World Habitat Day will be celebrated on 3 October 2011 and the Global Celebration will be hosted by the Government of Mexico

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day.  This year, World Habitat Day will be celebrated on 3 October 2011 and the Global Celebration will be hosted by the Government of Mexico. The idea is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of all, to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat. The United Nations chose the theme Cities and Climate Change was chosen because climate change is fast becoming the preeminent development challenge of the 21st century. Indeed, no-one today can really foresee the predicament in which a town or city will find itself in 10, 20 or 30 years time. In this new urban era with most of humanity now living in towns and cities, we must bear in mind that the greatest impacts of disasters resulting from climate change begin and end in cities. Cities too have a great influence on climate change. Saturday, October 1st and Sunday October 2nd, 2011 10:00 - 20:00 Delegates and guests registration at the Descubre Museum Monday, October 3rd 2011 10:30 - 12:00 World Habitat Day Ceremony at the Aguascalientes Theater Opening of the World Habitat Day Ceremony Welcome by the State Governor of Aguascalientes Statement by Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Presentation of the 2011 Scroll of Honour Awards by UN-HABITAT Presentation of 2011 World Habitat Award by the Building and Social Housing Foundation Statement by the Secretary of Social Development, Mexico Presentation of the 2011 Best City Living Award to municipalities by the Federal Government of Mexico for best practices Statement by Lic. Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico Photograph of the winners 16:00 - 19:00 Presentation and discussion panel by winners and experts, relating to Cities and Climate Change at the Descubre Museum 16:00 - 17:00 Cities in the World – UN HABITAT State of the World´s Cities Report 2010- 2011 (Presentation by the UN, two panelists, one from SEDESOL and one local) 17:00 - 18:00 Cities and Climate Change – Global Report on Human Settlements 2011 (Presentation by the UN, two panelists, one from SEDESOL and one local) 18:00 - 19:00 Presentation of initiatives and good practices by 2011 Scroll of Honour and World Habitat Award Winners PARALLEL ACTIVITIES DURING THE HABITAT WEEK Tuesday, October 4th 2011     10:15 - 11:15 Autonomous University of Aguascalientes Opening Ceremony with address by the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT , the Social Development Secretary, the Governor of the State of Aguascalientes and the Rector of the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes 11:15 - 11:45 Keynote address by Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations XIV National Congress for Institutions in education of territorial planning, Urbanism and Urban Design (ANPUD) XI Congress of the Latin American Association of Urbanism and Planning Schools (ALEUP) National Workshop for urban environmental projects 12:00 - 13:30 Global Parliamentarians on Habitat Meeting of the Board of Directors – Global Parliamentarians on Habitat at the San Marcos room at the Quinta Real Hotel, under the chairmanship of Dp. Peter Götz. (Opening for the Meeting of the Board of Directors for the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat by UN-HABITAT Executive Director, the Secretary for Social Development and the State Governor of Aguascalientes) English 26-Sep-11

Info: http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?typeid=19&catid=669&cid=10272