[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 285 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 285

 Supporting the goals and ideals of World Habitat Day, October 3, 2011.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 3, 2011

    Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Akaka) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the goals and ideals of World Habitat Day, October 3, 2011.

Whereas the United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year 
        as World Habitat Day, and the theme of 2011 World Habitat Day is Cities 
        and Climate Change;
Whereas World Habitat Day calls on global citizens to reflect on the state of 
        our towns and cities and the importance of adequate shelter and serves 
        as a reminder of our collective responsibility for the future of the 
        human habitat;
Whereas approximately 51 percent of the world's population currently lives in 
        cities of all sizes and produces the majority of the world's economic 
        output;
Whereas projections indicate that \2/3\ of the world's population will reside in 
        cities just over a generation from now;
Whereas approximately 1,000,000,000 people currently live in slums, and more 
        than half of this population is under the age of 25;
Whereas it is estimated that, by 2030, the number of people living in slums will 
        double;
Whereas, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 
        approximately 884,000,000 people lack adequate access to safe water, and 
        nearly 50 percent of the developing world's population, over 
        2,500,000,000 people, lack access to sanitation services;
Whereas the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that unsafe 
        drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene contribute to 
        the deaths of more than 1,500,000 children younger than 5 years of age 
        per year;
Whereas, according to the World Bank, more than 1,400,000,000 people still live 
        without electricity, a critical component of economic growth and 
        development;
Whereas insecure lease and real property ownership tenure often subject slum 
        dwellers to arbitrary, supra-market rents, forced evictions, threats, 
        and harassment;
Whereas insecurity of land and property tenure severely inhibits economic 
        development by undermining investment incentives and constraining the 
        growth of credit markets, imperils the ability of families to achieve 
        sustainable livelihoods and assured access to shelter, and often 
        contributes to conflict over property rights;
Whereas women are affected disproportionally by forced evictions and insecure 
        tenure as a result of gender-based discrimination, often including 
        gender-biased laws that define women as legal minors or otherwise 
        prevent them from acquiring and securing land, property, and housing 
        lease or ownership rights, making them more vulnerable to poverty, 
        violence, and sexual abuse;
Whereas many of the world's large cities are located in low-lying coastal areas 
        that are more susceptible to environmental events and face serious 
        threats from the effects of climate change such as storm surges;
Whereas the slum dwellers in low-lying coastal cities are disproportionately 
        affected by disasters;
Whereas, according to the International Organization for Migration, there could 
        be up to 200,000,000 environmentally induced migrants by 2050, many of 
        whom will be forced from their homes by rising sea levels and the 
        increased frequency of flooding or drought, thereby challenging the 
        security of the United States and United States allies;
Whereas adequate housing and universal access to basic shelter serve as 
        catalysts for economic, social, and democratic development in the United 
        States and elsewhere;
Whereas international organizations, faith-based groups, and nonprofits are 
        working towards providing safe, affordable, and decent shelter for all; 
        and
Whereas the 2006 National Security Strategy states, ``America's national 
        interests and moral values drive us in the same direction: to assist the 
        world's poor citizens and least developed nations and help integrate 
        them into the global economy'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of World Habitat Day; and
            (2) reflects on the state of our cities and towns and the 
        importance of adequate shelter and is reminded of our shared 
        responsibility for the future of the human habitat;
            (3) underscores the importance of a sustainable urban 
        development strategy that--
                    (A) promotes equitable access to--
                            (i) basic shelter and affordable housing, 
                        particularly by residents of slums and informal 
                        settlements and similar densely populated, 
                        impoverished urban areas; and
                            (ii) safe water and sanitation;
                    (B) promotes gender equality and women's 
                empowerment;
                    (C) supports access to sustainable and renewable 
                sources of energy;
                    (D) employs innovative approaches to urban 
                development challenges;
                    (E) leverages United States Government resources 
                through collaborative partnership with foreign 
                governments, intergovernmental organizations, private 
                sector entities, and nonprofit and community-based 
                organizations;
                    (F) operates to a scale that ensures 
                sustainability;
                    (G) addresses current and future effects of climate 
                change on cities; and
                    (H) improves environmental sustainability in urban 
                areas; and
            (4) encourages the leaders and citizens of cities, which 
        are the source of, and solution to, many of the world's 
        development challenges, to build upon their successful 
        experiences and develop more ambitious goals for urban 
        sustainable development at the upcoming United Nations 
        Conference on Sustainable Development to be held June 4-6, 
        2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
                                 <all>