|
|
|
|
 |
Declaration of the First
Meeting of the Andean Advisory Council of
Municipal Authorities (CCAAM)
We, the Mayors and Representatives of the
Andean cities, gathered in the city of Lima
on July 1, 2005 to attend the First Meeting
of the Andean Advisory Council of Municipal
Authorities (CCAAM), address the Governments
of the Andean Community Member Countries,
the municipal governments and the citizens
of the subregion to state the following:
·
The creation of the Andean Advisory Council
of Municipal Authorities, CCAAM, through
Decision 585 of the Cartagena Agreement,
constitutes a decisive step for advancing
the process of subregional integration and a
significant recognition by the Andean
Integration System of the consolidation of
territories and municipalities as highly
important political and economic actors in
our countries, within the framework of
simultaneous efforts to advance
decentralization and a competitive and
inclusive insertion in the international
system.
·
Given the challenges to democratic
governance in our countries, this sphere for
the meeting of mayors is particularly
favorable in allowing us to jointly work out
initiatives to reinforce social cohesion in
the subregion and, in this same way, to help
create better conditions for strengthening
our democracies.
·
Participation in the CCAAM opens up the
possibility for contributing an added value
to the central governments’ vision of the
communities, thereby stepping up the
decentralization effort by allowing for
closer contact with the population.
·
Local governments play a progressively
important role in productive development
activities and in creating a favorable
climate for increasing competitiveness and
employment. This is expressed in a large
number of important initiatives to boost the
development of small and medium-size
enterprises that are executed in association
with business groups and technological
innovation centers.
·
Cooperation and the exchange of experiences
among Andean cities with regard to municipal
policies and administration will make it
possible to take advantage of coordinated
efforts and to put forward joint cooperation
projects to benefit Andean citizens.
Consequently, and as a result of our
deliberations, we declare that:
·
We are in agreement with the Andean
Integration System criterion that recognizes
the growing importance of cities for the
economic development and social cohesion of
our nations, given the challenges posed by
globalization and accelerated worldwide
urbanization.
·
We assume and underscore the legitimacy of
local governments as promotional public
actors that help to strengthen the citizenry
and democratic governance.
·
We recognize the work being done by
international organizations associated with
city support programs to enhance the
democracy, governance, decentralization and
strategic management of our territories.
·
We reaffirm our commitment to reach the
millennium development goals, particularly
through poverty reduction policies and an
improvement of living conditions in
shantytowns.
·
We enthusiastically hail the initiative of
the organs of the Andean Integration System
to incorporate the Andean Advisory Council
of Municipal Authorities, CCAAM, into that
System and to acknowledge the significance
of its deliberations for reinforcing the
guidelines of the existing Strategic Design
for the integration process.
·
We request, in order to achieve our aims,
the creation of strategic alliances with
other Andean Integration System
institutions, like the Andean Development
Corporation, in view of its broad and
successful experience in implementing local
development programs and projects.
·
We commit ourselves to reinforce the
participation of the municipalities in the
Andean integration process under the
principles of subsidiarity and
complementarity, in an effort to achieve
consistency among community, national,
regional and local policies.
·
We value the initiative of thirty Andean
municipalities that in September 2003
created the Andean Cities Network and commit
ourselves to serve as a channel between this
network and the organs and institutions of
the Andean Integration System. At the same
time, we offer our cooperation to start a
productive exchange with other hemispheric
and world cities networks.
·
We consider it absolutely necessary for
Andean cities to attain an international
influence through interlinkages and
coordinated efforts with other cities
networks, particularly Mercociudades and the
recently created MERCOSUR Consultative Forum
of Municipalities, Federated States,
Provinces and Departments, with a view to
building the South American Community of
Nations.
·
We value the important work being done by
the Andean municipalities in the area of
competitiveness and development using a
criterion of social inclusion, as expressed
in the preparation and implementation of
plans for local development and good
governance and consider it necessary to
transfer that knowledge to other localities
in the subregion.
·
We have decided to develop a cooperation
agenda based on the following principles:
1. Building, from the viewpoint of our
cities’ identity and specific nature, an
Andean vision of regional development and
territorial competitiveness, as the
foundation for social cohesion and
democratic governance.
2. Developing small and medium-size
enterprises in order to create quality
employment and increase socially inclusive
international competitiveness.
3. Reinforcing the Andean identity on the
basis of the many-cultured and multiethnic
nature of our cities and societies.
4. Applying new communication and
information technologies to build up the
connectivity and economic and social
development of Andean cities.
5. Exchanging experiences and good practices
in municipal administration involving the
participation of civil society, with a view
to improving the citizens’ quality of life.
6. Executing Andean Community policies in
support of regional development and
decentralization in order to strengthen
Andean integration and build the South
American Community.
7. Evaluating financial instruments for
promoting local development and social
cohesion.
·
We reaffirm our commitment and that of our
cities to defend and promote democracy and
reinforce and support the existence of our
countries’ constitutional systems at all
times. Within this framework, we have taken
the decision to disseminate and discuss our
regional and local governments’ experiences
with democratic governance at the next
special meeting to be held in La Paz,
Bolivia, in October 2005, where we will
adopt a common cooperation agenda.
We appreciate the strong support received
from the Lima Metropolitan Municipality and
the Andean Community General Secretariat for
the start-up of the Andean Advisory Council
of Municipal Authorities and commit
ourselves to a joint effort to advance our
citizens’ integration.
Office of the Mayor of Libertador
Municipality
Freddy Bernal Rosales
Mayor
Lima Metropolitan Municipality
Luis Castañeda Lossio
Mayor
Chairman of the CCAAM
Office of the Mayor of Greater Bogotá
Luis Eduardo Garzón
Mayor
Oruro Municipal Government
Edgar Bazán Ortega
Mayor
Potosí Municipal Government
René Joaquino Cabrera
Mayor
Piura Municipality
Eduardo Cáceres Chocano
Mayor
Office of the Mayor of Maracaibo
Gian Carlo di Martino
Mayor
La Paz Municipal Government
Luis Revilla
Chairman of the Municipal Council
Guayaquil Municipality
Luis Chiriboga Parra
Vice-chairman of the Guayaquil M.I. Canton
Municipality of the Quito Metropolitan
District
Wilma Andrade
Second Vice-chairman of the Metropolitan
Council
Cuenca Municipality
Mónica Flores Flores
City council member
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
