A/RES/57/275 Acknowledging the holding of the first session of the World Urban Forum, a non-legislative technical forum in which experts are able to exchange views in years when the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) does not meet, and the fifth meeting of the Advisory Committee of Local Authorities, an advisory body to the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Welcoming the efforts made by UN-Habitat to forge partnerships with other United Nations funds and programmes and with international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, Recognizing that the overall thrust of the new strategic vision of UN-Habitat and its emphasis on the two global campaigns on secure tenure and urban governance are strategic points of entry for the effective implementation of the Habitat Agenda, especially for guiding international cooperation in respect of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development, Conscious of the need to achieve greater coherence and effectiveness in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium and the relevant internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, Recognizing the need for increased and predictable financial contributions to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation in the new millennium to ensure timely, effective and concrete results in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium and the relevant internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration and the Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Implementation, particularly in developing countries, Reiterating the call to the Executive Director of UN-Habitat to increase her efforts to strengthen the Foundation in order to achieve its primary operative objective, as set out in resolution 3327 (XXIX), of supporting the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, including supporting shelter, related infrastructure-development programmes and housing-finance institutions and mechanisms, particularly in developing countries, Taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the special session of the General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), 7 on the strengthening of UN-Habitat, 8 and on coordinated implementation of the Habitat Agenda, 9 Underlines the commitments made by Governments to implement the 1. Habitat Agenda 1 and the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, 2 and to the goal of achieving a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers by 2020, as contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration; 3 2. Underlines also the commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, including the commitment to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking water and _______________ 7 A/57/271. A/57/272. 9 E/2002/48. 8 2