Since its founding in October 1945, the United Nations has called on its member states to pay attention to urbanization on several occasions, but it was not until the 1970s that the problems associated with rapid and uncontrolled urban expansion were gradually recognized and some limited interventions began to be made.
In January 1975, the United Nations General Assembly established the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation (UNHHSF), the first international agency dedicated to urbanization. UNHHSF's mandate was to assist in the implementation of national programs related to human settlements in developing countries by providing financial and technical assistance under the management of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with an initial funding of $4 million for four years. At that time, the issue of urbanization was not high on the UN agenda because two-thirds of the world's population still lived in rural areas.
Based on the recommendations of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, the United Nations decided to convene the first UN-Habitat Conference in Vancouver, Canada. The conference was organized and coordinated by Dr. Peter Oberlander, Deputy Minister of Construction of Canada, and held from May 31 to June 11, 1976, later known as "Habitat I".
The conference adopted three basic documents and five resolutions, including The Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, which was signed by representatives of 132 countries and international organizations. Among them, The Vancouver Action Plan consists of 6 themes and 64 articles.
The Conference notes that the conditions of human settlement largely determine the quality of life of people and that improving such conditions is a prerequisite for fully meeting basic needs such as employment, housing, health services, education and recreation.
The Conference emphasizes that the issue of human settlements cannot be isolated from the social and economic development of countries, nor can it be separated from the existing irrational international economic relations.
The Conference expressed its deep concern over the increasing difficulties faced by the international community in meeting the basic needs and aspirations of people consistent with the principle of dignity.
The Conference notes the poor living conditions of many people in developing countries in terms of human settlements, which will further deteriorate if no positive and concrete action is taken by the state and the international community to find ways to help them address them.
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Translated by Chen Yan
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