THE VANCOUVER DECLARATION
ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, 1976
Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements,
Aware that the Conference was convened following
recommendation of the United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment and subsequent resolutions of the General Assembly,
particularly resolution 3128 (XXVIII) by which the nations of the
world expressed their concern over the extremely serious condition
of human settlements, particularly that which prevails in
developing countries,
Recognizing that international co-operation, based on the
principles of the United Nations Charter, has to be developed and
strengthened in order to provide solutions for world problems and
to create an international community based on equity, justice and
solidarity,
Recalling the decisions of the United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment, as well as the recommendations of the World
Population Conference, the United Nations World Food Conference,
the Second General Conference of the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization, the World Conference of the
International Women's Year; the Declaration and Programme of
Action adopted by the sixth special session of the General
Assembly of the United Nations and the Charter of Economic Rights
and Duties of States that establish the basis of the New
International Economic Order,
Noting that the condition of human settlements largely
determines the quality of life, the improvement of which is a
prerequisite for the full satisfaction of basic needs, such as
employment, housing, health services, education and recreation,
Recognizing that the problems of human settlements are not
isolated from the social and economic development of countries and
that they cannot be set apart from existing unjust international
economic relations,
Being deeply concerned with the increasing difficulties facing
the world in satisfying the basic needs and aspirations of peoples
consistent with principles of human dignity,
Recognizing that the circumstances of life for vast numbers of
people in human settlements are unacceptable, particularly in
developing countries, and that, unless positive and concrete
action is taken at national and international levels to find and
implement solutions, these conditions are likely to be further
aggravated, as a result of:
Inequitable economic growth, reflected in the wide disparities
in wealth which now exist between countries and between human
beings and which condemn millions of people to a life of poverty,
without satisfying the basic requirements for food, education,
health services, shelter, environmental hygiene, water and energy;
Social, economic, ecological and environmental deterioration
which are exemplified at the national and international levels by
inequalities in living conditions, social segregation, racial
discrimination, acute unemployment, illiteracy, disease and
poverty, the breakdown of social relationships and traditional
cultural values and the increasing degradation of life-supporting
resources of air, water and land;
World population growth trends which indicate that numbers of
mankind in the next 25 years would double, thereby more than
doubling the need for food, shelter and all other requirements for
life and human dignity which are at the present inadequately met;
Uncontrolled urbanization and consequent conditions of
overcrowding, pollution, deterioration and psychological tensions
in metropolitan regions;
Rural backwardness which compels a large majority of mankind
to live at the lowest standards of living and contribute to
uncontrolled urban growth;
Rural dispersion exemplified by small scattered settlements
and isolated homesteads which inhibit the provision of
infrastructure and services, particularly those relating to water,
health and education;
Involuntary migration, politically, racially, and economically
motivated, relocation and expulsion of people from their national
homeland,
Recognizing also that the establishment of a just and
equitable world economic order through necessary changes in the
areas of international trade, monetary systems, industrialization,
transfer of resources, transfer of technology, and the consumption
of world resources, is essential for socio-economic development
and improvement of human settlement, particularly in developing
countries,
Recognizing further that these problems pose a formidable
challenge to human understanding, imagination, ingenuity and
resolve, and that new priorities to promote the qualitative
dimensions to economic development, as well as a new political
commitment to find solutions resulting in the practical
implementation of the New International Economic Order, become
imperative:
I. Opportunities and solutions
1. Mankind must not be daunted by the scale of the task ahead.
There is need for awareness of and responsibility for increased
activity of the national Governments and international community,
aimed at mobilization of economic resources, institutional changes
and international solidarity by:
(a) Adopting bold, meaningful and effective human settlement
policies and spatial planning strategies realistically adapted to
local conditions;
(b) Creating more livable, attractive and efficient
settlements which recognize human scale, the heritage and culture
of people and the special needs of disadvantaged groups especially
children, women and the infirm in order to ensure the provision of
health, services, education, food and employment within a
framework of social justice;
(c) Creating possibilities for effective participation by all
people in the planning, building and management of their human
settlements;
(d) Developing innovative approaches in formulating and
implementing settlement programmes through more appropriate use of
science and technology and adequate national and international
financing;
(e) Utilizing the most effective means of communications for
the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of human
settlements;
(f) Strengthening bonds of international co-operation both
regionally and globally;
(g) Creating economic opportunities conducive to full
employment where, under healthy, safe conditions, women and men
will be fairly compensated for their labour in monetary, health
and other personal benefits.
