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OUR CHARTER
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October
17, 2003, Manila
October 13, 2004, Kuching
October 26, 2008, Ichikawa
November 4, 2021, Hong Kong SAR
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[ Preamble ]
We, the members of the Alliance for Healthy Cities:
Committed to improving the quality of life of our citizens and reducing
inequalities;
Reaffirming that health which is a state of complete physical, mental,
social and spiritual well being and not merely the absence of disease, is a
fundamental right and that the attainment of the highest possible level of
health requires action by many sectors;
Recognizing that urbanization is a worldwide phenomenon and that improving
the quality of life and determinants of health in cities require actions by
many sectors;
Realizing that local governments must manage rapidly growing urban areas
and govern with accountability, transparency, predictability and the rule
of law in order to meet social, political, economic, environmental and
health goals;
Determined to enable individuals and groups to improve their quality of
life through the Healthy Cities approach;
Desiring to share the Healthy Cities approach and ideas among other cities
and local governments;
Committed to building healthy public policy, creating supportive
environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills
and reorienting health services; [1]
In solidarity, state the vision of the Alliance for Healthy Cities as:
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Building cities and communities of peace
Where all citizens live in harmony,
Committed to sustainable development, respectful of diversity,
Reaching for the highest possible quality of life and equitable
distribution of health,
By promoting and protecting health in all settings.
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Do hereby promulgate the Charter of the Alliance for Healthy Cities as the
guiding document that embodies the principles and practices for our
organization.
[ Article
1. General Provisions ]
Section
1.1. The name of the organization will be "Alliance for Healthy Cities" and will be referred
to subsequently as the "Alliance".
Section
1.2. The Alliance
will be primarily composed of cities that are committed to its vision,
goals and objectives and shall be registered as a non-governmental and
non-profit entity in the countries of its operations.
Section
1.3. The charter will apply to all members and associates
of the Alliance
as defined in succeeding articles.
Section
1.4. The provisions of this charter should not supersede
other legal instruments or international agreements entered upon by
countries from which the members and associates originate.
[ Article
2. Definition of Terms ]
Section
2.1. Healthy Cities - are cities that are continually
creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding
those community resources which enable people to mutually support each
other in performing all functions of life and in developing their maximum
potential.[2]
Section
2.2. Health Promotion - is the process of enabling people
to increase control over; and improve their health.[3]
Section
2.3. Healthy Settings - are social and physical contexts
that serve as supportive environments for enabling people to increase
control over; and improve their health.[4]
Section
2.4. Quality of Life - is defined as individuals'
perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and
value system where they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations,
standards and concerns. It is a broad ranging concept, incorporating in a
complex way a person's physical health, psychological state, level of
independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and relationship to
salient features of the environment.
Section
2.5. City - is defined as city governments, governing
units of cities, municipalities and equivalent organizations.
[ Article
3. Goal and Objectives of the Alliance ]
Section
3.1. Goal - to promote and protect health and improve the
quality of life of urban populations in a sustainable manner through the
Healthy Cities approach.
Section
3.2. Objectives:
Section
3.2.A. To strengthen Healthy Cities initiatives and
encourage the development of innovative plans and programmes
to improve the quality of life and address the health challenge of specific
settings and communities.
Section
3.2.B. To share experiences in improving the quality of life
and addressing common health problems among members.
Section
3.2.C. To recognize and promote outstanding practices and
innovations within Healthy Cities;
Section
3.2.D. To mobilize and optimize the use of all available
resources to promote and support the adoption of the Healthy Cities
approach among cities and other communities in the Western Pacific Region
and other regions;
Section
3.2.E. To develop new knowledge and technology in
collaboration with the academe, universities and centres
of learning and to package technical resources for the improvement of
planning, implementation and evaluation of Healthy Cities.
[ Article
4. Organizational Structure and Administration ]
Section
4.1. General Assembly - will serve as the main governing body of the Alliance and will be composed of all full members and associate members. The General Assembly will meet in regular biennial sessions at such venue as the General Assembly shall determine, and in such special sessions as occasion may require. Special sessions shall be convoked by the Steering Committee. The General Assembly shall determine, and will approve proposed policies, programmes, budgets and activities for the succeeding biennium upon the recommendation of the Steering Committee.
1) Each full member of the General Assembly shall have one vote.
2) Decisions of the General Assembly shall be made by a majority of the full members present and voting.
3) A quorum of at least one-fourth of the total number of full members shall be present to initiate the voting process.
4) The General Assembly shall vote as follows:
(a) A show of hands and a manual vote using paper ballots-will serve as the primary voting system
(b) An electronic vote (e-vote) - will serve as the secondary voting option when the General Assembly meets online.
Section
4.2. Steering Committee - will serve as the policy-making
arm of the Alliance
and will be elected by the General Assembly. It shall be composed of twelve full members and associate members of the
Alliance
who will serve a four-year term
for a maximum of two terms after which a two-year period must elapse before
serving in the Steering Committee again. Seven full members will be cities
and five associate members will represent each of the following sectors:
NGO, international organizations, academe, private sector/business and national
government agencies. To ensure continuity, the first Steering Committee
will be composed of two groups with six members each. The half of the Steering Committee members will
serve for two years. The other half of the Steering Commtitee members will serve for four years. In the
succeeding biennium, the half of the Steering Committee members who completed two-years tem will be replaced by six members elected
to serve a four-year term. Thereafter, at the beginning of each biennium, six
new members of the Steering Committee will be elected to serve for four
years. In the event where a member of the Steering Committee is unable to
complete the term, replacement can be appointed by the Steering Committee
in consultation with the
Chair
City.
