WFEO uses declarations to identify and solve problems being faced by engineering and by the world.
Our declarations also reflect the commitments that WFEO and its members have made to global issues and initiatives, including on anti-corruption, poverty reduction, climate change and human rights.
WFEO provides leadership to the global engineering profession through its meetings, conferences, forums and congresses. Declarations are made from many of these events to influence, inform and inspire.
Through our declarations, the global engineering profession seeks to publicly and formally affirm and update its aims. The declarations make clear our intentions and ambitions to, as we see it, change the world for the better. And they are our way of responding to emerging global trends and the world's changing political, environmental, social, economic, technological and legal contexts.
We regularly call on the international community, governments, schools, universities, companies, clients, civil society and society-at-large to change as well. For individual engineers and those involved in the engineering profession around the globe, our declarations are tools for personal aspiration, professional development and political advocacy.
In short, WFEO uses declarations to identify and solve problems being faced by engineering and by the world.
Our declarations also reflect the commitments that WFEO and its members have made to global issues and initiatives, including on anti-corruption, poverty reduction, climate change and human rights.
Beirut Declaration: World Congress on Engineering Education 2013 – Impact of Globalisation on Engineering Education
- Declaration · Education · Ethics · Innovation · Research · Training · Universities
Host:
WFEO – Committee on Education in Engineering (WFEO-CEIE) – Federation of Lebanese Engineers – Federation of Arab Engineers.
Highlights:
- “We should work towards industry and universities establishing good relations to give students opportunities for practical training.”
- “Research that can find solutions for local and regional needs.”
- “Commercialisation of innovations developed by university research laboratories to create jobs.”
- “Move towards wealth creation with associated engineering jobs as an alternative to a service-orientated economy.”
- “Prepare graduates for their ethical responsibilities as professional engineers, to help combat corruption.”
Commitments:
- To work towards an assessment of the need for a regional approach to improve accreditation and the quality of engineering education, by bringing together all the existing valuable contributors of accreditation systems.
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Athens Declaration: Presidents’ Meeting of the European Engineering Chambers 2013 – 100 Years Regulated Engineering Profession
- Construction · Declaration · Economy · Infrastructure
Host:
Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE)
Highlights:
- “The construction sector is one of the main pillars of European economy, growth and welfare.”
- “Every job in construction counts for two additional jobs in other industry sectors.”
- “Quality of construction works has a direct impact on the quality of life.”
- “Strong commitment to innovation in its business practice promoting new technologies and new materials”
- “Construction sector responds to the social needs building a safe sustainable built environment facing proactively the impacts by the natural disasters.”
- “The construction sector was affected strongly by the financial crisis losing more than 30% of its general potential.”
- “Construction is substantially the ‘solution sector’ for the crisis and for re-starting economic growth, with its contribution to national and European GDP and boosting the labour market.”
- “Engineers are the leaders, decision-makers, the designers, the contractors, the supervisors, the operators, the public servants – they manage the whole construction sector and they build, in daily business, the safety and quality of life of European citizens, serving the general public interest.”
Actions (abridged):
Call to the European Union institutions and National Governments to:
- As a response to the crisis, take effective measures for public funding the construction sector and for facilitating access to private funding and credit so that taxpayer’s money can reach the real economy.
- Endorse the use of structure and cohesion funds for creation, rehabilitation and upgrading infrastructure and the building sector.
- Establish integrated legal, financial and fiscal tools and incentives to support the construction sector and infrastructure.
- Adopt whole life-cycle assessment for buildings and infrastructure.
- Ensure coherence and integration between environmental policy and policies to foster growth.
- Mobilise investments in ‘green’ and ‘blue’ growth and in renewable energy.
- Invest in education, training, skills development and best practice exchange for the engineers, technicians and workers in the construction sector.
Commitments:
- Commitment to strengthening the regulatory framework for the engineering profession.
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Singapore Declaration: World Engineering Summit 2013 – Engineering for a Sustainable Future
- Adaptation · Declaration · Infrastructure · Resilience · Sustainable development
Host:
Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES)
Highlights:
- “Engineers of the 21st Century are called upon to play a critical role in contributing to peace and security.”