2. In meeting this challenge, human settlements must be seen
as an instrument and object of development. The goals of
settlement policies are inseparable from the goals of every sector
of social and economic life. The solutions to the problems of
human settlements must therefore be conceived as an integral part
of the development process of individual nations and the world
community.
3. With these opportunities and considerations in mind, and
being agreed on the necessity of finding common principles that
will guide Governments and the world community in solving the
problems of human settlements, the Conference proclaims the
following general principles and guidelines for action.
II. General principles
1. The improvement of the quality of life of human beings is
the first and most important objective of every human settlement
policy. These policies must facilitate the rapid and continuous
improvement in the quality of life of all people, beginning with
the satisfaction of the basic needs of food, shelter, clean water,
employment, health, education, training, social security without
any discrimination as to race, colour, sex, language, religion,
ideology, national or social origin or other cause, in a frame of
freedom, dignity and social justice.
2. In striving to achieve this objective, priority must be
given to the needs of the most disadvantaged people.
3. Economic development should lead to the satisfaction of
human needs and is a necessary means towards achieving a better
quality of life, provided that it contributes to a more equitable
distribution of its benefits among people and nations. In this
context particular attention should be paid to the accelerated
transition in developing countries from primary development to
secondary development activities, and particularly to industrial
development.
4. Human dignity and the exercise of free choice consistent
with over-all public welfare are basic rights which must be
assured in every society. It is therefore the duty of all people
and Governments to join the struggle against any form of
colonialism, foreign aggression and occupation, domination,
apartheid and all forms of racism and racial discrimination
referred to in the resolutions as adopted by the General Assembly
of the United Nations.
5. The establishment of settlements in territories occupied by
force is illegal. It is condemned by the international community.
However, action still remains to be taken against the
establishment of such settlements.
6. The right of free movement and the right of each individual
to choose the place of settlement within the domain of his own
country should be recognized and safeguarded.
7. Every State has the sovereign and inalienable right to
choose its economic system, as well as its political, social and
cultural system, in accordance with the will of its people,
without interference, coercion or external threat of any kind.
8. Every State has the right to exercise full and permanent
sovereignty over its wealth, natural resources and economic
activities, adopting the necessary measures for the planning and
management of its resources, providing for the protection,
preservation and enhancement of the environment.
9. Every country should have the right to be a sovereign
inheritor of its own cultural values created throughout its
history, and has the duty to preserve them as an integral part of
the cultural heritage of mankind.
10. Land is one of the fundamental elements in human
settlements. Every State has the right to take the necessary steps
to maintain under public control the use, possession, disposal and
reservation of land. Every State has the right to plan and
regulate use of land, which is one of its most important
resources, in such a way that the growth of population centres
both urban and rural are based on a comprehensive land use plan.
Such measures must assure the attainment of basic goals of social
and economic reform for every country, in conformity with its
national and land tenure system and legislation.
11. The nations must avoid the pollution of the biosphere and
the oceans and should join in the effort to end irrational
exploitation of all environmental resources, whether non-renewable
or renewable in the long term. The environment is the common
heritage of mankind and its protection is the responsibility of
the whole international community. All acts by nations and people
should therefore be inspired by a deep respect for the protection
of the environmental resources upon which life itself depends.
12. The waste and misuse of resources in war and armaments
should be prevented. All countries should make a firm commitment
to promote general and complete disarmament under strict and
effective international control, in particular in the field of
nuclear disarmament. Part of the resources thus released should be
utilized so as to achieve a better quality of life for humanity
and particularly the peoples of developing countries.
13. All persons have the right and the duty to participate,
individually and collectively in the elaboration and
implementation of policies and programmes of their human
settlements.
14. To achieve universal progress in the quality of life, a
fair and balanced structure of the economic relations between
States has to be promoted. It is therefore essential to implement
urgently the New International Economic Order, based on the
Declaration and Programme of Action approved by the General
Assembly in its sixth special session, and on the Charter of
Economic Rights and Duties of States.
15. The highest priority should be placed on the
rehabilitation of expelled and homeless people who have been
displaced by natural or man-made catastrophes, and especially by
the act of foreign aggression. In the latter case, all countries
have the duty to fully co-operate in order to guarantee that the
parties involved allow the return of displaced persons to their
homes and to give them the right to possess and enjoy their
properties and belongings without interference.
