Mayors pledge to humanize cities, simplified Arabic version of the Habitat II needed

The mayors of the cities, member of the Socialist International, underlined Tuesday in Fez at the end of a conference their will "to humanize" cities to secure to the populations well-being and dignity.

The second world conference of IS mayors called in "The Fez Declaration" for the democratization of cities and the setting up of autonomous communal administrations, and pointed out that the consolidation of cities management autonomy enables a greater involvement of citizens and strengthens democracy.

According to the declaration, local authorities must be elected through the universal suffrage, and must rationally use their own resources, rather than rely on external assistance, in a spirit of genuine partnership with the central authorities.

"Representative democracy requires that the representatives be elected by the people and that the forms of direct democracy be upgraded, while respecting the unity of urban centers and cities," the declaration stated. The declaration also stressed the need to secure gender equality at the level of the exercise of all political rights and deemed it imperative for the countries of the south to bridge the gaps between urban and rural areas.

The SI mayors deemed the access of city dwellers to schooling, lodging, health and transport and their participation in the management of proximity democracy and the safeguard of the environment are all assets ensuring success to the greatest number of citizens.

The document also underlined the necessity to promote solidarity between the cities of the countries of the north and those of the countries of the south and between rich and poor cities.

It likewise called for solidarity with the cities going through crises or conflicts such as Belfast, Luanda and Jerusalem (Al-Quds) whose tragic situation requires a special solidarity.

The conference started proceeding on Monday in the presence of Moroccan Prime Minister, Abderrahmane youssoufi, the chairman of the conference of SI mayors, Philippe Busquin, and President of the SI, Pierre Mauroy.

Meanwhile, Participants in the Arab regional conference on the future of Arab cities in the 21st century called for compiling a simplified Arabic version of the Habitat II agenda, adopted during the U.N. conference on human settlements convened in Istanbul in 1996.

Participants, who wound up Tuesday their two-day conference, urged Arab states to speed up the implementation of an Arab strategy inspired from Habitat II Agenda.

The 124 participants, representing 12 Arab states, stressed the need to consolidate decentralization, enlarge the prerogatives of local councils, foster partnership in matters of the planning, management and financing of urban development strategies.

In matters of rural migration, They also recommended the achievement of a balanced development in the rural and urban world, the working out of programs to host migrants to urban zones and the consolidation of investments in the countryside.