Nairobi: Angola's ambassador to Kenya, Mário de Azevedo Constantino, on Tuesday reaffirmed the country's commitment to collaborating with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). He emphasized the importance of this partnership in advancing social and economic development, particularly in the areas of territorial and urban planning. According to Angola Press News Agency, Ambassador Constantino expressed Angola's eagerness to strengthen ties with UN-Habitat, especially in initiatives that directly enhance citizens' well-being. His remarks were made during the initial session of the Executive Board of UN-Habitat, occurring from the 25th to the 27th of this month at the organization's headquarters. Ambassador Constantino also conveyed his belief that UN-Habitat's efforts would improve the recruitment process to ensure greater diversity and balance. He stressed the importance of achieving a wide geographical distribution of staff and gender parity, as outlined in Article 8 of the UN Charter. The meeting also addressed financial, budgetary, and administrative matters, including updates on the draft work programme and budget for the United Nations Foundation for Habitat and Human Settlements for 2026. Discussions encompassed the draft strategic plan for 2026-2029, along with briefings on the Sustainable Cities and Communities Foundation and the implementation of normative and operational activities, including reports on 2024 programmatic activities. Participants in the session explored the implementation of sub-programmes, flagship programmes, and technical cooperation activities. The Executive Board, consisting of 36 Member States, welcomes observers, UN Member States not on the board, specialized agencies, and organizations with consultative status with ECOSOC or accredited to the United Nations Habitat Assembly. This session marked Ambassador Constantino's first participation following his accreditation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to Kenya by Presi dent William Ruto of Kenya.
