MINISTER of state in the Ministry of Water and Housing Everald Warmington has been elected president of the Governing Council of the United Nations (UN) Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT).

Warmington will be able to use his position to focus the UN body on the needs of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Jamaica.

“As president, I will have to make sure that funds are put aside to look keenly at our slum situation,” Warmington said.

The minister – who will have final say on the work to be done by UN-HABITAT during his two-year tenure – admitted that one of the advantages of being elected president of the Governing Council is that he will be able to advocate for more benefits for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

His signature will be required on all work programmes, draft resolutions, decisions on the location and financing of projects, as well as the general operations of the Governing Council.

The presidency of the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT is selected on a regional basis, with member countries grouped according to regions. Jamaica is a member of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Warmington was nominated by GRULAC and seconded by Zambia on behalf of the African states; Germany on behalf of the countries of the West; Russia on behalf of Eastern Europe; and Pakistan on behalf of the Asian states. He will serve as president from 2009 to 2011.

Later this month, representatives of UN-HABITAT are expected to visit Jamaica to undertake what is known as a Rapid Urban Profiling Study on three urban areas – Montego Bay in St James, May Pen in Clarendon and Old Harbour in St Catherine.

“We will begin studies on those three areas to put a plan in place for improvement, then afterwards we will be looking at financing,” he said.

UN-HABITAT will be training focal points in data collection, with the aim of deciding on possible projects for the selected areas. Jamaica is one of four countries in the region where these studies are to be done. The others are Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda and Haiti.

Warmington is expected to travel to New York next month to present the report of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly. He will meet with the president of the UN’s General Assembly, as well as the UN Secretary General to discuss the budget and the entire programme for UN-HABITAT for the next two years.

In the course of his duties, the state minister will also be required to chair the World Urban Forum to be held next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He noted that one of his roles as president was to meet with delegations from several countries to discuss the proposals and projects during the 22nd sitting.

The Governing Council of UN-HABITAT meets every two years to examine its work as well as its relationships with its partners. Comprised of 58 member states, the Council is a high-level forum of governments at the ministerial level. UN-HABITAT is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, with the goal of providing shelter for all.

Warmington is the third representative from Jamaica to serve in an official capacity on the Governing Council. The current prime minister, Bruce Golding, was elected chairman of the council during its eight session (April 29 to May 10, 1985). Before that he served as vice-chairman during its fifth session (April 26 to May 7, 1982).

The late Gloria Knight also served on the council as rapporteur during the fourth session in 1981.