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GLOSSARY
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is a harmonious relation between the environment and the economy, in order to preserve the natural resources of our planet for the future generations. Sustainable development could be said to be a general aim, an aspiration to create a better world, with a balance between the social, economic and environmental factors.
Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is an action plan for sustainable development for the 21st century and is among the key documents adopted in Rio de Janeiro. Agenda 21 is a declaration of intentions and undertaking of responsibility for sustainable development in the 21st century. Including about 500 pages, it consists of 40 chapters – covering the topics of poverty, protection of the atmosphere, forests, water resources, health care, agriculture, environmental-friendly management of bio-technologies, waste management. A new feature in comparison to other UN documents is the recognition of the roles of „Major Groups“, such as women, children and youth, farmers and entrepreneurs. Since 1992, the UN have started to count increasingly on the role of these groups in their programs, and this is a distinction compared to earlier practice which excluded all actors except national Governments and a few favored observer organizations.
Local Agenda 21
One of the chapters within the Agenda 21 on major groups is the chapter on the key role of local governments in designing strategies for Local Agenda (LA) 21.
Presently, many local councils operate according to the Local Agenda. Each process has its own features, is characterized by local circumstances, including the public opinion, geographic conditions, which are taken into account in the decision-making process, which is also true of political processes and the issues relevant to resources.
The Local Agenda is not only an environmental strategy. A sustainability plan includes also solutions for the social and economic issues. The Local Agenda brings together the society as a whole to make joint efforts which is a difference compared to the outdated approach of conflicting interests.
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