After three days of intense debates and exchanges during the World Summit of Local and Regional leaders that was held in Mexico from 17th to the 20th November 2010, the members of United Cities and Local Governments and their partners have sent a strong signal to the international community by signing a Manifesto for the City of 2030 that shapes the City that mayors want for tomorrow.
At a time where our world becomes more and more urban and where intermediate and small cities will grow tremendously in the next years, the local and regional leaders have recalled that cities, whatever their size is, are all facing similar challenges. In their Manifesto for the City 2030, they established their vision for the urban future, insisting on the necessity to build an « inclusive City », together with its population, whatever their origins, their ages and gender. A City that integrates at all levels of governance to be at the closest of the needs of the citizens, a city that fully cooperates with its regional and rural metropolitan environment. A city that is mobile, respecting the environment and endowed with an efficient public service and using renewable energies as well as non-polluting technologies.
Adding to the Manifesto for the City of 2010, the mayors and representatives of the regions and local governments’ association have agreed on 25 recommendations. These include that any reduction in local finances should take account of demographic and other cost pressures, and should be phased to enable proper planning to protect front-line services. Local representatives have also called all governments to complete, strengthen and maintain effective laws and policies for democratic decentralization and local self-government.
As regards climate change, mayors and local representatives have affirmed their support to to the Mexico Pact and called national governments and the international community to work closely with them and to take bolder binding steps to prevent severely damaging climate change.