Sustainable Development Charter of European Cities |
United Nations experts stated that sustainable development is the greatest challenge to the mankind in the 21st century. We are witnesses of the pernicious effects on the environment, enormous differences between rich and poor, terrible social injustices that afflict a huge number of people. It is a process that will, if uncontrolled, threaten the survival of humanity in the near future. However, these processes are not our inevitable destiny. Experts from around the world have joined their skills and talents to develop principles to be followed in the future development of mankind to avoid the sad end of our civilization.
Their work was “crowned” by a document called Agenda 21 - Action Plan of the UN Sustainable Development for the 21st Century, which was one of the final documents, the largest conference ever held on our planet - Earth Summit 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. It was a world conference on environment and development (that should not exclude one another). This document has been accepted by almost all countries of the world. Agenda 21 contains about 2500 guidelines, principles and requirements that should be followed in life in order to achieve global sustainability. Out of these, two thirds are related to the local level. In the 28th section of this document, there is a statement inviting local authorities worldwide to launch an extensive communication process with their population, and to work together to develop their own local versions of Agenda 21 - hence the name - Local Agenda 21. The process can be described as a collaborative effort within a community aimed at reaching the consensus on the formulation and implementation of long-term action plan for sustainable development amongst all sectors and the community.
What started in Rio, was continued in Aalborg at the First European Conference on sustainable development of cities 1994, where the Charter on Sustainable Development of European cities - Aalborg Charter was adopted. The same group of experts started establishing an institution called the "European Campaign for Sustainable Cities and Towns" (The European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign), which comprises the largest existing associations of cities and regions in Europe that work together on promoting and assisting the process of sustainable development at local levels, and with the financial support from the European Commission. The aim of the Campaign for the sustainable development of cities and towns is to encourage sustainable type of development at the local level within the process of LA 21, requiring that sustainable goals are getting reached by strengthening partnerships among all entities within the local community and amongst its authorities. The "European Campaign for Sustainable Cities and Towns" is accessed by signing the Aalborg Charter.
The first municipalities in BiH that have signed the Aalborg commitments
Seventeen (17) representatives of local communities/municipalities in the region, have signed the Aalborg Charter at the regional conference "Creating sustainable communities in Southeast Europe" (Crafting sustainable local communities in SEE), held in Skopje, 29-30 October 2010. Read the commitments here, and for more information about the Charter and commitments visit the web.
Four representatives of local communities in BiH were the first ones in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to sign acceptance of commitments thus joining the "family" of over 620 communities, mostly from Europe who already did so, namely:
- Dragoljub Davidovic, Mayor of Banja Luka City
- Jovana Knezevic, Mayor of Kotor Varos
- Hamdo Fatić, Mayor of Vares
- Blagun Lovrinović acting by the authority of the mayor of Novi Travnik Refik Lendo.
Even greater interest of other municipalities should be emphasized, but unfortunately due to technicalities, the number of signatories was limited. In fact, many representatives of municipalities at the conference expressed their wish to sign commitments (e.g. Bijeljina, Novo Gorazde, etc.)
This is especially important if bearing in mind that only six local community in the region have signed the commitments so far, those being: Koprivnica (Croatia), Zrenjanin (Serbia) and Kamenica, Lipjan, Podujevo and Skendesaj from Kosovo.
By signing the Aalborg Charter, all signatories take the moral obligation to insist on developing the process of sustainability. The very act of signing the Charter only starts the process of designing sustainable development.
On the other hand, the signing of the Charter provides an access to a vast family of more than 800 European cities and regions that have decided to enforce principles of sustainability. Through the collaboration each new member of the European campaign for sustainable cities and towns gains the following:
- Becomes a member of the vast European movement towards sustainable development.
- Ensures qualitative source of information on issues of sustainable development and activities of other Campaign members from all over Europe through a quarterly bulletin, and other information through the mail or via the Campaign website.
- Has the opportunity to get to the methodological guide and other tools for the design of sustainable development, that has been developed in European networks – Campaign members - or by individual local authorities.
- Is given the possibility of establishing contacts with individuals and organizations across Europe dealing with sustainability, and mutual exchange of experiences and knowledge, as well as seeking partners for specific projects.
- Attends or organizes international conferences on various aspects of sustainability.
- Has an insight into European policies aimed at sustainability and an insight into the competition for funding projects.
Contact:
Đorđe Vojinović
REC Office in Banja Luka
(djolev@blic.net)
