Statement of the UNFPA Executive Director Launch of The State of World Population 2007 Report 27 June 2007 Thank you for joining us today. It is a pleasure, once again, to be in London to launch The State of World Population 2007 report from UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. I am also pleased to share with you the youth supplement, Growing up Urban, which features incredible stories of young people in cities around the world. It presents the challenges of urbanization through the eyes of young people. This is our 30th State of World Population report and, this year, our topic is urbanization. In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the world00 people will be living in towns and cities. That00 half of all people on Earth. And by 2030, urban population is expected to swell to almost 5 billion0060 per cent of world population. Globally, all future population growth will be in cities, and nearly all in today00 developing countries. Many of these cities already have pressing concerns, including poverty, crime, lack of clean water and sanitation, and sprawling slums. But these problems pale in comparison with those that could be raised by future growth. Our primary concern in this report is Africa and Asia. Within a single generation, the urban population in Africa and Asia is set to double. Between 2000 and 2030, Asia00 urban population will grow from 1.4 billion to 2.6 billion, Africa00 from nearly 300 million to 740 million, and that of Latin America and the Caribbean from nearly 400 million to more than 600 million. We have never seen urban growth like this in history in terms of its speed and scale. Yet, the impact of future growth has not captured public imagination. And surprisingly little is being done to maximize the potential benefits of this transformation or to reduce its potentially negative consequences. Most cities struggle to meet current needs and they are quite unprepared for future growth. This year00 State of World Population report is a call to action. The vast urban expansion in developing countries has global implications and requires a global response. Urbanization is inevitable. The train is in motion and together we have to make sure we are on the right track. Urbanization can and should be a force for good. No country in the industrialized age has ever achieved significant economic growth without urbanization. Cities concentrate poverty, but they also represent poor people00 best hope of escaping it. Cities create environmental problems, but they also create solutions. But to take advantage of these opportunities, cities need to prepare now for the coming growth. If they wait, it will be too late. This wave of urban growth is without precedent. The changes are too large and too fast to allow planners and policymakers simply to react. The report urges far-sighted analysis and proactive measures. I would like to highlight a few of the most pressing issues and possible responses. For one thing, we know that poor people will make up a large part of future urban growth. Therefore, they must be part of the solution. Realistic planning calls for explicit consideration of the needs, rights and participation of slum dwellers and the urban poor. Today, a billion people live in slums, 90 per cent of whom are in developing countries. The battle to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, will be waged in the world00 slums. To win it, policymakers need to be proactive and start working with the urban poor so they can lift themselves out of poverty. The only way to meet and defeat urban poverty is head-on, helping the poor find solutions to their own problems. Organizations of the urban poor, including women00 organizations, are increasingly powerful and should be supported. They have often come up with creative solutions to housing and other community needs, often in the face of opposition. A major issue is land. Providing minimally serviced land for the poor will help meet present and future needs. With secure tenure, street access, water, sanitation, waste disposal and power, poor people will do their own building. An address can be the first step out of poverty. The focus should be where most growth is occurring. While much attention, so far, has been paid to mega-cities, most growth will actually happen in smaller cities of half a million people or fewer. In response to this, greater attention00n the form of resources, information and technical capacity00ust be geared to smaller cities. The report also finds that climate change will affect poor countries, cities and individuals more severely. Poor people living on sea coasts or at the mouths of great rivers are especially vulnerable to rises in sea levels. In response, the sharing of best practices, technology transfer, and planning ahead offer the best hope of reducing the impact of climate change. The State of World Population also dispels a common myth. Contrary to popular belief, most urban growth is the result of natural increase rather than migration. With a few exceptions, including in China and Viet Nam, most cities are growing from within. In response to this, policymakers should shift the emphasis from stemming migration to delivering social services and investing in women. Investments in education and health, including reproductive health and voluntary family planning, and the empowerment of women are the best way to address urban population growth. Giving priority to women00 empowerment increases the health and well-being of families and communities. Finally, the report draws attention to the large youth population in cities in developing countries, particularly in urban slums. In many developing countries, half of all urban dwellers are under the age of 25. In response, greater investments are needed to provide young people with basic services, employment and housing. Young people are the future and cities are where they can realize their dreams. Failure to invest in urban youth will derail efforts to reduce poverty and increase the potential for urban crisis. In conclusion, I would like to stress that what happens in cities in Africa and Asia and other regions will shape our common future. Now is the time to begin a concerted international effort for Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth, as the title of this year00 report suggests. I will now take questions from representatives of the media. Please state your name and organization.

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