16. Historical settlements, monuments and other items of
national heritage, including religious heritage, should be
safeguarded against any acts of aggression or abuse by the
occupying Power.
17. Every State has the sovereign right to rule and exercise
effective control over foreign investments, including the
transnational corporations - within its national jurisdiction,
which affect directly or indirectly the human settlements
programmes.
18. All countries, particularly developing countries, must
create conditions which make possible the full integration of
women and youth in political, economic and social activities,
particularly in the planning and implementation of human
settlement proposals and in all the associated activities, on the
basis of equal rights, in order to achieve an efficient and full
utilization of available human resources, bearing in mind that
women constitute half of the world population.
19. International co-operation is an objective and a common
duty of all States, and necessary efforts must therefore be made
to accelerate the social and economic development of developing
countries, within the framework of favourable external conditions,
which are compatible with their needs and aspirations and which
contains the due respect for the sovereign equality of all States.
III. Guidelines for action
1. It is recommended that Governments and international
organizations should make every effort to take urgent action as
set out in the following guidelines:
2. It is the responsibility of Governments to prepare spatial
strategy plans and adopt human settlement policies to guide the
socio-economic development efforts. Such policies must be an
essential component of an over-all development strategy, linking
and harmonizing them with policies on industrialization,
agriculture, social welfare, and environmental and cultural
preservation so that each supports the other in a progressive
improvement in well-being of all mankind.
3. A human settlement policy must seek harmonious integration
or co-ordination of a wide variety of components, including, for
example, population growth and distribution, employment, shelter,
land use, infrastructure and services. Governments must create
mechanisms and institutions to develop and implement such a
policy.
4. It is of paramount importance that national and
international efforts give priority to improving the rural
habitat. In this context, efforts should be made towards the
reduction of disparities between rural and urban areas, as needed
between regions and within urban areas themselves, for a
harmonious development of human settlements.
5. The demographic, natural and economic characteristics of
many countries, require policies on growth and distribution of
population, land tenure and localization of productive activities
to ensure orderly processes of urbanization and arrange for
rational occupation of rural space.
6. Human settlement policies and programmes should define and
strive for progressive minimum standards for an acceptable quality
of life. These standards will vary within and between countries,
as well as over periods of time, and therefore must be subject to
change in accordance with conditions and possibilities. Some
standards are most appropriately defined in quantitative terms,
thus providing precisely defined targets at the local and national
levels. Others must be qualitative, with their achievement subject
to felt need. At the same time, social justice and a fair sharing
of resources demand the discouragement of excessive consumption.
7. Attention must also be drawn to the detrimental effects of
transposing standards and criteria that can only be adopted by
minorities and could heighten inequalities, the misuse of
resources and the social, cultural and ecological deterioration of
the developing countries.
8. Adequate shelter and services are a basic human right which
places an obligation on Governments to ensure their attainment by
all people, beginning with direct assistance to the least
advantaged through guided programmes of self-help and community
action. Governments should endeavour to remove all impediments
hindering attainments of these goals. Of special importance is the
elimination of social and racial segregation, inter alia, through
the creation of better balanced communities, which blend different
social groups, occupation, housing and amenities.
9. Health is an essential element in the development of the
individual and one of the goals of human settlement policies
should be to improve environmental health conditions and basic
health services.
10. Basic human dignity is the right of people, individually
and collectively, to participate directly in shaping the policies
end programmes affecting their lives. The process of choosing and
carrying out a given course of action for human settlement
improvement should be designed expressly to fulfil that right.
Effective human settlement policies require a continuous
co-operative relationship between a Government and its people at
all levels. It is recommended that national Governments promote
programmes that will encourage and assist local authorities to
participate to a greater extent in national development.
11. Since a genuine human settlement policy requires the
effective participation of the entire population, recourse must
therefore be made at all times to technical arrangements
permitting the use of all human resources, both skilled and
unskilled. The equal participation of women must be guaranteed.
These goals must be associated with a global training programme to
facilitate the introduction and use of technologies that maximize
productive employment.
12. International and national institutions should promote and
institute education programmes and courses in the subject of
"human settlements".
