Shelter for all

The Second United Nations' Conference on Human Settlement, Habitat II, opened in Istanbul yesterday, taking on the task of finding a solution to one of the greatest challenges facing mankind: How to provide adequate shelter for everyone in a world with an increasing population. The size of the task is illustrated by the number of participants who will tackle the issue and its related topics in the coming two weeks. More than 15,000 delegates from over 150 countries, comprising government officials, city administrators, scholars and representatives of non-government organizations have gathered in the historic Turkish city.

This meeting is the last of a series of five conferences that the world body has held in recent years, covering such topics as the environment, population, women and social development.

Like many previous UN conferences, the Istanbul meeting has unfortunately degenerated into the usual pattern of conflicts: developing countries versus the developed countries over funding, non-governmental organizations versus governments on the question of human rights, and several other clashes that have typically characterized big meetings. While these conflicts do exist, they have gained more than their share of the limelight and eclipsed the real problem, because, in part they are being played up by news-hungry media which thrive on disputes. The media are not solely to blame though. Some delegations have apparently gone to Istanbul with a "conflict mind-set".

The Indonesian delegation, led by State Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tandjung, includes NGO representatives who, according to a report in Kompas yesterday, are expected to counter critics of Jakarta's housing and resettlement policies. They will also counter any accusation that this country's development process has led to the marginalization of some indigenous people. Akbar also intends to emphasize the successes of Indonesia's housing and settlement policies of the last 25 years or so.

We have no doubt about the seriousness of the government's intention to provide shelter for everyone. After all, Article 27 of the 1945 Constitution states that every citizen is entitled "to work and a living befitting human beings", which many automatically assume to include decent shelter. In essence, Indonesia is already ahead of Istanbul in terms of recognizing people's right to housing, although the constitution does not say it explicitly. It is one thing however to recognize people's basic rights, and another meeting them. And it is another matter altogether to recognize that we have a problem, and a big one at that, when it comes to providing housing for all.

The Indonesian tradition of the extended family has helped to shield the real problem of homelessness. But sooner or later, this problem will rear its ugly head with land becoming scarcer and housing more expensive to build. The recurrent problem of evictions, especially in big cities but also in rural areas earmarked for reservoirs, should remind us that the problem is already here and is growing.

The Istanbul agenda has also recognized the need not only of providing shelter, but also basic amenities, such as clean water and proper sewerage facilities, which most people expect to come with housing.

None of these problems will be solved by patting ourselves on the back for a job well done over the past 25 years, no matter how well done it was. They won't be solved either by simply dismissing criticism.

The Indonesian delegation, and those from other countries, as well as the NGOs, would be well advised to concentrate their energy on finding solutions to the various problems in hand. Conflicts are unavoidable, and Indonesia needs to answer its critics. But we should not lose the bigger picture of the purpose of the conference. Istanbul is also a rare opportunity for participants to exchange views and experiences on how to overcome a problem which is both global and not just confined to developing countries.