Recalling its resolution 47/180 of 22 December 1992, in which it decided to convene the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) from 3 to 14 June 1996, and to establish both a preparatory committee and an ad hoc secretariat for the Conference,

Reiterating its gratitude to the Government of Turkey for offering to act as host to the Conference, which is to be held at Istanbul,

Noting with satisfaction the progress that has been made so far in the preparations for the Conference, as outlined in the report of the Preparatory Committee for the Conference on its second substantive session and the report of the Secretary-General on preparations for the Conference,

Reaffirming the importance of the principles and concepts set out in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21 for the purpose of guiding the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the Conference,

Recalling also its resolution 49/109 of 19 December 1994, in which, inter alia, it decided that a third substantive session of the Preparatory Committee would be held at United Nations Headquarters early in 1996 to complete the preparatory work for the Conference,

1.Endorses the report of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) on its second substantive session (Nairobi, 24 April-5 May 1995), which contains, inter alia, decision II/1 on the financing of the Conference and its preparatory activities, decision II/3 on the recommendations of the Preparatory Committee on the organization of work of the Conference, including the holding of pre-conference consultations on 1 and 2 June 1996, the establishment of committees and other procedural matters and decision II/4 on the rules of procedure for the Conference;

2.Decides that the third session of the Preparatory Committee will be held at United Nations Headquarters from 5 to 16 February 1996;

3.Requests the Secretary-General to make the necessary provisions, within existing resources, so that the Preparatory Committee may, if it so decides, establish two working groups to meet in addition to plenary meetings for the duration of the third session;

4.Notes with interest the call by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to give the Conference the dimensions of a "city summit", and reaffirms that the Conference should be held at the highest possible level of participation;

5.Expresses its sincere appreciation to those States and organizations that have made or pledged financial or other contributions in support of the preparatory activities for the Conference, and requests the Secretary-General of the Conference to continue to make every effort to raise the extrabudgetary resources required for Conference activities and preparations;

6.Renews its appeal to all Governments, especially the Governments of developed countries and other Governments in a position to do so, as well as to international and regional financial institutions, to make substantial contributions to the voluntary fund established by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/180 for the purpose of financing preparatory activities for the Conference and supporting developing countries, in particular the least developed among them, in participating fully and effectively in the Conference and its preparatory process;

7.Encourages all relevant non-governmental organizations that are interested, especially organizations from developing countries, to participate in and contribute to the Conference and its preparatory process on the basis of the procedures adopted at recent United Nations conferences;

8.Invites the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session on the implementation of and follow-up to the outcome of the Conference undertaken by the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, including the role played by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements in that process;

9.Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first session under the item "Sustainable development and international economic cooperation" a sub-item entitled "United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)".

96th plenary meeting
20 December 1995