4 September 2012: Joan Clos, Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), announced the winners of the 2012 Scroll of Honor Award. The award recognizes work in the field of human settlements and honors institutions and individuals for their efforts to improve the living conditions in urban centers globally. The five winners were announced during the Sixth World Urban Forum (WUF 6), in Naples, Italy.

Among the winners are the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance (FEICOM) in Cameroon, recognized for assisting municipalities in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including efforts on clean water, access to education and health facilities, and the County of Anji, in the Yangtze River Delta, China, which received the award for transforming Anji city into one of the world’s greenest cities. In Anji city, UN-HABITAT notes, every new building contains a solar power unit, contributing to low per capita energy consumption and improved air quality.

The Sixth World Urban Forum is convening from 1-7 September 2012, with a focus on the theme “The Urban Future,” and features six thematic open dialogues, including one on environment, urban mobility and energy. [UN-Habitat Press Release] [Scroll of Honor Award Winners]