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Dialogue with Mayors

 

 

On April 2nd, 2002, ten short statements on the subject of sustainability were jointly declared by the UN Environment Programme and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives in Melbourne, Australia. The blueprint created by the ten Melbourne Principles guides decision-makers worldwide to foster a more healthy, sustainable and beneficial environment where human beings and nature can live and develop together for a better tomorrow.

 

The ten Melbourne Principles are as follows:

1. Provide a long-term vision for cities based on sustainability; intergenerational, social, economic and political equity; and their individuality.

2. Achieve long-term economic and social security.

3. Recognise the intrinsic value of biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and protect and restore them.

4. Enable communities to minimise their ecological footprint.

5. Build on the characteristics of ecosystems in the development and nurturing of healthy and sustainable cities.

6. Recognise and build on the distinctive characteristics of cities, including their human and cultural values, history and natural systems.

7. Empower people and foster participation.

8. Expand and enable cooperative networks to work towards a common sustainable future.

9. Promote sustainable production and consumption, through appropriate use of environmentally sound technologies and effective demand management.

10. Enable continual improvement, based on accountability, transparency and good governance.

 

In November 2010, the secretariat of Global Mayors’ Forum and Global Mayor Magazine Press decided to jointly publish a special issue of Global Mayor Magazine on the subject of the Melbourne Principles. After issuing a call for papers on the theme of sustainable development through our network of mayors and sustainable development experts, we received an overwhelming response from respondents across China and overseas. Eventually we selected the 55 best articles to publish in this special issue.

 

The special issue, Dialogue with Global Mayors, wasdistributed to Chinese central and local governmental departments, UN and international organizations in China, foreign embassies, foreign chambers of commerce and enterprises in China, Chinese diplomatic authorities, Offices of leaders of Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, and large foreign companies in China. Through our network of cities, the magazine has been distributed in more than 660 big cities and more than 2,931 medium and small sized cities worldwide.

 

We would like to give special thanks to the following mayors, city leaders and experts, who generously contributed to this special issue.