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United Nations Habitat II Conference, Istanbul, June 1-14, 1996
Report from Alanna Hartzok, UN NGO Representative
International Union for Land Value Taxation
The United Nations sponsored Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), the last great global conference of this decade and hence the millenium, convened in Istanbul June 1 - 14. Attending as UN NGO (non-governmental organization) representative for the International Union for Land Value Taxation (IULVT), I can attest to the impressive accomplishments yet confounding paradoxes of this event.Approximately 20,000 individuals were present. While they represented particular nation states, international social service and civic organizations, businesses, and local public authorities, the common denominator of most was a planetary state of consciousness which at some nearly ineffable level reflects the perception that all human beings are connected as one family, and that our fate is interconnected.
The official purpose of Habitat II was to complete work previously begun on an Action Agenda which detailed approaches to achieving adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in all countries. Three preparatory conferences had preceded the Istanbul gathering and resulted in much agreement on this 65-page document. Details of the text yet to be resolved were bracketed in the working documents. Final acceptance of the pr