E © k EXECUTIVE OFFICE tflUE SECRETflRY-OEKEBH., United Cities The Presidency Barcelona, 8 September 2005 and Local Governments Kofi Annan Secretary General Cites et United Nations Gouvernements New York Locaux Unis New York 10017 United States of America Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos Dear Secretary General No excuse! The world must be a better place. Our cities support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. When citizens walk through the world's major cities next week, they will see white banners showing their city hall's commitment to make poverty history. 2005 is a pivotal year for global development. Thousands of the world's major cities have joined the United Cities and Local Governments Millennium Towns and Cities Campaign to show our overwhelming support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. We are committed to the achievement of the Goals; we are ready to support the United Nations Secretariat in its efforts; we are convinced that States must keep the promises they made in 2000; and we are here today to show how effective we can be when we work together. We need courage and conviction to create a better world. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals is the biggest challenge we face in the 21st century and there is no excuse for failure. The world must be a better place. Yours sincerely The Presidents of United Cities and Local Governments IUJU Bertrand Delanoe Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Paco Moncayo Mayor of Paris Mayor of Tshwane (Pretoria) Mayor of Quito NO EXCUSE! THE WORLD MUST BE A BETTER PLACE JAN Carrer Avinyo, 15 E-08002 Barcelona (Espana) Tel +34 933 428 750 Fax +34 933 428 760 [email protected] www.cities-localgovernments.org United Cities and Local Governments Cites et Gouvernements Locaux Urn's Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos LOCAL GOVERNMENT MILLENNIUM DECLARATION Approved by the UCLG World Council, Beijing, 10 June 2005 Bringing the Millennium Development Goals Back Home 2005 is a milestone year in the fight against global poverty. The Millennium+5 Summit in September will reveal the urgent need to step up activity at all levels to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In order to galvanise all sectors of society, awareness- building action at the local level is indispensable. We, the Mayors and local government representatives of the world and members of United Cities and Local Governments, representing over half the world's population in 127 UN member states, are determined to see the Millennium Development Goals and Targets met. We are demonstrating this unconditional determination by: • Making top priority of the Millennium Development Goals and Targets: to eradicate poverty and hunger, ensure all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, improve the living conditions of slum-dwellers, ensure access to drinking water and sanitation, protect the environment and create a global partnership for development by ensuring rich countries give more and better aid, debt relief and trade opportunities to poorer countries; • Highlighting the indispensable need for action at the local level in achieving these eight Goals by 2015; • Underlining the crucial role of local government in promoting gender equality as a tool for development; • Raising awareness that the Millennium Development Goals require commitment from society as a whole, and that the mobilisation of local governments will be crucial to their success. NO EXCUSE! THE WORLD MUST BE A BETTER PLACE United Cities and Local Governments Cites et Gouvernements Locaux Unis Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos We, the Mayors and local government representatives of the world call on Heads of State and government meeting on 14 September 2005 in New York for the Millennium+5 Summit to: • Keep the promises made in the Millennium Declaration, and take advantage of this historic opportunity to make poverty history and create a more peaceful world; • Ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are met in each and every country; • Formally recognise the role of local government as an essential and unique partner in implementing the Millennium Development Goals; • Provide local governments with the necessary resources and powers to play their full part on behalf of their citizens in meeting the Goals and Targets in each country; • Establish a formal advisory role for local government within the UN on issues of global governance. We, Mayors and local government representatives of the world, are committed to: • Strengthen local governance to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, by enhanced citizen participation and effective partnerships with local communities and the private sector; • Launch the Millennium Cities and Towns