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3 October 2007
The United Nations Human Rights Council's Special
Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate
standard of living, Miloon Kothari, will undertake an official visit to
Canada starting 9 October 2007, at the invitation of the Canadian
authorities.
During his visit, the Special Rapporteur will travel to
several locations in urban and rural areas, as well as indigenous ones. These
will include Montreal, Kahnawake (Ontario), Ottawa, Edmonton, Lubicon
(Alberta), Vancouver and Toronto.
While in the country, the Special Rapporteur will examine
and report on the status of realization of the right to adequate housing and
other related rights in the country, paying particular attention to four
issues: homelessness, women and adequate housing, indigenous peoples adequate
housing and the effects of mega-events on housing, e.g. the upcoming 2010
Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Mr. Kothari will engage in dialogue with the Government
and civil society on their efforts to secure these rights. He will try to
identify practical solutions and best practices in the realization of rights
related to his mandate. The Special Rapporteur will also attend a number of
civic forums that have been organized in different parts of the country.
The Special Rapporteur's visit to Canada will end on
Monday, 22 October 2007, when he will hold a press conference in Ottawa
Mr. Kothari was appointed in September 2000 as Special
Rapporteur on adequate housing. His mandate involves reporting annually to the
Human Rights Council on the status of the realization of the right to
adequate housing throughout the world, and identifying practical solutions
and good practices towards this end. An architect by training, Mr. Kothari
has extensive experience in the area of housing and land rights. Since his
appointment as Special Rapporteur, he has carried out many missions and
visits to countries such as Romania, Mexico, Peru, Afghanistan, Kenya,
Brazil, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Cambodia, Australia, Spain and South
Africa.
For further information on the mandate and work of the
Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, please consult the website of the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at: http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/housing/index.htm.
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