Agenda 21 Sustainable Development
Agenda 21 - Action plan for sustainable development, was adopted at UNCED (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) - the Earth Summit- in Rio de Janeiro, in June 1992.
Local Agenda 21 has a character of a strategic plan for the development of community and being such represents a guide in preparations for planning, both in planning process and during adopting and implementation processes.
Agenda 21 is the most important among all resulting documents from the biggest ever held gathering on the level of heads of states and governments, because this document recognizes a role of "main groups" before the role of national governments in planning and implementation of sustainable development policy. Above all, role of women, children and youngsters, non-governmental organizations, syndicates, business sector, scientific community and local governments.
| ...Each local authority should enter into a dialogue with its citizens, local organizations and private enterprises and adopt "a local Agenda 21". Through consultation and consensus-building, local authorities would learn from citizens and from local, civic, community, business and industrial organizations and acquire the information needed for formulating the best strategies. Аgenda 21, Chapter 28.3 |
Because so many of the problems and solutions being addressed by Agenda 21 have their roots in local activities, the participation and cooperation of local authorities will be a determining factor in fulfilling its objectives. Local authorities construct, operate and maintain economic, social and environmental infrastructure, oversee planning processes, establish local environmental policies and regulations, and assist in implementing national and sub-national environmental policies. As the level of governance closest to the people, they play a vital role in educating, mobilizing and responding to the public to promote sustainable development Аgenda 21, Chapter 28.1 |
This document invites local governments to collaborate with their local communities in preparation of Local Agenda 21, i.e. local strategies for sustainable development.
City of Niš responded to this call.
In March 2001. City Authority adopted a program for sustainable development- Agenda 21 which defined development of the City in the following period, in accordance with environmental and urban planning standards.
In continuation of its commitment to Agenda 21 City of Niš took part in the World Summit Rio +10 in Johannesburg in 2002, in the framework of World's Local Governments Session, and as the only one from this region, at which occasion presented Local Environmental Action Plan of the City of Niš created on the principles of adopted Agenda 21.
LINK: http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/res_agenda21_00.shtml