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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION
In order to improve, adopt and implement the “Healthy Cities” Movement in Turkey, which was initiated and developed in 6 World Health Organization Regional Offices, 66 countries, 220 cities globally and 55 cities in the European continent, a formal regulation was needed; thus cities which give importance to this subject gathered and established “the Healthy Cities Association”.
Turkish Healthy Cities Association is an essential regulation for creating “Sustainable Development” and “Sustainable Cities”.
The core themes of Habitat II in 1996, Johannesburg Summit 2002 -the World Summit on Sustainable Development-, and 2000 UN Millennium Declaration were to create “Sustainable Cities”, to ensure effective local governance, to build national-regional-local partnerships and to produce strategies concerning health.
In the declaration published in Belfast in 2003 which was signed by political representatives, and approved by World Health Organization, it was highlighted that:
- It is important to share resources, information and experiences between cities and regions in order to strengthen international alliance and relations
- It is crucial to be aware of the responsibility to support the healthy cities movement in other areas and provide assistance to ensure global accessibility of every region.
- Cities cannot move individually, and they are invited to this movement.
The Metropolitan Municipality of Bursa which is the first city to become a member of World Health Organization Healthy Cities Project from Turkey, has signed all these declarations and provided the initiative for the establishment and development of the Healthy Cities Association in Turkey.
Works related with the establishment of the Turkish Healthy Cities Association has started in 2003, and Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Health and member cities of National Network were called to establish a “Commission for the Preparation of the Association's Constitution”.
On February 20, 2004 a meeting has been held with the participation of the Ministry of Health, the Governorship of Bursa, Bursa Province Health Directorate, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality and the Municipalities of Eskişehir/Tepebaşı, Bartın, and Yalova which were member cities of Phase III; during this meeting, suggestions concerning the constitution have been taken.
All the member cities of National Network were called to act as founding members of Turkish Healthy Cities Association, and Yalova, Van, Kadıköy, Afyon, Tepebaşı, Çankaya, Ürgüp, Ordu, Kırıkkale, and Metropolitan Municipality of Bursa took the decision of their councils expressing their intention to join this association and became the charter member of the association.
The establishment of the Healthy Cities Association is published in the official gazette of December 22, 2004, and the Association's Constitution was ratified by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and went into effect. The establishment procedure of the Turkish Healthy Cities Association was completed with the founding meeting on February 3, 2005 in Bursa.
“The Advantages of Being a Member to Healthy Cities Association”
With the establishment of Healthy Cities Association, member cities will have the opportunity to share experiences actively, express the problems they face, develop common projects, and be represented in the international level by uniting their powers.
In order to alleviate the inequalities related to health and all urban and environmental issues, and to fight against poverty in cities, collaboration and exchange of experiences between member municipalities will continue for livable and healthy cities.
This organization will provide member cities with information, documents, projects, experiences and good practices with regard to local governance, health, planning, environment, housing, transportation, education, security etc. “Healthy Cities Association” will generate a crucial opportunity and considerable progress in terms of strengthening this movement in Turkey and collaboration for our cities, which will result in healthier cities.