In June 1996, the United Nations convened the Second GlobalConference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey. Also known as the City Summit, Habitat II is the last of a series of global conferences that began with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. The fundamental objective of the conference series has been to promote sustainable development -- a paradigm that combines economic development, social prosperity, and environmental protection to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Habitat II focuses on the importance of sustainable urban development.
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