- “Engineers have an obligation to protect cultural and natural diversity.”
- “Innovations by engineers are required in the design and operation of advanced devices and systems that can ensure efficient energy conversion and conservation; provide solutions to the production, storage and distribution of energy, food and water; facilitate human mobility; support trade and economic development; and sustain livable cities of the future.”
- “Engineers must proactively engage with the global political process to apply their knowledge and expertise.”
- “Engineers must develop new skills for a changing world, foster greater collaboration with other professionals, and promote multi-disciplinary approaches.”
Actions:
The WFEO Executive Council adopted and approved the Model Code of Practice for Sustainable Development and Environmental Stewardship
Commitments (abridged):
- Developing national sustainable systems and infrastructure and resilient development strategies and action plans.
- Engage in building engineering capacity through active collaboration with development organisations.
- Represent engineering views to effectively influence programs on sustainable infrastructure and systems in the United Nations system.
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Jakarta Protocol: Civil Engineering Conference in Asia Region 2013 – Civil Engineering for a Sustainable Future
- Adaptation · Climate change · Declaration · Development · Infrastructure
Host:
Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC) and the ten members of the council
Highlights:
- “Emerging global challenges over the last decade, including the financial crisis, population migration, food and energy crises, and natural disasters, have reinforced the need to secure and fulfill internationally agreed commitments to sustainable development.”
- “For such commitments to be realized, critical infrastructure must be adapted to the impacts of climate change and resilient to natural and man-made disasters.”
- “Civil engineers have an obligation to protect cultural and natural diversity, and they are central to the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of infrastructure networks that underpin civil society and economic activity and protect human health and welfare.”
- “Approximately 75% of the issues outlined in Agenda 21, the main action document from the 1992 Earth Summit, involve engineering and technical issues. Action by civil engineers is essential.”
- “Civil engineers require global political will to enable them to apply their knowledge and expertise to appropriately adapt infrastructure to attain meaningful progress.”
- “Civil engineers are committed to provide the tools and advice to governments and policymakers at national and supranational levels on the skills and infrastructure required for a sustainable future.”
- “Civil engineers must develop infrastructure capable of adaptation to the impacts of climate change.”
- “Civil engineers have relied upon historical data to design infrastructure. Such data are often incomplete and limited in duration. Now they must develop design and operational practices to withstand future climate conditions – both extremes and gradual changes.”
Actions:
The ten member societies/institutions of the Asian Civil Engineering Co-ordinating Council will work with each other and with domestic and international organizations to engage engineers in addressing the needs of the poor through capacity building and the development of sustainable and appropriate solutions to poverty.
Commitments (abridged):
- To lead internationally on the delivery of sustainable infrastructure.
- To improving methods for identifying and considering all of a project’s environmental, social and economic costs and impacts throughout its life cycle.
- To collecting data on infrastructure both nationally and, through collaboration, internationally and to providing informed opinion on the condition and requisite capacity of infrastructure for sustainable development.
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International Engineering Societies Statement: Sustainable Energy for All 2012 – Call on Governments to Support the United Nations ‘Sustainable Energy for All’
- Climate change · Declaration · Development · Energy · Sustainable development
Host:
IEEE (USA) – IET (UK) – IMechE (UK) – ICE (UK).
Highlights:
- “We fully endorse the Secretary General’s vision and goal of achieving Sustainable Energy for All by 2030 and will strive to help achieve the goals [of, by 2030]: ensuring universal access to modern energy services; doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.”
- “In the 20th Century, members of the engineering profession created the technologies and built the systems that provide safe and reliable energy to most of the world.”
- “… we will continue this rich tradition and serve as advocates for providing sustainable energy everywhere.”
Actions:
We will work towards the development of the necessary technologies, the establishment of supportive public policies, and the financial investments needed to make this goal a reality.
Commitments:
We commit our support to achieving Sustainable Energy for All.
