Topic:
Country: Belgium
Delegate Name: Abby Grocki
With approximately 1.6 billion individuals currently living in informal settlements across the globe, it is transparent the political, economic, and moral disputes taking place that should go no further. The rapid increase in economic opportunities in cities, rural land expenses, catastrophic political events, and natural disasters are the leading factors to refugees and informal settlements. All these have led to a devastating increase from 10% to over 55% of individuals living in cities over the past 200 years. With an United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (number 11) clearly stating the intentions of creating a safe, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient city or settlement expectancy by 2030, action must be taken globally to ensure the success of the UN.
Belgium recognizes the attention to detail regarding the heavily populated capital city of Brussels with 2.2 million of the 12 million individuals living in Belgium. While Brussels is an example of a city impacted by a more dense population, it is searching for strategically counteracting laws and regulations regarding informal settlements within the nation. One affiliation currently residing with Belgium’s practice is the participation of the Cities Alliances, a global partnership used to fight urban poverty and promote the long term programmatic endeavors that will lead to improved city development/ planning, and appropriate policy framework. Belgium reports to have promoted housing finance policies to enable homeownership by the credit of financial institutions in the report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and intends to continue the strength of regulations on informal settlements.
Belgium would look favorably on pursuing the five recommendations of the UNECE to gain better control over informal settlements which include: Providing ownership titles and registering those in property legalization systems while allowing property transactions and mortgages, revision zoning and planning procedures as well as developing regulations and standards, regularizing and upgrading informal settlements, and applying controls and upgrading indivisual constructions. These suggestions lay the foundation of resolving this issue at the source while simultaneously respecting the national sovereignty of each nation. Belgium looks forward to working with the U.S., Netherlands, Germany, and France to end the negative effects of informal settlements.
Works Cited
“- SDG Indicators.” United Nations, United Nations, unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2019/goal-11/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
Belgium Roma Housing – Fundamental Rights Agency, fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/574-RAXEN-Roma%20Housing-Belgium_en.pdf. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
Formalizing the Informal – UNECE, unece.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Formalizing_the_Informal_Challenges_and_Opportunities_of_Informal_Settlements_in_South-East_Europe.pdf. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
Improving Housing in Informal Settlements – Habitat for Humanity, www.habitat.org/sites/default/files/documents/Home-Equals-Launch-Report_Full.pdf. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
OHCHR | Home, www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Housing/Housingfinancing/Belgium.doc. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
“Transitmigration and Urban Arrival Infrastructures in Belgium and the Netherlands.” Transitmigration and Urban Arrival Infrastructures in Belgium and the Netherlands | Research Portal, 1 Sept. 2021, researchportal.be/en/project/transitmigration-and-urban-arrival-infrastructures-belgium-and-netherlands.
“Transitmigration and Urban Arrival Infrastructures in Belgium and the Netherlands.” Transitmigration and Urban Arrival Infrastructures in Belgium and the Netherlands | Research Portal, 1 Sept. 2021, researchportal.be/en/project/transitmigration-and-urban-arrival-infrastructures-belgium-and-netherlands.
