The Parallel Forum will be organized around Melbourne Principles. Melbourne Principles were jointly drafted on 3rd -5th April, 2002, by more than 40 top experts of urban management who were organized by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Australia. Melbourne Principles indicated ten principles which people should obey for urban sustainable development. These principles have been currently applied by most of the cities in North America and Oceania and were adopted in the Johannesburg Declaration released by 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development – WSSD.

During every session of the Parallel Forum one official from UN or international organizations will be invited as the host and four global excellent mayors to be the guest speakers, one of which will be a mayor from China.