The Under-Secretary General of the UN and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Dr. Joan Clos, said he was pleased to be in Liberia to provide services and emphasized the need to continue these kinds of forum to improve urbanization.

The National Urban Forum, funded by Cities Alliance and UN-Habitat, is being hosted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in collaboration with the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) and the Land Commission.

According to an Executive Mansion release, the UN-Habitat official, Dr. Clos, made the remarks at the official launch of the National Urban Forum at the Monrovia City Hall on Wednesday, June 24.

The multi-stakeholders’ conference is intended to develop a roadmap to formulate a National Urban Policy, present the MCC Program, build consensus on the city’s recovery and development strategy, endorse Liberia National Habitat Report, and showcase innovative tools in urban settlement profiling and slum upgrading from project experiences in Africa.

Over 300 delegates from all 15 counties, including urban stakeholders, decision makers, technicians, urban managers and ordinary citizens, as well as international partners are attending the Forum.

According to statistics, unplanned urbanization has resulted in the proliferation of slums, with an estimated 70 percent of Monrovia’s population currently living in slum conditions.
The 2008 National Housing and Population Census also estimated that 47 percent of Liberia’s population of 3.5 million resides in urban areas.
LINA GDJ/PTK