LA21 information
THE AGENDA 21 PROGRAM
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Agenda 21 is a Global program run by the United Nations UN) related to sustainable development. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment.
Agenda 21 is raising awareness at the Global level for environmental problems faced by humanity.
While acknowledging the positive advancements of technology and science, education and health, the negative impact of over industrialization and unsustainable development policies are threatening the future of all of humanity and the natural environment of this fragile blue planet.
The full text of Agenda 21 was revealed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), held in Rio de Janeiro on June 14 1992, where 178 governments including Turkey voted to adopt the program. The final text was the result of drafting, consultation and negotiation, beginning in 1989 and culminating at the two-week conference.
The number 21 refers to an agenda for the 21st century..
In the following years the General Assembly of the UN held special sessions to re-evaluate the progress on the implementation of Agenda 21.
The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, was agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the EARTH SUMMIT 2002, and affirmed UN commitment to full implementation’ of Agenda 21, alongside achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other International agreements..
The implementation of Agenda 21 was intended to involve action at international, national, regional and local levels. Some national and state governments have legislated or advised that local authorities take steps to implement the plan locally.
Such programmes are often known as ‘Local Agenda 21’
LOCAL AGENDA 21 often known as LA-21
At the 1992 Rio “Earth Summit”, Chapter 28 of “Agenda 21” called upon local authorities in every country “to undertake a consultative process with their populations and achieve a consensus on Local Agenda 21 for their communities”.
Local Agenda 21, pursuant to global Agenda 21, sets out to pave the way for achieving sustainable development at the local level, seeking to improve the quality of life for all people. Local Agenda 21 is not merely a local program or project which is one amongst the elongated list of other ongoing activities, but instead, it is a mainstream process, perforating and embracing all aspects of local governance.
IMPLEMENTATION IN TURKEY
Turkey’s Partnership to the Local Agenda 21 Program was endorsed following the Decision of the Council of Ministers and Ministry of the Interior. The new Law on Municipalities (No5393) provides a firm legal base for the participation and partnership of local authorities, and facilitates the allocation and channeling of local contributions.
At the UNDP World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg Turkey was heralded as having one of the “best practices from many countries’ similar programmes”.
1. HOW DOES LOCAL AGENDA 21 WORK?
Local Agenda 21 is a local-government-led, community-wide, and participatory effort to establish a comprehensive action strategy for environmental protection, economic prosperity and community well-being in the local jurisdiction or area. This requires the integration of planning and action across economic, social and environmental spheres. Key elements are full community participation, assessment of current conditions, target setting for achieving specific goals, monitoring and reporting.
The overall objective of the program is to strengthen local governance by ensuring that civil society participates in decision-making and influences local investments. The program currently encompassing over 50 cities in Turkey reflects a decentralized and enabling approach, based upon networking and collaboration among equal partners.
The primary decision-making and implementation mechanisms are the local stakeholders organized mainly in the form of city councils supported by working groups, women and youth councils, and platforms of children, elderly and disabled.
The primary linkage between local participatory platforms and the program’s coordinating agencies is sustained by LA-21 Secretary Generals established in partner cities.
The program enabled the development of a new local governance model in Turkey whereby public institutions, local authorities and civil society organizations are forming the triangle of a decentralization and democratization process in the country.