The Secretary General of WeGO Meets the Mayors Around the World
August 3, 2022
Seoul – During the World Cities Summit, held from July 31 to August 3, 2022, in Singapore, leaders from local governments convened to share ideas on smart and sustainable urban development. Mayors from all over the world shared best practices from their respective cities and engaged in interactive discussions on ways to learn from and collaborate with one another.
Taking the opportunity forward, the Secretary General of WeGO, Ms. Jung Sook Park, met the Mayors of leading smart cities around the world and exchanged insights on the fast-evolving landscape of smart city development.
On the first day of the Summit, the delegation from Phuket, represented by its Governor, Narong Woonchiew, visited the exhibition booth of Seoul to learn more about its smart city initiatives as they plan to visit the city in September.
Governor of Phuket, Narong Woonchiew, (left) and the Secretary General of WeGO (right)
Ms. Jung Sook Park also met with Sally Capp, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, who shared her experiences during the “Geospatial and the Cities of the Future” session hosted by the Singapore Land Authority. With the integrated approach and commitment to strategic planning adopted in Melbourne, the city was recognized as one of the cities with Special Mention for the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2010.
Secretary General of WeGO (left) and Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp (right)
During the Mayors Forum, Ms. Jung Sook Park had the opportunity to meet Ahmed Abdouytaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam, and Fiona Argyle, Mayor of the City of Nedlands, to introduce WeGO and to discuss the importance of smart sustainable development. Ms. Jung Sook Park also exchanged WeGO’s vision for promoting citizen led smart city development with Soichiro Takashima, Mayor of Fukuoka City, and Sade Shireen Gawanas, Mayor of Windhoek.
Mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Abdouytaleb, (left) and the Secretary General of WeGO (right)
Mayor of the City of Nedlands, Fiona Argyle,(left) and the Secretary General of WeGO (right)
Mayor of Fukuoka City, Soichiro Takashima, (left) and the Secretary General of WeGO (right)
The Secretary General of WeGO (left) and the Mayor of Windhoek, Sade Shireen Gawanas (right)
Furthermore, Ms. Jung Sook Park met the Deputy Mayor of Yokohama, Hashimoto Toru, and the Municipal Director of Urbanism at Lisbon CIty Hall, Sofia Marques Santos Mourão Rosa Tropa. As the city that overcame its urban challenges through excellent partnership among its citizens and stakeholders, Yokohama was recognized with Special Mention for the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2014. Similarly, Lisbon was recognized with Special Mention for the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2020 for its striking resurgence over the past decade despite limited resources.
The Secretary General of WeGO (left) and the Deputy Mayor of Yokohama, Hashimoto Toru (right)
The Secretary General of WeGO (left ) and the Municipal Director of Urbanism at Lisbon CIty Hall, Sofia Marques Santos Mourão Rosa Tropa (right)
While greeting the world Mayors and leaders, Ms. Jung Sook Park promoted the Seoul Global Smart City Awards, which will acknowledge and recognize best practices of smart cities in the world. More importantly, Ms. Jung Sook Park invited the Mayors to attend the Mayors Forum in 2023, which will be hosted by the President City of WeGO, Seoul.
About WeGO
The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), established by 50 founding members in 2010, is an international association of city and other local governments, smart tech solution providers, and national and regional institutions committed to the transformation of cities into smart sustainable cities WeGO’s Secretariat is based in Seoul and supported by regional offices in Africa (Abuja, Nigeria), East Asia (Chengdu, China), Eurasia (Ulyanovsk Region, Russia), the Mediterranean (Beyoğlu, Turkey), and Latin America (Mexico City, Mexico).
WeGO has more than 200 members around the world and serves as their international platform to improve the quality of life, innovate in the delivery of public services, and strengthen regional competitiveness.
Media Contact:
Name: Eunji Park
E-mail: eunji@we-gov.org
Phone: 02-720-2935