Campaign to demonstrate and promote the commitment of local governments and their citizens to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and Targets. NO EXCUSE 1 THE WORLD MUST BE BETTER PLACE United Cities and Local Governments Cites et Gouvernements Locaux Urn's Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos UCLG Millennium Towns and Cities Campaign In June 2005, United Cities and Local Governments launched the UCLG Millennium Towns and Cities Campaign with the slogan: 2015: No excuse! The world must be a better place The campaign aims to provide maximum support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and promote the role of local government in international development. Local governments are demonstrating their support by endorsing the UCLG Local Government Millennium Declaration and displaying a white banner on local government buildings during the Heads of State Summit on 14-16 September 2005. To date around a thousand towns, cities, counties, regions and local government associations throughout the world have joined the UCLG Millennium Towns and Cities Campaign directly, with many more joining through their national local government associations. Millennium Towns and Cities Abbadia San Salvatore, Abbiategrasso, Abrantes, Acerenza, Acerra, Acquapendente, Acquasparta, Acri, Adana, Adapazari, Afyonkarahisar, Agazzano, Agliana, Agrate Brianza, Airasca, Aix En Provence, Al Fayhaa Urban Community, Ala, Alandroal, Alba, Albenga, Alberobello, Albinea, Alblasserdam, Albufeira, Alcanena, Alessandria City, Alessandria County, Aley, Alfandega da Fe, Alfonsine, ALGON-Nigerian Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Almeida, Almeirim, Almelo, Alpignano, Alsace Region, Alseno, Alvito, Amaroni, AMBF-Burkina Faso Association of Mayors, Amiame, AMS-Senegalese Association of Mayors, ANAM-Mozambique National Association of Municipalities, Ancona City, Ancona County, Aneho, Angers, Angri, Anguillara Veneta, ANMP-Portuguese National Association of Municipalities, Antakya, Antalya, Antananarivo, Aosta, Apeldoorn, Arcevia, Ardore, Arezzo City, Arezzo County, Argenta, Arona, Arouca, Arzano, Asciano, Ascoli Piceno County, Asti, Astrakhan, Asuncion-Paraguay, Atakpame, Aveiro, Avellino County, Avigliana, Avigliano Umbro, Aydin, NO EXCUSE' THE WORLD MUST BE BETTER PLACE United Cities and Local Governments Cites et Gouvernements Locaux Unis Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos Babaeski, Baden-Baden, Badou, Bafilo, Bagno a Ripoli, Bakirkoy, Bamako, Bamako-District 2, Barbera del Valles, Barcelona, Barcelos, Bari County, Barrancos, Bassar, Bastia Umbra, Batalha, Beek, Beja, Belfort, Bellaria-Igea Marina, Belluno County, Bellusco, Belo Horizonte, Benavente, Bergamo, Berkel en Rodenrijs, Berlin, Besiktas, Beyoglu, Beyrouth, Biella City, Biella County, Biga, Bingol, Bitlis, Boarnsterhim, Bogota, Bohlabela District Municipality, Bologna City, Bologna County, Bolzano Autonomous County, Bolzano City, Bomporto, Bonjanala Platinum District Municipality, Bonn, Bonneville, Bordeaux, Borgo San Lorenzo, Borgo Ticino, Boscoreale, Bouguenais, Bourj Hammoud, Boxtel, Brazzaville, Bresso, Breukelen, Brou Sur Chantereine, Broumana, Brugherio, Bruxelles, Bucaramanga, Buccinasco, Bucine, Budenovsk, Budoia, Budrio, Buenos Aires, Burdur, Bursa, Cabeceiras de Basto, Cabrils, Cadelbosco Sopra, Calabria Region, Calcinaia, Calenzano, Camara de Lobos, Campania Region, Campi Bisenzio, Campo San Martino, Campobasso City, Campobasso County, Campomorone, Canakkale, Cankaya, Cape Winelands, Caracas Metropolitan District, Carmagnola, Carpaneto Piacentino, Carpi, Cartaxo, Casalecchio di Reno, Cascina, Castano Primo, Castel Maggiore, Castelforte, Castell'Arquato, Castellammare di Stabia, Castellina in Chianti, Castello d'Argile, Castelnuovo Magra, Castiglione del Lago, Castro Daire, Castro Verde, Cazzago San Martino, Cecina, Celleno, Cerdanyola del Valles, Ceregnano, Cervia, Cesano Boscone, Cesara, Cesena, Cesenatico, Chambery, Champigny Sur Marne, Chaves, Chekka, Cherbourg- Octeville, Chieti, Cinisello Balsamo, Cinquefrondi, Civitella in Val di Chiana, CMF-Russian Federation Congress of Municipalities, Coburg, Cocopa-Provincia di Torino Coordination of Local Authorities for Peace and Human Rights, Coimbra, Coli, Collazzone, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Collecchio, Collegno, Cologne Monzese, Communaute Urbaine de Nantes, Comunita Montana Alta Val Marecchia, Comunita Montana Cusio Mottarone, Comunita Montana Val Marecchia, Concorezzo, Conseil General Cotes d'Armor, Conseil General de la Seine St Denis, Conseil Regional Du Centre, Conseil Regional Provence Alpes Cote D'azur, Constancia, Corciano, Cordoba-Spain, Coriano, Cormano, Corsico, Cortona, Costacciaro, Cremona City, Cremona County, Crevalcore, CUBE-United Belgian Cities, CUF-United French Cities,