*TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 3 June 1996*
*Habitat II conference sits down to business Right: Delegates from nearly 200
nations will consider several issues, including the nature of adequate housing
as a 'right' under international law NGOs: Representatives of 2,000 non-governmental
organizations also are gathering for a long list of workshops, seminars and other
events; other activities are planned based on age and sex*
*By Don Cofman*
*Turkish Daily News*
ISTANBUL- Conceived four years ago in worry about the future of the world's
cities, Habitat II, the second United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements, opens here this morning with a heavy schedule of events and
some controversy.
After U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali declared the "City
Summit" open in the new Lutfu Kirdar International Congress Hall on Sunday,
Turkish President Suleyman Demirel addressed the conference, followed by Dr.
Wally N'Dow of the Gambia, secretary-general of the conference.
The rest of the opening day was devoted to a "general exchange of views":
statements by representatives of Costa Rica (on behalf of the "Group of 77"
developing nations), Italy (speaking for the European Union), Colombia (on
behalf of the Nonaligned Movement), and 18 other nations or international
organizations, ranging from the United States and China to Ghana and
Kyrgyzstan, from the U.N. Industrial Development Organization to the Council
of Europe.
The two-week-long conference is expected to draw around 20,000 people from
the world's nearly 200 nations: officials of national and local governments,
members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and representatives of the
private sector and academic community. They will gather in:
plenary (general), committee and working group meetings;
one-day "dialogues" on 10 different issues such as finance, water, urban
employment, transport, communications and health; and
"partners forums" devoted to varied segments such as foundations,
parliamentarians, labor unions, business, science and NGOs.
Those representing NGOs -- perhaps up to 5,000 individuals may arrive from
2,000 different organizations -- also are gathering for a long list of
workshops, seminars and other events. Other activities are planned based on
age ("youths," apparently defined as university-age, have a full schedule of
events ending with a farewell party June 13) and sex (the conference
guidebook refers to "42 gender-focused events").
Twelve examples of "Best Practices" in improving the urban environment will
be honored. There's a major trade fair, sports and fashion shows, and a
long, varied list of cultural activities.
The conference culminates in a "high-level segment" June 12-14, which is
expected to attract around 40 heads of government or state. N'Dow told
journalists Saturday that the U.N. General Assembly had not designated the
Istanbul meeting an official "summit." This was done, for example, for the
1994 international gathering in Cairo on population, but not for last year's
conference in Beijing on women's issues.
During this "high-level segment" the conferees are expected to give final
approval to a plan of action, or "Habitat Agenda," which is intended as a
guide for the sustainable development of the world's urban areas -- cities,
towns and villages -- into the first two decades of the next century.
Two particularly contentious issues face the conferees as they debate the
"Habitat Agenda," according to Dr. G. Khonje of the Zambian Ministry of
Local Government and Housing, who heads the "Informal Drafting Group" for
the document. They will be debated in various venues, including informal
gatherings, but may be resolved only when the "high-level" officials approve
the "Habitat Agenda":
is the idea of adequate housing more than a need, goal or aspiration? Does a
"right" to adequate housing exist under international law?
Dr. Jay Moor, a member of the U.N.'s Habitat II Secretariat, noted that a
"mix" of developed and developing nations exists on both sides of this
issue, which he called "one of the most critical" to face the conference.
But Dr. A. P. Sinha of the Indian Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment,
who heads India's delegation, denied contention exists, saying he was "not
aware of any particular country that has taken a stand that the right to
adequate housing does not exist."
Further, according to Sinha, there is no need to declare adequate housing a
human right by itself, since it is already a "component of other existing
rights," as set forth in many international documents starting with the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Instead, he argued, the focus
should be on spelling out the content of the right and on focusing on how to
implement it: a "progressive realization" over time within a framework of an
"enabling approach," giving all segments of the population responsibilities.
Where will the resources come from to pay for whatever new or expanded
measures are approved?
Dr. Khonje said he sees this as more a matter of perception than substance,
since questions of financing have tended to be looked at in terms of a
"donor/recipient relationship." Such an approach is "in the final analysis
not sustainable," he argued, calling instead for looking at "how to enable
individual countries to obtain the (needed) resources," whether from
internal or external sources.
