A/HRC/20/35 also raised this question. He regrets that a rights-based approach has still not been adopted by all those involved, in particular by humanitarian organizations. A. Persons living in camps 68. During his various missions the Independent Expert regularly visited several camps to check on developments there. According to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in March 2012 some 491,000 people, or 130,791 families, were still living in 660 camps in the regions most affected by the earthquake. According to the latest statistical study by IOM,20 36 per cent of the original populations of the camps have been living at locations for displaced persons since the height of the displacement crisis. 69. At the beginning of 2012 the pace of departure from the camps slowed considerably owing to the complexity of the urban displacement crisis, the housing shortage and poverty. The living conditions of homeless Haitians are still extremely difficult. Many are still living in shelters consisting of plastic sheeting which in the hurricane season are shaken by strong winds and flooded by the rains. Most (60 per cent) of the displaced population remains grouped in 61 “major” locations housing more than 500 families. Such sites account for no more than 8 per cent of all locations, thus confirming that there is a trend towards further concentration in the major camps, as already noted in previous reports. 70. The Housing and Public Buildings Unit, set up as a joint initiative of the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister, is operating, and the pace of relocation has picked up. A pilot relocation project known as the 16/6 project (named for 16 districts in three towns: Port-au-Prince, Delmas and Pétionville) is making it possible for displaced people in six public areas to return to 16 communities currently being refurbished. 71. The Government’s resettlement strategy is now concentrating on clearing public areas, while efforts are being made to rebuild neighbourhoods damaged by the earthquake. The announced aim is to make such communities attractive by setting up a small-scale local economy, thus encouraging people to leave the camps. 72. During his previous mission, the Independent Expert welcomed the intention of the Haitian Government to meet the challenges of urbanization by declaring the Corail camp and the unofficial Canaan and Jerusalem sites to be of public interest, thus securing land rights and facilitating community planning in the areas in question. Nonetheless — notwithstanding the fact that the position is not an easy one and is unpopular — the Independent Expert supports the strategy put forward by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), under which basic services are to be provided on a permanent basis through local taxation. This means the residents of unplanned neighbourhoods become “taxpayers”, with the commune acting as a genuine service provider. A local “social contract” of this type, which must be based on the rights and responsibilities of both parties (citizens and municipal authorities), will in the end allow for the harmonious redevelopment of the locations in question. 73. As for the future of the unofficial camps and sites, the Independent Expert points out that in order to close camps that house families displaced by the earthquake, the future of existing camps must first be determined, quite apart from those covered by the 16/6 project mentioned above. It is important to avoid neglecting the camps that are not included in the presidential programme, and to set out a strategy for each camp. The Government should establish and communicate to the public the criteria it will use to determine which camps 20 14 See http://www.eshelter-cccmhaiti.info/pdf/DTM_V2_Report_September_French.pdf. GE.12-13208