Nairobi, Kenya 27 May 2019/ACP: Within the framework of the first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly, which will be held from 27-31 May 2019, at the headquarters of UN-Habitat in Nairobi under the special theme “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities”, the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) invites the national and international press for a press briefing on Tuesday, 28th, from 15:00-15:45, Press Conference Room at the UN-Complex.
Since its 10th anniversary, the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP), a tripartite
initiative of UN-Habitat, the European Commission and the Group of African, Caribbean and
Pacific States (ACP), now cooperates with 190 cities in 40 countries to integrate informal
settlements into city development plans, governments’ policies, public services and funding.
The Assembly is a call for action for the participating representatives of the PSUP countries
and stakeholders during the conference to share innovative visions on one common goal: to
make PSUP cities inclusive and find solutions to better the living conditions of one billion
slum dwellers worldwide, addressing the most vulnerable groups of slum dwellers first:
Women in the slums often have less power to ensure their rights are upheld, even though
they are commonly the backbones of societies in developing countries. Moreover, PSUP
focuses on the empowerment of the next generation, the youth, in the informal settlements.
Furthermore, during the Assembly the European Commission and the ACP Secretariat will

present a new initiative providing innovative financial mechanisms that can support a
number of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, including PSUP champions, to upscale
their interventions in favour of more sustainable and inclusive cities.
Speakers:
Mr Hon. Léonard-Emile Ognimba, Assistant Secretary-General of Political Affairs and Human
Development, Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP)
Mr Lars Gronvald, Head of Cities Section, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
Ms Célestine Ketcha Courtès, Minister for Settlement and Urban Development, Cameroon
Mr William Bradford Marau, Minister of Lands, Housing and Survey, Solomon Island
Ms Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, Kenya
Mr Hon. Kwasi Boateng Adjei, Statement Deputy Minister, Local Government and Rural
Development, Ghana
Chair: Mr Victor Mokom Kisob, Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Director for UNHabitat