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Ljubljana Declaration: World Engineers Forum 2012 – Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure
- Construction · Declaration · Disaster Risk Management · Forum · Infrastructure · Interdisciplinary · Sustainable development
Host:
Slovenian Chamber of Engineers (IZS).
Highlights:
- “Implementable solutions for sustainable construction must account for local and regional needs, cultures, priorities and available human and financial capacity”
- “Development proposals and projects require thorough analysis of their technical, economic and environmental feasibility and social and cultural impacts before their approval and implementation”
- “Sustainability and reliability of buildings and infrastructure for communities should be considered through integrated design by multi-disciplinary teams who are committed to life-cycle analysis”
- “Substantial technological improvement as well as sound, evidence-based policies are needed.”
- “Mitigating unacceptable impacts of manmade and natural disasters through sustainable planning.”
- “Incorporating resilience to maintain the operations of critical systems.”
Actions:
We urge the world’s leaders to engage the world engineering community as a full partner in addressing these complex challenges as we evolve into a sustainable planet.
Commitments:
WFEO and its members are ready, willing and able to contribute expertise, creativity and dedication to delivering the elements of this declaration.
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Geneva Declaration: World Engineers’ Convention 2011 – Call for Action
- Adaptation · Climate change · Declaration · Energy · Infrastructure
Host:
Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA).
Highlights:
- “Building the necessary infrastructure to bring large scale renewable electricity from places with high yields (areas with high insolation or strong winds) to the places with high consumption requires huge investments and long lead times, as well as development of mechanisms to encourage infrastructure investment.”
- “Energy efficiency measures will help reduce the energy intensity of national economies and, therefore, slow down the increase of primary energy demand.”
- “Energy storage technologies – e.g. pumped hydro and compressed air storage, batteries for transportation – are key to the management of intermittent renewable energy sources.”
- “The technologies needed for a low-carbon economy are being made available, or expected to be competitive soon if external costs are to be taken into consideration.”
- “Research is needed to define the extreme loadings for which engineered facilities should be designed, operated and maintained. Historical records, which have been the bases for engineering decisions, can no longer be considered to define the environments our facilities will face in the future.”
- “Investing in renewable technology means high ‘first costs’ and low ‘fuel costs’. Thus, the transformation from today’s energy mix into a low-carbon energy system requires a substantial increase in investments into infrastructure.”
- “Further investments will be needed to meet the yearly per capita goal of 2 tons of CO2 per person by 2050.”
- “The solutions are necessarily customized for each region. Sustainable models for power interconnection of countries in a given region to complement their energy supplies will have to be pursued and implemented.”
- “Sustainable primary energy is well distributed and available in sufficient quantities in many places. Hence, transforming the energy system at regional, national and international levels will require both autonomous and cooperative action with the aim to minimise impacts on natural competitive advantages.”
- “Regions showing high per-capita CO2 emissions are encouraged to start the transformation towards a more sustainable energy mix by identifying their specific way of achieving this transformation at lowest cost and impact to their economy and global competitiveness. Change and providing the incentives to invest and minimise the impacts on consumer budgets are mainly a political decision.”
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Buenos Aires Declaration: World Congress on Engineering 2010 – Technology, Innovation and Production for Sustainable Development
- Declaration · Development · Economy · Education
Host:
Argentine Union of Associations of Engineers – Argentine Centre of Engineers.
Highlights:
- “Encourage the action of engineers, and that of governmental and private organisations, to boost the capacity to innovate and to increase business efficiency and competitiveness.”
- “Public authorities to give the necessary priority to the development of vocations and the promotion of engineering courses.”
Actions:
- Celebration of Engineering Week in Argentina.
- Urge UNESCO to implement the International Engineering Programme suggested by the World Engineers Convention in 2008 in Brasilia.
- Ask national governments, multilateral banks and agencies and the United Nations agencies to give political and financial support to the work of engineering institutions.
Commitments (abridged):
- The institutions that bring together engineering professions to spread what has been done at this Congress and contribute to advancing the integrated development of our institutions.
- Foster the systemic participation of engineering institutions in analysis and decision-making processes of governments and development organisations.
