It is now universally understood that ecological, economic, and social aspects of poverty must be dealt with together if future generations are to have suitable living conditions. Mr. Burger expressed his satisfaction that the Forum brought together so many mayors from those regions of the world which suffer most from absolute poverty, a situation where not even people's most basic needs are guaranteed. He pointed out that the eradication of this most dire form of poverty must be given absolute priority. However, the experiences described at the Forum showed that there is also relative poverty, found in industrial countries, and characterised by phenomena such as inadequate material provision and social, cultural, and emotional exclusion. Second, Mr. Burger underlined the importance of partnerships, as they are promoted by the Forum bringing together representatives from the local government level and representatives from the UN and its agencies.
Local governments possess insight into the needs of people.
They are in immediate touch with the problem of urban poverty and must be involved if the challenge of poverty in an increasingly urbanised world is to be faced. And partners of local authorities involved in the fight against poverty do not necessarily have to be international institutions, but can be national governments, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, civil society players, academic institutions, or simply other local authorities. Mr. Burger praised the openness of the UN system towards partnerships. In this context, he mentioned the highly successful International Conference on Governance for Sustainable Growth and Equity organised by UNDP in July 1997, which saw numerous mayors among its participants. Within the Local Agenda programme, very promising information is being gathered on the involvement of civil society in decision-making processes.