GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT WILL SEEK CO-OPERATIVE EFFORTS TO CREATE 'ECO-SOCIETY'

Press Release
DEV/2169

GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT WILL SEEK CO-OPERATIVE EFFORTS TO CREATE 'ECO-SOCIETY'

Tokyo Meeting in May 1998 Will Assess Prospects, as Estimates Indicate 60% of Earth's Population Will Live in Cities by Year 2020

TOKYO, 13 October -- A major international conference on urban development and preservation of the environment is to be held in Tokyo next year, organized jointly by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The conference will address critical ecological issues, with the theme, "How to cultivate an 'eco-society' worldwide".

The organizing committee for the conference -- to be held from 26 to 29 May 1998 -- held its second meeting in Tokyo today. The meeting finalized the themes, format and prospective outcomes of what will be called the World Conference on International Cooperation of Cities and Citizens for Cultivating Eco-Society, or "Eco-Partnership Tokyo".

It is estimated that about 60 per cent of the world's population will be living in cities by the year of 2020. The promotion of collective endeavours among all stakeholders living in the cities, to address the burgeoning urban environment problems expected to escalate precipitously in the coming decades, will be one of the major objectives of the conference.

In particular, these issues will be highlighted:

-- The creation of regional recycling systems, with cooperative work by citizens, non-governmental organizations, enterprises, and urban administrations;

-- The international cooperation towards realization of an "eco-society";

-- The promotion of a wide popular culture for an "eco-society" that will foster sustainable development and respect for the earth's rich national resources.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been invited to open the conference, at which the Governor of Tokyo will be the host. About 500 delegates from around the world are expected to attend, including heads of cities, prominent experts, municipal administrators, government officials,

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private citizens and representatives of non-governmental organizations, commercial enterprises, United Nations entities and other intergovernmental bodies.

The conference will provide an opportunity for all interested parties to discuss their respective roles and responsibilities, and how to foster mutual cooperation and solidarity, so that the goal of a global "eco-society" will be widely and effectively pursued.

The organizing committee has said the strengthening of partnership would be stressed at the conference, since it had become evident that the solutions to the urban environment problem required efforts not only from the leadership of central and local governments, but also the participation of a great many other involved partners.

In a message relating to the conference, Secretary-General Annan said, "The twenty-first century will see overwhelming numbers of the world's population fulfilling their hopes and dreams in urban environments ... Sustainable urban development is a prime concern of the United Nations. The sharing of experiences is an invaluable process in finding solutions to common challenges."

Mr. Annan welcomed Tokyo's initiative in providing an opportunity for cities of the world to explore partnerships for sustainable and harmonious development, and he expressed his eagerness for progress towards a better quality of life in cities throughout the world.

In a message to the conference, Governor Yukio Aoshima of Tokyo said the twenty-first century was widely expected to be the urban century. "Today", he added, "as we stand at the threshold of that century, it is the hope and duty of all humankind that urban activities should be gentle on the environment." He expressed his wish that people from around the world join hands to implement measures for the creation of an "eco-society" on a global scale.

For further information, please contact: Mr. Akira Kawada or Mr. Shin Yamamoto, Secretariat to the World Conference on International Cooperation of Cities and Citizens, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku 2-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-01 Japan. (Tel: 81-3-5388-3193 or 3194; Fax: 81-3-5388-1329)

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