Other issues in the Habitat Agenda include women's rights ("quite
contentious," Moor called it, splitting nations along cultural rather than
economic lines), economic growth versus "sustainable development" (the G-77
nations and China argue that they must first approach the economic level of
the developed nations before they can turn major attention to protecting the
environment), debt relief (developing nations contend this is necessary for
progress on solving contemporary social crises), and the degree to which
urban areas and their rural hinterlands are mutually dependent.
Finally, there is the question of whether to include in the action plan
references to "good governance": the need to develop institutional
frameworks, management skills and enabling processes; their absence often
leads to corruption. Some delegations have not accepted the phrase, Moor
noted, because it "implies criticism of existing governments."
While the conferees focus on those items of dispute, others exist. Many
Turkish NGOs, headed by the Human Rights Association, have felt "left out"
of the process of preparing Turkey's "national report," which all country
delegations are submitting. They therefore organized an "Alternative
Habitat," which began on Thursday with a series of discussions and exhibits
in two Istanbul meeting halls.
On Friday, however, police closed down the "alternative" conference, saying
it had not received permission to be held. IHD officials and others disputed
the need for official sanction.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, controlled by the Islamic-minded
Welfare Party, is reportedly miffed at being shortchanged by Ankara's
secular central government in planning the host country's role in Habitat
II. It has arranged for a parallel "City Summit: Alternative Housing Systems
and Administering Cities." which opens this afternoon. It is to include
daily discussions through June 12 on such topics as the relations among
"city, religion and culture," multiculturalism, "youth, narcotics and mental
illness," and city planning.
The Sisli Local Municipality, which includes the "Conference Valley" where
most major Habitat activities will take place, and the Beyoglu Local
Municipality, site of many major hotels, restaurants and shops which the
participants and those traveling with them will patronize, have repaved
streets, relaid sidewalks, planted trees and flowers, cleaned up messes and
otherwise helped Istanbul to present its best possible face to the visitors.
Still in dispute is just how many people are coming to Istanbul for Habitat.
As recently as Friday the U.N. Information Center in Ankara put out that
"some 30,000 people" will be here. But N'Dow Saturday reduced that figure to
20,000 -- "perhaps a little more."
Among them are upwards of 2,000 journalists. They include representatives of
all the world's major media, lots of minor ones, many "freelancers," who
peddle their wares to smaller media outlets which haven't sent regular staff
members to Istanbul, and workers on special, often partisan journals and
irregular publications which cater to the special interests being discussed
here.
Whatever the numbers, hotels, restaurants and shopkeepers throughout
Istanbul are expected to relish the extra income this last major
international conference of the millennium will bring to Istanbul. Many of
the guests are expected to move on to (or have come from) other touristic
and historic sites in Turkey.
And two weeks from now, all concerned hope, Istanbul will have an enhanced
image that will bring it closer to its next goal: the Olympic Games in 2004.
*Gonensay hopes Greek decision to postpone talks a passing phase*
*Yilmaz: Prime minister off to Brussels today to discuss Greek obstructions*
*to customs union with EU leaders...*
*Turkish Daily News*
ANKARA- Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay says he hopes the Greek decision not
to talk to Turkey is temporary and warns a lack of dialogue between the two
countries may create a situation where both countries may be the losers.
Gonensay, speaking to reporters on his arrival in Berlin to attend the NATO
ministerial council, said he hoped the avenues to start dialogue between the
two countries would not remain closed permanently and added: "I hope common
sense will prevail in Athens and the Greeks will agree to finding a mutually
acceptable solution to our outstanding disputes."
Gonensay said he had met with Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos in
Toronto, Canada during the Bildenberg conference and reported "We shook
^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
hands, had coffee together and our talks always remained within the limits
of a civilized conversation," Gonensay said.
The Turkish foreign minister was due to meet with Pangalos officially during
the Berlin NATO council but Greece announced it had cancelled the talks
because it felt the political instability in Ankara would prevent fruitful
discussions.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will fly to Brussels this evening to
meet European Union officials and press them to find a way to overcome Greek
obstructions to Turkey's membership of the customs union.
According to the customs union agreement, the EU is supposed to give Turkey
ecu 375 million in aid but this has been stalled by Greece. Greece is also
obstructing Turkey politically at the EU.
