The Congress,

Having regard to:

1. The report on Rio+10: towards the next World Summit on Sustainable Development, presented by Mr Keith Whitmore (United Kingdom, R) on behalf of the Committee on Sustainable Development;

2. The report of the UNECE Regional Ministerial Meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (September 2001);

3. The policy statement of the European Local Government Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (October 2001);

4. The Local Government Dialogue Paper for the World Summit on Sustainable Development: “Accelerating Sustainable Development: Local Action Moves the World”, prepared by ICLEI in collaboration with the International Union for Local Authorities (IULA), and other local government associations (December 2001);

5. The survey on local Agenda 21 undertaken by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) with the support of the UN Secretariat for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (December 2001);

6. Earlier texts adopted by the CLRAE on questions relating to sustainable development, including:

a. Resolution 54 (1997) on sustainable development at local and regional levels;

b. Resolution 55 (1997) and Recommendation 57 (1999) on local and regional economic instruments for the environment;

c. the European Urban Charter, adopted by the CLRAE in March 1992;

Considering that:

7. Over the last decade, local initiatives alone could not shift global trends in favour of sustainability and, in many instances, they have not even solved the most pressing problems;

8. Globalisation and deregulation in this period have fostered development, but not equity or sustainability: there are more than 800 million people worldwide suffering from hunger and malnutrition, and one third of the world's population earns less than U$1 per day;

9. The forces that are pushing development in inequitable and unsustainable directions are deeply entrenched in established institutional, economic and cultural practices. These practices are often systemic and must be changed through a strategic approach to governance;

10. To respond strategically to the challenges of sustainability – and to successfully redirect local, national and global trends – greater political commitment and new approaches will be required;

11. This can be achieved by establishing common sustainable development strategies between spheres of government that approach the issues holistically, address barriers, create mutually reinforcing relationships between the different spheres and sectors of government, and have a long-term focus;

12. The promotion of equity and sustainability as public values requires a strong role for local and regional authorities: if a system of government cannot be responsive and ensure the delivery of basic services at the local level, then the social contract between government and citizens quickly erodes;

Stressing that:

13. European local and regional authorities have an important role to play in the next World Summit on Sustainable Development (to be held in Johannesburg from 26 August to 4 September 2002), given that:

a. local authorities are identified as a major group, as one of nine key “stakeholder” groups in Agenda 21, and will be key to strengthening governance for sustainable development. This is important to complement and connect with work at the national, regional and international levels;

b. local and regional authorities are key in delivering concrete measures, practical actions on the ground and must now concentrate on the implementation of local Agenda 21 programmes;

c. local and regional authorities have a special community leadership role and can build on their experience of multi-stakeholder partnerships, with business, non-governmental organisations and other sectors in civil society;

d. both urban and rural communities have a key role in delivering sustainable development. However, 80% of the European population lives in urban centres that are:

i. the focus for much of the population movement expected over the coming century;

ii. in a unique and key position to implement sustainable development policies;

iii. central to energy efficiency and natural resource conservation;

iv. decisive in securing political, social and economic justice for all citizens;

14. Local and regional authorities must be represented in a strong capacity at the Johannesburg Summit and at the preceding Preparatory Commissions to report on their progress in the field of sustainable development and to take part in elaborating future commitments;

Convinced that:

15. Governments must use their policies and programmes to support sustainable practices and to encourage business and citizens to do the same;

16. Governments must recognise the importance of developing good leadership for sustainable development and support the development of programmes for locally elected officials, municipal administrators, professionals and local civil society representatives;

17. National, regional and local authorities must form alliances and partnerships for action, in consultation with citizens' groups, to accelerate the movement towards sustainability;

18. Adopts the Declaration on Rio+10: towards the next World Summit on Sustainable Development which is appended to this resolution;

19. Decides to send a delegation of the Congress to the next World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg.

Appendix

Declaration

Rio+10: towards the next World Summit on Sustainable Development

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe,

Convinced that:

1. Major political actions are required in all spheres of government to strengthen the link between the global Agenda 21 process, started in Rio in 1992, and local realities;

2. Local Agenda 21, which was the first tentative step towards sustainability at the local level, must be followed by concrete actions to shape secure, equitable, and sustainable communities;

Calls on local and regional authorities to:

3. Reaffirm local and regional commitment to local Agenda 21 or similar multi-stakeholder development planning processes, and link such processes with the annual budgeting and statutory planning activities of the authority;

4. Accelerate the transition toward communities and cities whose policies, plans, and actions are directed towards and supportive of sustainability;

5. Create targeted programmes to support the development of local leadership for sustainable development, including locally elected officials, municipal administrators, professionals, and local civil society representatives.