Section
4.3. Secretariat -will serve as the administrative arm of
the Alliance
and will operate under a specific institution as designated by the Steering
Committee upon the approval of the General Assembly. Its functions will
include coordination, communication, data banking, facilitation, fund
administration and other tasks that will support the goals and objectives
of the Alliance.
The Secretariat may act on behalf of the Alliance in all legal transactions of the
organization. The Secretariat will have accountability for all
administrative and financial matters and will prepare a financial report to
the General Assembly at the end of each biennium. The Secretariat, upon
recommendation of the Steering Committee and approval by the General
Assembly may be rotated to other organizations or institutions and will be
registered with an appropriate certifying body in the country of location.
Section
4.4. Working Committees - composed of full members and
associate members of the Alliance,
will be organized to implement specific projects and activities as
recommended by the Steering Committee and upon approval of the General
Assembly. Terms of reference of the working committees will be developed as
necessary.
Section
4.5. Committee on Awards - will be constituted at each
biennium upon the recommendation of the Steering Committee and the approval
of the General Assembly. The committee on awards will be tasked to evaluate
outstanding practices of Healthy Cities and will be composed of 8 members
of diverse representation of different sectors, organized groups and
geographic areas.
Section
4.6. Convenor and Chair City of the General Assembly - will
be elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years. The Convenor City will serve as the Chair City
of the General Assembly and will host the next meeting of the General
Assembly.
Section
4.7. Chapters - of the Alliance may be organized at country
level and registered in the country of operations upon recommendation of
the Steering Committee and approval of the General Assembly.
[ Article
5. Membership ]
Section
5.1. Cities may become bonafide
members of the Alliance
by compliance with the following: a) payment of the membership fee and
annual dues; b) completion of an information sheet; and c) submission of
documentation of the following:
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1) written policy statement in
support of Healthy Cities
2) future vision and goal
3) profile of the city (baseline data)
4) analysis of priority health problems
Submission of the documentation of the following is also recommended:
- intersectoral coordination mechanism in place
- mechanism for community participation
- local action plan to resolve the problems
- a set of indicators for monitoring and evaluation
- a system of information dissemination and sharing
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Section
5.2. Application Procedures - will be developed and
disseminated by the Secretariat on a biennium basis and will be announced
at the General Assembly. An annual base fee will be required for all full
members and associate members following a sliding scale as proposed by the
Steering Committee and approved by the General Assembly. Categories for the
sliding scale may be based on city revenues or other criteria as
recommended by the Steering Committee.
Section
5.3. Associate Member Status - will be open to all
interested individuals or non-city entities such as non-government
organizations, national government agencies, private organizations or
academic institutions. Associate members may avail of all benefits of bonafide members except voting privileges. Other rules
governing participation of interested individuals and non-city entities
will be determined by the Steering Committee and approved by the General
Assembly.
Section
5.4. Non-compliance with membership fee payment may
restrict full participation of members in Alliance activities, including the right
to vote.
[ Article
6. Financial Management ]
Section
6.1. Sources of funds - of the Alliance will be classified into four
categories:
1) Membership fees; 2) Fund-raising and income-generating activities; 3)
Grants and financial assistance packages that may be negotiated with other
institutions or organizations; and 4) Donations, sponsorships and
contributions.
Section
6.2. Alliance
funds will be used for the operations and implementation of activities such
as training, seminars, workshops and consultancies and projects to achieve
goals and objectives as stated in this Charter.
Section
6.3. Secretariat is responsible for administrative
procedures and management of approved funds of the Alliance in accordance with accounting
and auditing rules and regulations of the country of operation.
[ Article
7. Awards, Recognition and Incentives for Healthy Cities ]
Section
7.1. Recognition of Outstanding Practices - will be done
on a biennium basis and can be given to bonafide
members and/or associate members of the Alliance.
Section
7.2. Areas for Recognition - will be determined on a
biennium basis on subject matter relevant to the goal and objectives of the
Alliance.
The areas and criteria for recognition will be recommended by the Steering
Committee and will be approved by the General Assembly.
Section
7.3. Special project support incentives - may be provided
for outstanding practices in order to sustain or expand innovative
approaches within member cities.
[ Article
8. Implementation and Final Provisions ]
Section
8.1. Biennium Work and Financial Plan - will be developed
by the Steering Committee and approved by the General Assembly.
Section
8.2. Amendments to the Charter - may be made by a majority
vote of the General Assembly where the required quorum is present.
Section
8.3. Dissolution of the Alliance - may take effect upon a
majority vote of the General Assembly where the required quorum is present.
Section
8.4. Date of Effectivity - will
coincide with the signing of the Charter by the founding members of the Alliance.
[1] World Health Organization, Ottawa
Charter, (Canada, 1986)
[2] World Health Organization, Health Promotion
Glossary, (Geneva, 1998)
[3] World Health Organization, Health Promotion
Glossary, (Geneva, 1998)
[4] World Health Organization, Health Promotion
Glossary, (Geneva,
1998)
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