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Kuwait Declaration: Alternative Energy Applications – Option or Necessity? 2009 – Kuwait Declaration Statement
- Adaptation · Climate change · Declaration · Energy · Infrastructure
Host:
Kuwait Society of Engineers (KSE).
Highlights:
- “Engineers worldwide believe that to meet expected energy demand, all energy options must be considered, including energy efficiency, renewables, cleaner and less carbon intensive fossil fuel, as well as nuclear.”
- “Energy efficiency, conservation, and savings in transport, households and industry are very important means to accomplish this. Significant reductions in carbon emissions can be realized by increasing energy efficiency and the use of technology available today.”
- “The impact of climate change is posing a serious risk to infrastructure that supports the economy.”
- “All stakeholders – private sector, governments, professionals and civil society – must work quickly to ensure that these systems will continue to operate effectively.”
Commitments (abridged):
To actively engage with government policy makers to ensure they have relevant information on all feasible options.
To inform decision makers about risks and how best to adapt civil infrastructure in order to avoid negative impacts of climate change.
Through national members of WFEO, to strongly pursue options that will mitigate risks and reduce carbon emissions.
To promote young engineers participation and fully engage women engineers to assure their effective involvement at all levels.
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Brasilia Declaration: World Engineers’ Convention 2008 – Engineering: Innovation for Development with Social Responsibility
- Declaration · Economy · Ethics · Innovation · Social Responsibility · Women engineers · Youth
Host:
Brazilian Federation of Engineers’ Associations – Brazilian Federal Council of Engineering, Architecture & Agronomy.
Highlights:
- “Engineering as the driver of technological innovation and of vital importance in sustainable human, social and economic development.”
- “In the current economic crisis we believe that engineering and innovation with social responsibility will be essential for our survival and progress.”
- “Many countries are concerned that young people are turning away from science, engineering and technical education, and about the effect a declining interest and enrolment in engineering will have on capacity and development.”
- “These issues and challenges are being further compounded by the recent financial and economic crisis, at a time when we need increased investment in engineering capacity building, R&D and infrastructure.”
- “The main challenges for engineering are to promote capacity building and access to technology… through: promoting awareness of engineering to the public and young people; the development of technologies, including advanced technologies; the application and innovation of technologies; promoting inclusion, especially of women and young engineers of the future; global co-operation to reduce knowledge divisions.”
- “Engineering education needs to emphasise the relevance of engineering to the global issues and challenges we face – the problem-solving profession needs to revitalise itself through such approaches as problem-based learning.”
Actions (abridged):
- Launch of the first UNESCO Engineering Report – the first ever international report on engineering.
- Call to governments to create enabling environments and support.
- Proposal to develop an International Engineering Programme.
- Proposal for second UNESCO Engineering Report for World Engineers’ Convention 2011.
Commitments (abridged):
- Emphasise the importance of engineering as the main driver of innovation and sustainable social and economic development.
- Develop a better understanding of the public perception of engineering, and the promotion of engineering studies and engineering policy.
- Promote curricula and teaching methods in engineering education that emphasise relevance, applications and the problem-solving approach of engineering.
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Budapest Declaration: World Congress on Engineering Education 2006 – Mobility of Engineers
- Declaration · Development · Education · Ethics · Sustainable development · Training
Host:
WFEO – Committee on Education in Engineering (WFEO-CEIE) – Polish Federation of Engineering Associations.
Highlights:
- “The engineering community has an essential role in promoting central issues of engineering education like quality of education, accreditation on engineering qualification, regional agreements, establishing substantial equivalence, curriculum and innovation.”
- “Engineering education of our new century must reflect issues like effects of globalisation, importance of sustainability, the protection of natural and built environment, methods for poverty reduction, capacity building.”
- “The engineering profession itself must represent a bridge between science and technology, and engineering education must reflect the interaction of engineers in industry and academia.”
- “Life-long learning for engineers should contain disciplines, which represent this bridging role and help to take into account global interests and help to safeguard national interests and values as well as professional ethics.”
