Inilah Isi dan Kesepakatan dalam Deklarasi Makassar

Laporan Wartawan Tribun Timur, Hasim Arfah

TRIBUN-TIMUR.COM, MAKASSAR- Sebanyak 29 wali kota se ASEAN menandatangani Declaration Makassar on ASEAN Local Governments Makassar on Local Goverment di Anjungan Pantai Losari, Jl Penghibur, Makassar, Kamis (10/9/2015).

Inilah isi Deklrasi Makassar:

Declaration on ASEAN Local Governments

We Mayors from ASEAN member countries, participating in the ASEAN Mayors and city expo 2015 with the theme “Adaptive and Inteligent cities for an integrated borderless prospereous region have garthered from 8 to 10 September in the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi Province, Republic of Indonesia;

*AFFIRMING that local government play a central role in ASEAN, particulary in building a stonger ASEAN Community and ensuring the implementation of strategies under the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, beyond its realization on December 2015

*DETERMINED to achieve tha adventages and benefits tahat ASEAN Community envisions and aims to bring to ASEAN people, in spite of the challenges and impacts to local governments

*EXPRESSING our strong belief that aligning our local government strategies with the development of ASEAN will bring economic dynamism, government efficiency, and positive social, cultural, and enviromental change.

*REALIZING the local governments need to meet the standars of the ASEAN, not only for the Economic community, but including the pillars of Political Security highlighting good governance, upholding human rights, and strengthening cooperation on key political issues; and social cultural focusing on human development, women, youth and children, enderly, amd persons with disabilities, social justice, and enviromental sustainability, as enshirened in the ASEAN Community blueprint

*RECOGNIZING the local government’s vision as part of ASEAN include three key elements;

-people centered-cross cultural communication and excange, higlihting the importance of the youth as the future of ASEAN, and people’s empowerment at the grassroots level to work for development are invalueble for ASEAN Community to succeed prosper

-intergrated approach-Local Government deal with a multitude of issue that require an integrated approach. Critical thematic areas for ASEAN, and urgent actions include climate change, local economic development, proverty reduction, eduaction for all, health, tourism, and gender mainstreaming.

-Responsive and forward working-Local governments continously strive to become intelligent and adaptive in response to challenges. To succed, promoting good governance and strengtening options for plans to materials are fundamental.

*URGING ASEANto likewise reach local governments, knowing their needs and supporting the necessary actions to achive solutions to common problems of local government in the region.

DO HEREBY;

1. LOBBY for a stronger ASEAN Secretariat that the affairs of local governments, including a divison or unit specially focusing on cities and local government, including the need to emphasize the urgency and importance of closing the gaps between ASEAN countries and their local governments that have significant difference in level of development.

2. URGE central government to provide the enabling enviroment (legal, administrative, and financial) tha local government, private sector, civil society organisations, and citizens need to carry out to maximize their roles, reinforcng the necessary background and empowered society

3. REQUEST central governments to provide and citizens will actively participate in achieving the forthcoming suistuinable Development Goals, especially SDG 11 “Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilent, and sustainable”, and in formulating the new urban agenda at the occasion of habitat III and prepatory process

4. APEAL to relevent agencies to perform the necessary steps to undertake the following actions;

a. Raise awerness and educate people about the ASEAN through different modes or channels, including academic curriculum, cultural exchange programs, sosial media ect

b. Organize an annual meering of ASEAN Mayors, beginning with a event prior to the ASEAN Summit, to deliver the recommendationas of local governments. Also, create an ASEAN Mayors Network and its secretariat to run its operations

c. Estabilsh or formalize a platform, such as the DELGOSE network, to promote the sharing of experiences and good /best/smart practice, also including prospects for practical replication, knowledge enhancement, skills development, and capacity building

d. Explore financial options, such as estabilishing an ASEAN bank or mobilizing domestic and international resources, as a way to addres the perennial challenge of many local government lacking financial resources for develoment

Overall, we agree to focus more to opportinities the ASEAN Community present as well, to turn challenges as opportunities to transport ASEAN society. We hope for this Declaration to be included in the SEAN Charter;

Signed this 9 day of September. (*)