We, the mayors, presidents of regional governments, and representatives of our associations, gathered in Malatya, in line with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development resulting acknowledgment -through Sustainable Development Goal 11 on Sustainable Cities- of the role that cities and sub-national governments need to play in all its dimensions; [1]
recalling the statements of the Global Task-Force of local and regional authorities from 2012 to 2015, in particular our joint statement with all United Nations Major Groups on the need for stand-alone goal on sustainable urbanization, the recommendations of the Global Consultation on Localization, our work together under the Urban Campaign, and the Lyon Declaration on Climate and Territories, declare through this document;
With regards to the topic of Climate Change, we are committed to:
- Being key actors in implementation of local and sub-national actions, and in catalyzing of local stakeholders and citizens, regarding the importance of Goal 7 and 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals, [2]
- Engaging with national governments, intergovernmental bodies, private sector, finance institutions and civil society to create a strong and effective global climate community that can support and implement a rapid transformation towards the global utilization of a renewable energy based, low-emission, resilient development approach at all levels, [3]
- Urging national governments to ensure that local and sub-national governments have the capacity and resources to implement local climate mitigation and adaptation strategies that contribute to national and global efforts, and to create enabling structures as well as effective framework conditions that enhance climate cooperation and complementarity between local and sub-national governments, [4]
- Mobilizing and prioritizing actively within our own local budgetary schemes the necessary funding required to implement both local low carbon actions and adaptation measures,
- Enhancing our response capacities to climate change,
- Generating, where we can, new and innovative sources of funding that can support our low carbon plans, low emission development plans, biodiversity action plans, our integrated sustainability plans, or other smart city development measures, noting that the development and implementation of these plans can offer a great opportunity for local governments to create local jobs and to respond to the economic crisis. [5]
With regards to the topic of Urban Agriculture, we are committed to:
- Working through meeting the cities that are positioned only as the consumers with the earth, and ensuring that people in the city would be producers again,
- Managing natural resources in urban areas, in ways that do not underpin food security for the surrounding territory, considering that local governments can support agricultural production and local economic growth by shortening the food chain and promoting local production,
- Ensuring that people are able to purchase and cook safe, affordable, nutritious food,
- Ensuring that biodiversity conservation is an integral part of urban planning and development strategy.
With regards to the topic of Waste Management and Pollution, we are committed to:
- Raising awareness in public at the residential level for reduction of waste,
- Promoting training and education related to basic waste for kids and youth in local level,
- Contributing to the reduction of the negative effects related to water and soil pollution through effective natural resource management and environmental protection, and protecting these resources,
- Mobilizing for air and noise- pollution and doing the necessary activities,
- Developing integrated implementation projects on decreasing the waste first in its sources, and then parsing, and making efforts about disposal of any kind of waste,
- Mobilizing the central government through increasing the consultations on dangerous waste management in local authorities level,
With regards to the topic of Energy, we are committed to:
- Promoting convenient and favorable investments from renewable energy sources for our region,
- Identifying gaps in access to affordable green energy among vulnerable groups in our communities,
- Investing in energy efficient buildings and green energy sources in public institutions (e.g. government offices, schools, etc.), and introducing sustainability criteria into our procurement practices,
- Promoting investments in “smart city” technologies -especially those concerning local transport and urban planning policies- with the aim of impacting energy efficiency and carbon emissions significantly,
and making peace between humanity and the nature with the aim of reaching ecological life.