Solheim and Tibaijuka open workshop on rights of use and property rights of the poor

At 09.00 on Thursday 23 March, Minister of International Development Erik Solheim and UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna K. Tibaijuka will open a workshop hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Mapping Authority on the new High Level Commission for strengthening the poor’s rights of use and property rights. The workshop will take place at Vettre Hotel in Asker. It will be followed by a meeting on UN-HABITAT’s global network for land issues.

At the workshop, there will be speakers from various research institutions. In addition, the workshop will be attended by the two Nordic members of the High Commission, former International Development Minister Hilde F. Johnson and former Swedish Finance Minister Allan Larsson.

At 10.00 on Friday 24 March, Ms Tibaijuka and Mr Solheim will have a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Ms Tibaijuka is the highest ranking woman in the UN system. She is, among other things, known for her report criticising President Mugabe’s slum clearance programme in Zimbabwe last year. Ms Tibaijuka og Mr Solheim will be available to the media after the meeting, at approximately 10.45.

Press contact: Information Adviser Odd Naustdal, mobile 91 14 94 90.

For registration and questions concerning the workshop: Jon-Andreas Solberg: joas@mfa.no/22 24 32 09.

Further information on the High Commission and UN-HABITAT:

http://legalempowerment.undp.org

http://odin.dep.no/ud/norsk/tema/utvikling/formalisering/bn.html

http://www.unhabitat.org/gltn