Beijing Declaration

On September 29, 2000, mayors attending the Sixth Summit Conference of Major Cities of the World signed the Beijing Declaration (《北京宣言》). They vowed to join together to contribute to the bright future of big cities, and to work to promote friendship and world peace in the 21st century.

The Declaration asserted that cities embody modern civilization and make great contributions to the prosperity and development of the world. However, the development of cities also presents tremendous challenges, such as shortages of natural resources, environment deterioration, over-population and poverty.

Mayors of the participating cities agreed that the accelerated economic globalization, the increasingly internationalized role of cities and the growing interdependence among cities make it essential to strengthen understanding, mutual respect and common development among cities of different countries, cultural backgrounds and levels of development.

With the rapid development of scientific technology, mayors promised to see the advent of "Digital Earth,” using it as a resource for exchange. They also vowed to explore mechanisms for sharing information, knowledge and other resources.

The 25 member cities who signed the Beijing Declaration were: Abidjan, Athens, Bangkok, Berlin, Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Istanbul, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Lima, Lisbon, Madrid, Mexico City, Montreal, Moscow, Nairobi, Paris, Santiago, Seoul, Stockholm, Vienna, Warsaw, Tokyo and Beijing.