13. Land is an essential element in development of both urban
and rural settlements. The use and tenure of land should be
subject to public control because of its limited supply through
appropriate measures and legislation including agrarian reform
policies - as an essential basis for integrated rural
development - that will facilitate the transfer of economic
resources to the agricultural sector and the promotion of the
agro-industrial effort, so as to improve the integration and
organization of human settlements, in accordance with national
development plans and programmes. The increase in the value of
land as a result of public decision and investment should be
recaptured for the benefit of society as a whole. Governments
should also ensure that prime agricultural land is destined to its
most vital use.
14. Human settlements are characterized by significant
disparities in living standards and opportunities. Harmonious
development of human settlements requires the reduction of
disparities between rural and urban areas, between regions and
within regions themselves. Governments should adopt policies which
aim at decreasing the differences between living standards and
opportunities in urban and non-urban areas. Such policies at the
national level should be supplemented by policies designed to
reduce disparities between countries within the framework of the
New International Economic Order.
15. In achieving the socio-economic and environmental
objectives of the development of human settlements, high priority
should be given to the actual design and physical planning
processes which have as their main tasks the synthesis of various
planning approaches and the transformation of broad and general
goals into specific design solutions. The sensitive and
comprehensive design methodologies related to the particular
circumstances of time and space, and based on consideration of the
human scale should be pursued and encouraged.
16. The design of human settlements should aim at providing a
living environment in which identities of individuals, families
and societies are preserved and adequate means for maintaining
privacy, the possibility of face-to-face interactions and public
participation in the decision-making process are provided.
17. A human settlement is more than a grouping of people,
shelter and work places. Diversity in the characteristics of human
settlements reflecting cultural and aesthetic values must be
respected and encouraged and areas of historical, religious or
archaelogical importance and nature areas of special interest
preserved for posterity. Places of worship, especially in areas of
expanding human settlements, should be provided and recognized in
order to satisfy the spiritual and religious needs of different
groups in accordance with freedom of religious expression.
18. Governments and the international community should
facilitate the transfer of relevant technology and experience and
should encourage and assist the creation of endogenous technology
better suited to the socio-cultural characteristics and patterns
of population by means of bilateral or multilateral agreements
having regard to the sovereignty and interest of the participating
States. The knowledge and experience accumulated on the subject of
human settlements should be available to all countries. Research
and academic institutions should contribute more fully to this
effort by giving greater attention to human settlements problems.
19. Access should be granted, on more favourable terms, to
modern technology, which should be adapted, as necessary, to the
specific economic, social and ecological conditions and to the
different stages of development of the developing countries.
Efforts must be made to ensure that the commercial practices
governing the transfer of technology are adapted to the needs of
the developing countries and to ensure that buyers' rights are not
abused.
20. International, technical and financial co-operation by the
developed countries with the developing countries must be
conducted on the basis of respect for national sovereignty and
national development plans and programmes and designed to solve
problems relating to projects, under human settlement programmes,
aimed at enhancing the quality of life of the inhabitants.
21. Due attention should be given to implementation of
conservation and recycling technologies.
22. In the planning and management of human settlements,
Governments should take into consideration all pertinent
recommendations on human settlements planning which have emerged
from earlier conferences dealing with the quality of life and
development problems which affect it, starting with the high
global priority represented by the transformation of the economic
order at the national and international levels (sixth and seventh
special sessions), the environmental impact of human settlements
(Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment), the housing and
sanitary ramifications of population growth (World Population
Conference, Bucharest), rural development and the need to increase
food supply (World Food Conference, Rome) and the effect on women
of housing and urban development (International Women's
Conference, Mexico City).
23. While planning new human settlements of restructuring
existing ones, a high priority should be given to the promotion of
optimal and creative conditions of human coexistence. This implies
the creation of a well-structured urban space on a human scale,
the close interconnexion of the different urban functions, the
relief of urban man from intolerable psychological tensions due to
overcrowding and chaos, the creation of chances of human
encounters and the elimination of urban concepts leading to human
isolation.
24. Guided by the foregoing principles, the international
community must exercise its responsibility to support national
efforts to meet the human settlements challenges facing them.
Since resources of Governments are inadequate to meet all needs,
the international community should provide the necessary financial
and technical assistance, evolve appropriate institutional
arrangements and seek new effective ways to promote them. In the
meantime, assistance to developing countries must at least reach
the percentage targets set in the International Development
Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade.
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