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Shanghai Declaration: World Engineers’ Convention 2004 – Engineers Shape the Sustainable Future
- Declaration · Education · Ethics · Interdisciplinary · Sustainable development · Women engineers
Host:
Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST) – Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE).
Highlights:
- “Engineering and technology are vitally important in addressing poverty reduction, sustainable development and the other UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs / SDGs), and need to be recognised as such.”
- “The duty of engineers is to build a better life for society. To this end, engineers should dedicate themselves to developing a better world.”
- “Engineers should be aware of the need to achieve a balance between resource use and the needs of future generations, maintaining the environment and ecosystems.”
- “Governments need to recognise and reinforce the role of engineering in social and economic development.”
- “Governments also need to promote public and private support for engineering education and capacity building.”
- “Engineers should take greater responsibility for shaping the sustainable future. Engineers should also create and apply technology to minimise the waste of resources, reduce pollution and protect the human health and well-being and the ecological environment.”
- “Engineers should be clearly aware of the importance of interdisciplinary co-operation. We need to promote co-operation within the profession and also with natural and social scientists and the public.”
- “Curricular and pedagogical reform in engineering education and continuous professional development to encompass wider social and ethical concerns are needed. This will enhance the attractiveness of engineering to young people. We need to promote and support young engineers.”
- “Promoting the participation of women and addressing gender issues in engineering is crucial for the sustainability of the engineering community.”
- “There are excessive disparities between people and countries. This can lead to increasing insecurity and conflict. International co-operation in engineering facilitates the exchange of knowledge and promotes technological applications for health, wealth and well-being, poverty reduction and the culture of peace.”
Commitments:
The principles of honesty, equity, freedom from bribery, corruption and fraud, on which engineering codes are based, should be emphasised. High standards in all aspects of engineering practice should be maintained worldwide, and ongoing debate about engineering ethics should be strongly fostered towards the aim of adoption of codes of conduct by all engineers and engineering bodies.
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Carthage Declaration: World Congress on the Digital Divide 2003 – Preparatory Process for the World Summit on the Information Society
- Declaration · Social Responsibility · Sustainable development
Host:
International Telecommunications Union.
Highlights:
- ““It is essential that the digital gap between the ‘information rich’ and the ‘information poor’ be closed. The digital gap contributes to the widening of the economic gap and aggravates exclusion and marginalisation.”
- “We express our strong concerns regarding the growing disparities of network access. The disparities extend beyond the North-South and exist within countries, between generations and different social classes.”
- “The development of technology must not be guided solely by profit; science, engineering and technology must serve the needs of people.”
- “Engineers are on the front lines, their fundamental role is to adapt science for the benefit of people, in particular the poor.”
Actions (abridged):
Call to governments to commit resources to create a vehicle for financing low-cost high-speed network access.
Commitments:
- We affirm our determination to actively work as partners to reduce the digital divide.
- We affirm our vision of the Information Society: a society which is open and inclusive and which promotes the diffusion of knowledge.
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Abuja Communique: International Conference on Universal Access to ICT 2001 – Universal Access to Information and Communications Technology
- Accessibility · Declaration · Education · ICT · Innovation
Host:
WFEO – Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) – Federation of African Organisations of Engineers (FAEO)
Highlights:
- “African countries are urged to adopt and implement policies that will ensure meaningful development of ICT and use of indigenous expertise.”
- “African countries are urged to adopt and implement policies that will ensure that access to ICT is affordable to all citizens and thus promote democratic governance.”
- “Make Internet access mandatory in all educational institutions and promote distance-learning networks.”
- “Create technology parks as ICT knowledge incubation centres.”
- “All government institutions must establish and maintain websites… [and] must promote a mandatory and continuous training programme for all categories of workers.”
- “In every country, there is significant population of people with various disabilities who nevertheless have considerable potential. ICT must be used to harness this potential.”
- “Encourage students of tertiary institutions to embark on the formation of ICT start-up companies right from the campus as a strategic window and solution for meeting future knowledge challenges, job creation and economic survival competition.”
