The National Cities Conferences

Under the “Cities for All” theme, the National Cities Conference was held in Brasília on October, 2003 and promoted debates at the different levels, consolidating a participatory process on the definition of the National Urban Development Policy, and elected The National Cities Council. The organization of the Cities Conferences initiated as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration began, gathering representatives from all levels of government and the civil society. The main overall commitments undertaken by the Ministry of Cities in this process could be summed as: 1. Promoting the National Cities Conference, preceded by Municipal, Regional and State conferences, with the participation of civil society, private sector and other levels of government in the formulation and definition of the guidelines for the national urban development policy; 2. Updating and promoting democratic access to information, by creating an enlarged data system with both inter and intra-cities data, to promote the planning of policies, integrated management of actions and access to information , through surveys, censuses, indicator systems, educational campaigns and other initiatives; 3. Implementing a monitoring and evaluation system for urban policies; 4. Promoting, organizing and strengthening local and regional management mechanisms for public services. The Ministry of Cities prepared a text outlining the basic principles of the National Urban Development Policy and presented to the Brazilian society at the Cities Conferences. The National Cities Conference held on October, 2003 was the final event in a series of Cities Conferences that happened at municipal, regional and state levels from July to September, 2003 and involved representatives from different governmental levels and organizations of the civil society, including popular movements, public managers, as well as the non profit and for profit private sector, academia, professional associations and associations of municipalities. The Cites Conferences were held in 3.457 cities and in all 26 States and Federal District. For the preparation of the Cities Conferences at all levels, a preparatory commission composed of representatives of 79 organizations involved in the urban development sector was created. The preparatory commission included the election of an Executive Commission composed by 33 members. 2,510 delegates participated in the National Cities Conference, composed by 1,698 delegates elected at the State Cities Conferences, 562 appointed by national level civil society organizations and 250 appointed by the Federal Government and Congress. The participation of civil society and of government representatives at all three levels of government at the Cities Conferences and the election of the National Cities Council on October 26, with 71 members, enhances the design process of the new National Urban Development Policy. Objectives of the National Cities Conference To define the possibilities and mechanisms for participation in the Cities Council constitution process; To propose the form and function of the National Cities Council, as well as to elect the Council members; To identify the main problems that affect Brazilian cities, with an opportunity given to different segments of civil society, notably the production agents, consumers and managers, to voice their concerns; To define the principles and guidelines for the urban sectoral policies and the national urban development policy as a whole; To establish benchmarks for the National Urban Development Policy; To evaluate and propose policies and programs for the Housing, Environmental Sanitation, Urban Programs, Traffic, Transportation and Urban Mobility sectors to be developed by the federal, state and municipal administrations, as well as the Federal Capital District; To contribute to the definition of the Ministry of Cities' priority actions; To contribute to the future evaluation of the management and implementation of the urban sectoral policies, building a forum of public participation, so as to mediate the relationship between government and the civil society; To propose popular participation instruments to be adopted during the elaboration and implementation of the policies. http://www.cidades.gov.br