Proposals for ActionThe Sundsvall C

Proposals for Action

The Sundsvall Conference believes that proposals to implement the Health for All strategies must reflect two basic principles:

Equity must be a basic priority in creating supportive environments for health, releasing energy and creative power by including all human beings in this unique endeavour. All policies that aim at sustainable development must be subjected to new types of accountability procedures in order to achieve an equitable distribution of responsibilities and resources. All action and resource allocation must be based on a clear priority and commitment to the very poorest, alleviating the extra hardship borne by the marginalized, minority groups, and people with disabilities. The industrialized world needs to pay the environmental and human debt that has accumulated through exploitation of the developing world.
Public action for supportive environments for health must recognize the interdependence of all living beings, and must manage all natural resources, taking into account the needs of future generations. Indigenous peoples have a unique spiritual and cultural relationship with the physical environment that can provide valuable lessons for the rest of the world. It is essential, therefore, that indigenous peoples be involved in sustainable development activities, and negotiations be conducted about their rights to land and cultural heritage.