Committed to Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for All

In Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC

Shenzhen Declaration on Building Green Civilization and 
Constructing Environmentally-Friendly Cities

                                                                                                                                              Date: July 30, 2006​​​​

The earth is the home of human beings, so a good Human Settlements is what generations and generations are seeking after. When human beings enter into the new millennium, our life standards are continuously upgrading because of global industrialization and prosperous development of urbanization. However, the living environment of human beings is challenged with increasingly serious issues, such as environmental pollution, exhausting resources, poverty, and cultural mutation. As a new type of social civilization in the 21st century, the prosperous development of the global green civilization mainly depends on the successful transformation to the approach of a sustainable development. Convert challenges into opportunities, shift from opposition to harmony between man and nature - the innovation and collaboration of governments, the society, enterprises, international organizations and every citizen are needed. To ensure environmental sustainability is one of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals. Chinese government also places sustainable development as one of the fundamental national policies, expediting construction of a resources-conservative and environment-friendly society. Under the above macro-backgrounds, the Global Human Habitat Forum, found in 2005, is held in Shenzhen successfully for four times.

Objectives

We will strive to build the Global Human Habitat Forum into an international high-level dialogue platform and banquet of famous brands in the sector of Human Settlements for governments, NGOs, enterprises and social groups, and thus to serve to promote the Human Settlements in the developing countries, construct a resources-conservative and environment-friendly society in China, and construct environment-friendly cities.

Initiatives

1. We hold that Human Settlements functions as the core competitive edge of a region. We will actively respond to the challenges in urbanization, strengthen domestic and international exchange and cooperation, and create opportunities for governments, NGOs, enterprises and social groups to exchange and cooperate in the sector of Human Settlements.

2. Guided by the advanced philosophic concepts of human civilization, we will vigorously incorporate the idea of harmony and friendship between man and nature in city planning and design, and make our contributions in order to realize UN Millennium Development Goals and to create a resources-conservative and environment-friendly society.

3. We believe in the important roles of science, technology and systems in the sustainable development. We should vigorously promote environment-friendly energy, land and water conservative technologies, implement renewable energy sources, encourage clean production, and develop recycling economy. And in the meantime, we should strengthen system management and innovation, upgrade the environment awareness and social responsibility of the earth citizens, and increase the overall efficiency and benefits of urban activities. And finally, we will realize a fair and orderly development goal.

4. We seek after an ideal world where everybody has an appropriate house, and we call upon the property developers to pay more attention on the housing problems of the middle to low income groups, which should be converted into a trend in the industry.

5. We call for the harmony between the urban and rural areas because the essence of urbanization is to care for farmers. We shall not abandon and destroy our countryside because it also needs a beautiful Human Settlements.

6. We call for green color and combination of green nature and human culture in the green ecological environment, houses, production methods, life styles, consumption patterns, new culture and civilization. Green is the passport to the international community, the harmony at the highest level, and the synonym of sustainable development.

Actions

1. Under the strong support of UN organizations, Chinese and foreign governmental agencies, NGOs and social groups, we will enhance the strength and appeal of the forum, and hold annual forum regularly where we will invite preeminent speakers in the world, accept world-wide registration of professional audiences, and actively provide participation for ordinary citizens.

2. We will establish the platform for the exchange of thoughts and ideas relating to Human Settlements, build up a shared database in the sector, promote equal exchange among Chinese and foreign governmental agencies, NGOs, experts, enterprises and various kinds of social groups, and provide consultancy for them.

3. By means of forum branches, exhibitions, promotion events, etc., we will promote exchange and implementation of new concepts and technologies relating to Human Settlements, boost collaboration of governmental agencies, scientific institutions, enterprises and individuals in order to carry out R&D and spreading of environment-friendly and energy-conservative new technologies, processes and products in the sector.

4. Every year, we will scrutinize, select and award model cities, scenery spots, communities, enterprises and individuals from China and abroad in the forum in order to share their advanced concepts and know-how, as well as to encourage participation of the whole society after the models.

5. We will strengthen cooperation with Chinese and foreign cities and famous enterprises. We suggest that we should select appropriate Chinese cities to host the annual forum or its branches by turns, thus to promote the construction of Human Settlements in the host cities as well as to share their advanced experiences.

We should be far-sighted otherwise we will have troubles ahead. All of the participants in the forum have realized that all of our welfare and future are in the hands of ourselves. To create green civilization and build environment-friendly cities is not only an important part of city modernization, but also the new milestone in the progress of human beings. We are glad to stand side by side and make contributions to the promotion of the construction of the sustainable Human Settlements as well as protection of our earth home. Let's move now and greet our beautiful future.

The 2nd Organizing Committee of 

Global Forum on Natural Ecology and Human Settlements

& All of the Conference Participants