up caucus in North Lawn Building Second Floor café meeting area to re-group.
  • Rachael will connect people who will be doing the social media aspect of this (Huairou, MAS, MGCY)