Asia-Pacific’s Future in the New Urban Agenda
HIGHLIGHTS of the Congress For the 6th UCLG ASPAC Congress, members and partners came together in the tranquil city of Gunsan in Jeollabuk Province, Korea from 5-8 September 2016. Under the theme “Region, Life and Culture in the New Urban Agenda”, the Congress’ more than 600 delegates took advantage of the gathering to share their local government or organization’s experiences on critical urban issues, including leadership and implementing several global agendas. The UCLG ASPAC team was strongly supported by the Jeollabuk Provincial Government, Gunsan City, the Governors Association of Korea (GAOK), and various agencies and international partners in making the event a success.
Pre-Congress Sessions Making most of the rare chance to meet together, Pre-Congress Sessions (PCS) were arranged which began on September 4 and ran until the morning of the 5th. The first PCS was a regional workshop conducted through the collaboration between UCLG ASPAC, Cities Alliance and UNDP. “Enabling Environment Rating in Asia and the Pacific” was a kick-off meeting of the joint project on enabling environment cities and local governments which aims to provide a rating for countries in this region based on the enabling institutional framework for the efficient discharge of assigned responsibilities by local governments to promote sustainable urban development and to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project will include the assessment of the legal and institutional environment (including financing issues) that is conducive to the “localization” of the SDGs and identify areas for reforms. The assessment requires coordination of all local governments association in Asia-Pacific, in which the preliminary finding is to be announced in the Habitat III Conference.
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This opportunity was also used to hold meetings of the DELGOSEA Standing Committee, South and Southwest Asia, Standing Committee on Culture, Standing Committee on Women in Local Governments, and Urban Planning for City Leaders (jointly organized by UN-Habitat).
Dialogue towards the New Urban Agenda Culture and creativity was put on display in the Congress’ Opening Ceremony as art performances and a sand-painting show was delivered and met with much applause from the audience. A series of remarks and congratulatory messages were given by the UCLG ASPAC President, Jeollabuk-do Governor, Minister of the Interior (Republic of Korea), GAOK President, and Gunsan Mayor. The outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki Moon, Chairman of the National Assembly of Republic of Korea, and UCLG President also expressed their support via video messages. A rice cake cutting ceremony ended the opening session and set in motion two days of rich discussions organized as panel sessions and networking events.
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Each session was represented by local leaders from around the Asia Pacific region who contributed valuable experiences and insight on the themes of leadership, governance and urban regeneration, and the value of culture in sustainable development. Moreover, the discussions were able to generate recommendations to different stakeholders, especially to central governments and international development organizations, on implementing global agendas (SDGs, Sendai Framework, Addis Ababa Action Agenda, New Urban Agenda, etc.) and achieving their targets. As the sessions ran in parallel and delegates were interested to know about other topics being discussed, the Chairs’ Summary served to consolidate these and the proposals to inform the general audience. The 6th UCLG ASPAC Congress came to a close after the signing of the Jeollabuk-do Declaration which states the willingness of Asia Pacific cities and local governments to take steps collaboratively towards sustainable development and espouse the values of peace and coexistence.
Exhibition & Thematic Field Visits Participants could also learn about the latest updates of several cities through information provided in their exhibition booths. Moreover, several private organizations also made use of this good opportunity to showcase their
products and services, from food to tourism, and to promote upcoming forums to be held within the Asia-Pacific region. Participants also had the chance to don traditional Korean clothes and to take photos wearing them. There were many souvenirs and giveaways for the participants who cheerfully visited the booths in between attending the Congress’ sessions. After three days of hard work and commitment, participants joined in the Thematic Field Visits which offered them two courses to choose from. In each course, participants were exposed to historical, cultural and industrial development in South Korea. Executive Bureau and Council Meeting & Elections for Term 2016-2018 The last day of the Congress was devoted to the Executive Bureau Meeting, Sub-regional elections for representatives for Council and Executive Bureau, General Assembly, and ended with the Council Meeting and elections of Presidency 2016 – 2018. Governor Won Hee-ryong was re-elected as President of UCLG ASPAC; while for Co-Presidency, taking up the position are: Mayor Emil ElestiantoDardak (representing Southeast Asia sub-region), Mr. DormaniPoudel(representing South & Southwest Asia sub-region),Mr. Ranjit S. Chavan (representing Associate and International Organization members), Mayor IllizaSa’aduddinDjamal (representing Standing Committee of Women in Local Governments), Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (CoPresident, Host), Mr. Syed Muhammad Asghar Gillani (Co-President, Immediate Past President), and Cr. Chen Haosu (Co-President Founding). In addition, The General Assembly and Council Meeting also appointed the UCLG ASPAC Council and Executive Bureau for 2016 – 2018. UCLG ASPAC would like to thank all members and partners who contributed in the Congress and congratulates everyone for the event’s substantial outcomes.