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Tokyo Resolution: International Federation of Information & Documentation Centennial 1995 – Strategic Alliance of International NGOs in Information to serve better the World Community
- Declaration · Development · Education · Ethics · Information · Privacy
Host:
International Federation for Information & Documentation (the Brussels Institute).
Highlights:
- “The proper use of information for decision-making at all levels of society will help solve humanity’s problems as the world enters an age of greater awareness of the important of information.”
- “All persona must have open and unrestricted access to information, consistent with the protection of individual rights, appropriate economic incentives, and the concerns of nations and people as determined by their unique circumstances.”
- “Societal improvements require a deeper and widespread understanding of how to find and use authentic information properly.”
- “… many challenges concerning the protection of intellectual property, the provision of access, protection of privacy, security, integrity and preservation of information, and the increased need for common legal and technical standards.”
- “A particularly serious problem is the increasing information gap between various countries and societies within them… Developing countries have an essential need both for information produced outside their frontiers and for information they themselves produce.”
Actions:
Agreement on the formation of a strategic alliance of 33 international NGOs.
Commitments (abridged):
- Ensuring that the information professions take a pro-active stance in studies aimed at elucidating future aspects of human endeavour.
- Ensuring that the development and application of information technologies effectively meet the needs of users of information.
- Encouraging the use of new teaching and learning technologies and other telematics techniques in education and lifelong learning starting at the pre-school age.
- Encouraging the discussion of ethical issues for the information society and the development of principles (e.g.: codes of conduct for appropriate sectors) related to the responsibilities of the information professions.
- Devising international programmes to strengthen the awareness of the value of information in all areas of human endeavour such as education, science, industry, culture and recreation.
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Arusha Declaration: WFEO General Assembly 1991 – Statement to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (‘The Earth Summit’) in Rio de Janeiro
- Declaration · Economy · Education · Ethics · Research · Social Responsibility · Sustainable development
Host:
WFEO – Institution of Engineers Tanzania (IET).
Highlights:
- “Because present global problems are so related to the selection and use of technology, the engineering profession carries a large responsibility to contribute to the creation of new policies.”
- “Engineers have the potential and the duty to be a major influence in the achievement of the primary goals of the future; sustainable habitat for all life, and one that continues to allow humankind to achieve its potential and to enjoy the process of living.”
- “Sustainable development requires the reorientation of technology and the management of risk for the fulfilment of the following strategic imperatives: reviving growth; changing the quality of growth; meeting essential human needs; conserving and enhancing the resource base.”
- “For engineers and other professionals to have a basis for implementing sustainable development, governments should establish sustainability as an overall national strategy and include sustainability in all sectorial policies and in budget and investment decisions.”
- “Development of sectorial policies should place obligations on producers and consumers to dace the full social costs of their decisions – through pricing policy, property rights and economic instruments.”
- “Within the development of their own profession, engineers need to ensure that professional education, engineering practice and environmental competence fully address the demands of the new situation.”
- “There is a need to provide sufficient content in engineering education to ensure that graduates have a mature understanding of environmental values and an ability to identify, manage and incorporate these aspects into development projects. Curricula should include courses on ethics, sustainability, ecology, systems of nature, and the impact of individual choices on nature and people.”
- “Research and development must encompass more than pure science and technology, and include political implementation, economic and commercial values and public perceptions. One of the keys to successful sustainability will be interdisciplinary collaboration particularly with respect to politics, economics, education and natural science.”
- “Restructure institutions to incorporate commitment to sustainability philosophy.”
- “Research into sustainable technologies should focus particularly on… Closed loop systems that combine renewable resources with re-use and recycling of products and restoration of the environment.”
- “The absence of an adequate ethic of sustainability is the major factor responsible for the failure to meet basic needs; for growing inequalities and loss of opportunity in the use of and enjoyment of nature; for loss of diversity and integrity of cultures and ecosystems and for the destruction of the capacity of the biosphere to support future generations.”
- “Recommend that the critical need for a World Ethic on Sustainability be acknowledged and mechanisms be set in place to develop, adopt and promote such a world ethic.”
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