Sustainable human settlements development is essential to sustainable development. The need to intensify efforts and cooperation to improve living conditions in the cities, towns, villages and rural areas throughout the world is recognized. Urban problems are concerns common to both developed and developing countries, although urbanization is occurring most rapidly in developing countries.
Urbanization creates both challenges and opportunities.
Global urbanization is a cross-sectoral phenomenon that has an impact on all aspects of sustainable development. New and additional financial resources from various sources are necessary to achieve the goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world. Local Agenda 21 programmes should also be actively encouraged. Global targets could be established by the Commission on Sustainable Development to promote local Agenda 21 campaigns and to deal with obstacles to local Agenda 21 initiatives. Progress in the implementation of decisions on sectoral issues adopted by the second session of the Commission on Sustainable Development 97.