6. Engage civil society and the private sector in the promotion of equity and sustainability by increasing accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness in governance;

7. Promote the equal participation of women and men, the young and old, and other marginalised groups, in local decision making;

8. Redesign traditional departments and utilities so that they are rewarded primarily for achieving equity and sustainability outcomes;

9. Redesign the current diversity of planning and management instruments to create a consistent framework for local sustainable development with an efficient use of financial, human, and natural resources;

10. Redesign traditional mechanisms for resource allocation to take account of social and environmental consequences. This would mean the full assessment of the local sustainability implications of public policies and the establishment and enforcement of criteria for sustainable land use as well as transport, energy and water management;

11. Develop co-ordinated approaches to urban land management issues including the establishment of guidelines for the sustainable planning and management of land resources and transport infrastructure, following the principles of the European Urban Charter;

12. Orient urban planning and investment towards resource-efficient structures to make the most economical use of resources and to reduce pollution and waste, thereby decreasing supply risks and increasing the resilience of our urban systems;

13. Undertake risk analysis and risk management of their area to identify risk-prone buildings and infrastructure, systematically reducing their vulnerability to create more resilient living environments;

14. Plan and invest for an accelerated transition from the fossil to the alternative energy age, that draws upon alternative energy in its various forms, including solar, wind, hydro power and biomass, both for stationary and transportation purposes;

15. Establish sustainable procurement practices that consider all costs and impacts over the life-cycle of the product or service purchased;

16. Develop intermunicipal and interregional co-operation to implement Agenda 21 and its related conventions. This deepening co-operation should increase the resources and mechanisms available to support the pursuit of sustainable development;

Calls on the governments of member states to:

17. Continue the process of decentralisation with a greater commitment to the principle of subsidiarity. This requires intergovernmental co-operation to ensure the re-allocation of authority and resources, not just the delegation of responsibilities to other spheres of government;

18. Foster and recognise local initiatives for sustainable development. Recognition might be provided through representation on national co-ordination bodies and through national and international recognition and incentive schemes;

19. Increase local authority access to the financial and human resources required to build effective local government capacity. All spheres of government must work together to develop new and innovative sources of financing for sustainable development, including increased revenue-sharing and direct local access to capital markets;

20. Support the engagement of local and regional government in the fulfilment of international action strategies for sustainable development. For example, in order to meet their minimum commitments under the Kyoto agreement, national governments should direct funding to local government to support their proven greenhouse-gas reduction initiatives;

21. Support the direct engagement of local and regional institutions in international activities and partnerships, in order to promote their full participation in global social and economic activity. Encourage intermunicipal and city-to-city co-operation as a mechanism to enhance cost-effective capacity building and information sharing;

22. Promote co-operation between international organisations, national, regional and local governments to use globalisation as a tool to support sustainable development. This would require far greater transparency and openness in international funding mechanisms and international trade and environmental negotiations, that are driving global policy making;

23. Establish task-oriented alliances, for instance councils for sustainable development at the national level, including strong local and regional government representation, to co-ordinate and develop intergovernmental strategies for sustainable development. These alliances should provide a framework for coherent public action without imposing top-down solutions or inhibiting local innovation;

24. Support the establishment of national local Agenda 21 campaigns. National and international investment programmes should actively factor in the strategies and targets of local Agenda 21 action plans in the selection and design of projects for their support;

25. Implement ecosystem-oriented planning mechanisms and re-examine the legal boundaries of decision-making systems to achieve a better co-ordination between political, economic, and environmental decisions. Examine thoroughly how existing and pending development and infrastructure projects, institutional and fiscal reforms, and

long-term technology choices may create a supportive framework for sustainable and equitable development;

26. Co-ordinate the policies and investments of different spheres of government for infrastructure, transport systems, water and energy in order to provide public service users with greater options for sustainable and resource efficient consumption;

27. Re-examine the use of direct and indirect subsidies and eliminate the use of counter-productive subsidies. Where markets must be regulated in response to clear public mandates, including through the use of subsidies, they should be regulated in favour of sustainable public interests;

28. Remove regulatory barriers to sound procurement practices that promote equity and sustainability. Establish collective procurement mechanisms for government institutions to create more effective public sector demand for sustainable products;

29. Promote education and awareness campaigns, and use fiscal and regulatory tools available to all spheres of government to provide incentives for more sustainable consumption patterns;

30. Meet their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 (revised at the Bonn climate change conference in 2001), which remains the cornerstone of a world strategy against global warming;

31. Consider the adoption of the Earth Charter as a coherent and thoughtful set of cross-cultural values and principles to guide local and global leadership for sustainable development;

32. Realise, by adopting an international code of conduct on the right to adequate food, that sustainability cannot be achieved whilst there are people who do not have enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs;

33. Include local and regional representatives in the national delegations to the World Summit, thereby recognising the role of local and regional government as a driving force and catalyst for sustainability;

34. Support local and regional authorities in making commitments to deliver local action with tangible, measurable impact towards sustainability on the occasion of the Johannesburg Summit and in enhancing their capacities for realising these commitments.