[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6052-S6053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 285--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF WORLD HABITAT 
                          DAY, 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:

                              S. Res. 285

       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

[[Page S6053]]

     urban sustainable development at the upcoming United Nations 
     Conference on Sustainable Development to be held June 4-6, 
     2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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