Kanagawa Declaration on Asian Local Government's Initiatives for Sustainable Development

Kanagawa Declaration on
Asian Local Government's Initiatives for Sustainable Development

Preamble

We, the representatives of 52 local governments, including a governor and a mayor, and of a national government, three intergovernmental organizations and 24 non-governmental organizations, who participated in the International Environmental Symposium for Asian Local Governments: Local Initiatives for Sustainable Development which was held on 27-28 April 2002 in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan;

Recalling the outcome of the Preparatory Meeting for the International Environmental Symposium for Asian Local Governments, participated by Japanese local government experts, which was held on 16-17 January 2002 at Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture,

Recalling that the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED or "Earth Summit") of 1992 at Rio de Janeiro called for, in Agenda 21, Chapter 28, local initiatives for the environment and sustainable development, expected that the local governments would enter into dialogue with its citizens, non-governmental organizations, and private enterprises and take necessary actions, and encouraged local governments to play a vital role in educating, mobilizing and responding to the public to promote sustainable development,

Also recalling that the Kanagawa Declaration on Local Initiatives for Sustainable Cities for Strengthening Policies and Institutions at Local Level was adopted at the World Conference on Local Initiatives for Sustainable Cities, which was held on 2-4 November 1995 in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture,

Appreciating that the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development held from 31 August to 5 September 2000 in Kitakyushu City, Japan, adopted the Kitakyushu Initiative for a Clean Environment, which promotes local initiatives for improvement in environmental quality and human health especially in urban areas,

Appreciating also that many of local governments in Asia have embarked, in conjunction with local actors, on a variety of efforts, including the recent efforts by a number of Asian local governments toward adopting Local Agenda 21 and its implementation,

Noting, with regret, that in the ten years since the Earth Summit, the state of the environment and sustainable development in Asia has not sufficiently improved and in many respects worsened, despite remarkable efforts of local initiatives by Asian local governments, and

Recognizing that the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) will be held in August/September 2002 at Johannesburg, South Africa to carry out a ten year review of the implementation of UNCED agreements, the expected outcome of which should be action-oriented, including the proposed record of commitments for partnerships/initiatives,

Actors as Regulatory Authorities and Community Service Providers
Local governments are responsible for regulating any activities under their jurisdiction that cause harmful effects on the environment. At the same time, local governments are also responsible for taking necessary actions for sustainable development in cooperation with, and enlisting various local actors.

Actors as Consumers and Users
Local governments are significant actors as consumers and users of goods and services and possible polluters of the environment. Local governments therefore should take the lead in environmental protection so as not only to reduce its own negative impacts but also to provide positive examples to residents.

Facilitation of Partnership and Participatory Dialogues
In addition to the concerted actions with national governments, participation of citizens, community-based organizations, private enterprises and media are vital in decision-making and successful implementation of local initiatives. Local governments should enlarge the opportunities of participatory dialogues, and elaborate mechanisms for facilitating partnerships.

Awareness Raising, Education for Sustainability and Capacity Development
Awareness raising, education for sustainability and capacity development provide the basis of citizen engagement. They are the essential components of successful policy implementation. Environmental education is particularly effective when applied through practical activities at schools, as students and young people in turn teach their parents and hence influence the larger community as well as grow to become tomorrow's leaders.

Integration of Environmental and Developmental Decision-Making
Since environment, society and economy are interlinked, local governments, under the leadership of mayors and governors, should facilitate and encourage their internal coordination between environmental and developmental departments, and also undertake their structural reform for integration of decision-making. Integration should be both horizontal between agencies of local or national governments, and between levels of governments. Some public policies of local governments are required to be subjected to check and review from the point of view of environmental protection.

Optimization of Environmental Policies and Measures
Local governments are encouraged to generate policies and measures that optimize their positive effects on the environment. Since local conditions vary, governments will need to access those individuals most knowledgeable, including researchers, academics and community members.

Environmental Management Systems
Local governments themselves should make efforts to introduce environmental management systems as identified internationally, such as ISO 14001 certification, applying to all of their own activities.

Decentralization
During the worldwide acceleration of decentralization in government functions, decentralization in the field of the environment and sustainable development should be further promoted. Thus, the establishment of environmental platform and strategies can be further promoted by the local governments.

Sharing Experiences
Experiences sharing among local governments through human resource exchange and expert dispatch will contribute to make each local initiative more effective. For this purpose, we should make full use of existing programs and projects carried out by; the 20% Club for Sustainable Cities, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP/IETC), UNU Institute for Advanced Studies (UNU/IAS), UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and The Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlements (CITYNET),

Specific Issues
Participants, through their presentations of local initiatives, including international collaboration, exchanged information and experiences on the following issues, which were useful and relevant to the further development of their efforts.

Implementation of Local Initiatives
We, the participants, shall continue to facilitate the implementation of each local initiative listed in the Annex, and shall strive to complete each local initiative in time. In order to achieve this, setting clear targets, capacity development, awareness raising and monitoring are important. We shall also promote similar local initiatives in the future.

Exchanges and Mutual Collaboration among Local Initiatives
We, the participants, shall continue exchanging information and experiences such as innovative good policy practices, through the network established at this Symposium. We shall also expand the network, and link our network to other relevant initiatives.

Synergies with national ODA
We, the participants, shall strive to secure the highest synergies between international cooperative activities under local initiatives and those of national ODA frameworks.

Progress Review
We, the participants, shall review the progress of local initiatives listed in the Annex in approximately five years.

Liaoning Province, China
"Constructing the System of Environmental Protection"

Shenyang City, China
"Three-Year Action Plan of Environmental Protection and Construction in Shenyang (2002-2004)"

The Participative Dialogue Committee on Conserved Area of West Java, Indonesia
"Compiling Regional Regulation Plan of West Java Province on Conserved Area. (PERDA Kawasan Lindung)"

West Java Province, Indonesia
" Local Cultural Property as an Environmental Platform towards Sustainable Development"

West Java Province, Indonesia
"Participative Dialogue Process on Conserved Area of West Java, Indonesia"

Gyeonggi-do Province, Republic of Korea
"Agenda 21 of Gyeonggi- Do Province for Sustainable Development"

Korean Council of Local Agenda 21, Republic of Korea
"Sharing Information and Cooperating Between Local Governments for Acceleration of LA21 Implementations in Korea"

Yangpyung-Gun Ward, Republic of Korea
"Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Policy"

Penang, Malaysia
"Project on Cleaning and Treating Water from the Pinang River, Malaysia"

Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia
"Urban Planning and Sustainable Development of Ulaanbaatar City"

Pokhara Sub-Metropolis City, Nepal
"Our Responsibility: Make Pokhara Clean and Beauty"

City of Marikina, The Philippines
"Managing the Environment under Minimal Resources"

Municipal Council of Ratnanapura, Sri Lanka
"Solid Waste Management to Minimize Environmental Pollution"

Lampang Municipality, Thailand
"Recycling Waste in the Municipal Schools under the Department of Education"

Nonthaburi Municipality, Thailand
"Waste minimization in Nonthaburi Municipality"

Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan
"The Northern Forum: Environmental Education Project"

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
"Local Initiatives for Environmental Cooperation"

Kawasaki City, Japan
"Environmental management in the waste incinerating facility: Towards ISO14001"

Kitakyusyu City, Japan
"International Environmental Cooperation: Sharing Experiences"

Sendai City, Japan
"Creating an Environment Management System for Sendai City"