Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)

• Sixth edition of Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) was held in New Delhi.
• This conference sought to address issues ranging from crowded city centres to peripheral expansion, metropolitan based urban population growth, megacities and urban corridors etc.
• New Delhi declaration is adopted on the conclusion of conference.

Highlights of New Delhi Declaration:

• The declaration strongly recommended formulation of National Human Settlement Policies to promote inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city and human settlements.
• This declaration strongly advocated planning for urban and adjoining rural areas in an integrated manner instead of looking at them as independent entities.
• The Declaration also called for a thorough review of existing policies and formulation of new policies to promote New Urban Agenda adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development in Quito, Eucador.
• This declaration stressed on the need for effective governance structures in urban areas.
• The Implementation Plan further recommended land regulation policy mechanisms such as land pooling to ensure inclusive and participatory planning, integration of land use and transportation planning across defined boundaries of cities and mixed land use, enforcement and incentivasation of timely execution of infrastructure projects, formulation of comprehensive urban parking policies and community participation in urban planning and service delivery.
• In view of the vulnerability of most of the Asia Pacific countries to natural disasters and other risks, the Implementation Plan has recommended urban resilience as criteria for investment. Resilience is the ability of cities to withstand and absorb disasters and shocks and maintain normal services and quickly return to normalcy.

About this conference:

• India in association with UN-HABITAT(United Nations Human Settlements Programme) had taken the initiative to organize the first Asia Pacific Ministers Conference on Housing and Urban Development in December, 2006.
• This led to the creation of the ‘Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development’ (APMCHUD) with its objectives enshrined in the ‘Delhi Declaration’ adopted unanimously by the countries participating in the conference from the Asia Pacific Region.
• The primary purpose of this inter-governmental body is to promote sustainable housing and urban development in the Asia pacific region through collaborative initiatives.
• The APMCHUD comprises of two organisations: The Bureau and the Secretariat.
• The APMCHUD’s Ministerial conference is a biennial event.
• The Conference elects a Bureau which governs the functioning of the body and the implementation of the decisions of the Conferences.
• The Bureau meets regularly, approximately twice in a year. The Bureau is supported by a Secretariat which is established at New Delhi.
• The APMCHUD secretariat is headed by the Chief Coordinator. This responsibility is looked after by the Joint Secretary (Housing), Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation

By: Vishal