A NORTH-EAST council has responded immediately to a plea issued for action against poverty, exclusion and environmental deprivation.

The call for help was delivered at the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg where the work of local authorities was hailed as one of the success stories of the decade.

A crucial political declaration signed by heads of state commits governments to encourage and support local authorities in producing a strategy known as Local Action 21 Plans.

After a local government session, Durham County Council agreed the Local Government Declaration, which is aimed at accelerating action for sustainable communities while protecting the environment and natural resources.

Ken Manton, leader of the authority, said: "While there is no absolute poverty in this region of the kind so painfully highlighted in Johannesburg, we still have far too many families living in relative poverty.

"Although we will be concentrating on improving the quality of life of County Durham people, we can no longer ignore the plight of people in the developing world.''

David Miller, the council's head of environment and resources, attended the summit. He said the event had concentrated on the big international agreements but there were many other agreements being signed.

He said: "It was also possible to highlight the North-East region's new Sustainable Development Guide produced by a partnership which includes One NorthEast, the Environment Agency, local government and the business sector."