Yilmaz, who will be meeting with EU Commissioner Jacques Santer, will press
for the EU to tame Greece, sources close to Yilmaz said.
Yilmaz is expected to return home on Wednesday after meeting Belgian Prime
Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene.
*Boutros-Ghali declines to offer new proposal to Cypriot leaders*
*UN secretary-general denies reports about plans forcing Ankara to withdraw*
*its troops from Cyprus*
*Turkish Daily News*
ANKARA- U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said on Sunday he would
not impose any proposals during his separate meetings with Turkish Cypriot
President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides.
Speaking at a press conference in Ankara's Esenboga airport before his
departure to Istanbul for the opening of the Habitat II conference,
Boutros-Ghali denied the reports about plans to force Ankara to withdraw its
troops from the Mediterranean island.
"I have not come out with such a proposal. It is the two communities living
on the island who will decide on this. We are not in a position to impose
any solution. As the United Nations, our role is a fair mediation," he said.
Boutros-Ghali reportedly plans to confer with Denktas in Istanbul on June 5
and with Clerides in Geneva on June 11.
"I have observed a sincere will in the attitude of Ankara toward a peaceful
and lasting solution."
Asked whether he agreed with the complaints about the United Nations'
failure to stop the war in Bosnia, the secretary-general said: "We have been
criticized not only for our role in Bosnia, but also for our peace
operations in El Salvador, Angola, Somalia and Mozambique. We failed in
Somalia. However, we were able to stop the war in Cambodia that had killed
over a million people. We also reached a solution in Angola and Bosnia. We
are trying solve huge problems with a limited fund. That is really a
difficult task."
The secretary-general said the U.N. oil-for-food deal with Iraq was only a
humanitarian decision and had nothing to do with other U.N. regulations
against Iraq.
"This is the first step. The implementation of the deal could create a new
atmosphere for the development of relations between Iraq and the
international community," Boutros-Ghali said.
*Turkey's state firms have TL 1.144 quadrillion debts*
*Turkish Daily News*
ANKARA- Turkey's mostly loss-making state economic enterprises, including
those slated for privatization, had an outstanding debt stock worth TL 1.144
quadrillion at the end of March 1996, official figures have revealed.
That compares with a debt stock of TL 1.001 quadrillion at end 1995 and TL
714 trillion at end 1994, the Treasury said. The debt stock rose 14.3
percent from end 1995 and 60.2 percent from end 1994.
It said TL 598.2 trillion of the debt stock at end March, or 52 percent, was
domestic debt and TL 546 trillion, or 48 percent, foreign debt. At end 1995,
TL 532.3 trillion of the debt stock, 53.2 percent, was domestic debt and TL
468.8 trillion, 46.8 percent, foreign debt.
However, the Treasury pointed out, the debt stock in fact dropped by 20
percent from 1994 to 1995 in real terms (taking into account the going rate
of inflation).
Also, the share of state firms' debt stock in M2 money supply dropped from
63 percent in 1994 to 42 percent last year.
The debt stock includes financial liabilities to the commercial banks,
private entities, government agencies, producers, other state firms and to
the Treasury, as well as items such as rediscount loans, tax debts and
social security premiums. Of those, the Treasury said, tax debts, totalling
TL 160.6 trillion at end 1995, accounted for the largest debt item. Debts to
the Treasury were TL 115.2 trillion and to the government agencies TL 79.8
trillion.
The Treasury statistics showed that state firms' foreign debts from 1994 to
1995 increased in Turkish lira terms but decreased in U.S.-dollar terms.
They said the foreign debt stock went up from TL 312.2 trillion in 1994 to
TL 468.9 trillion a year after but dropped 5 percent in dollar terms.
Treasury economists said the fiscal pressures on the economy sourcing from
those debts diminished last year. The decline, in real terms, was an
indication of this, they said.
They also said one primary reason for the decrease was Turkey's commitments
to the IMF as part of a standby agreement commenced in July 1994, which
expired last February.
A set of performance criteria that Ankara committed to the IMF brought
obstacles to the borrowing of state economic enterprises. Limitations
particularly curbed borrowing at the Turkish Grain Board (TMO), national
power company TEAS, power distribution firm TEDAS, state sugar refineries
Turkseker, coal company TTK, state monopoly administration Tekel, state
railways firm DDY and steel and iron producer TDCI.