[PRESS RELEASE] WeGO celebrates 10th anniversary, adopts 2030 Masterplan, and holds awards ceremony at global triennial event hosted by Seoul
한국어 원문 보러가기 (클릭)
October 18, 2021
SEOUL – The 5th WeGO General Assembly (GA), WeGO’s triennial event that gathers both members and partners to shape key agenda that will help chart WeGO’s direction for the coming years, was successfully conducted this afternoon. Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which also serves as WeGO’s President City, the event was held on the theme of “New Normal with Smart Sustainable Solutions for All”.
150+ WeGO members, partners, and stakeholders, participated live in the event, among which 20+ mayoral and vice-mayoral participants from 16 countries around the world, and seven Ambassadors of domestic embassies.
“The 4th Industrial Revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic have only made non-contact digital lifestyles all the more common and widespread. The changes brought about by smart technologies have transformed citizens’ lives faster than the advent of cars ever did,” said Se-hoon On, Mayor of Seoul and President of WeGO in his opening remarks.
As a key figure in the establishment of WeGO in 2010 while serving his second term as the Mayor of Seoul, Mayor Oh further pledged to continue supporting the organization in its important mission. “The Seoul Metropolitan Government, through WeGO, will continue to promote the sharing of experiences and knowhow in the smart city field, and the cooperation among cities around the world to bridge the digital divide and improve the quality of life of citizens.”
Congratulatory remarks were made by Ricardo Nunes, Mayor of São Paulo, and Kriangyos Sudlagha, Deputy Governor of Bangkok. UN-Habitat’s Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif gave the keynote speech emphasizing the importance of creating people-centered smart cities, to reduce the digital divide, build inclusion, and ensure citizens’ digital rights.
The 5th GA was also the opportunity for WeGO to celebrate its 10th anniversary, through a video highlighting the key milestones in the organization’s history.
In addition, WeGO finally held the awards ceremony of the 4th WeGO Awards, its triennial competition that recognizes and promotes local governments with exemplary projects and solutions that use ICT to improve the quality of life of citizens. The competition itself took place last year from February to September. Out of the 52 applications from 18 countries around the world, 18 were selected by the judges as winners and received the prizes of ‘Gold Award’, ‘Silver Award’, or ‘Special Mention’.
The Ambassadors of Brazil and Mexico, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Malaysian Embassy in Seoul were invited to represent the overseas Gold Award winners for the in-person part of the ceremony.
During the actual General Assembly session, chaired by Seoul’s Ambassador of International Relations Paik Ji-ah, important decisions related to WeGO’s governance and direction in the coming years were made, including the adoption of key amendments to WeGO’s statutes and of WeGO 2030 Masterplan. Furthermore, Seoul was re-elected as the President City, six Vice President Cities were appointed, and 17 Executive Committee members were elected. Finally, it was decided that host city of WeGO’s next General Assembly in 2023 will be Mexico City.
The event was the debut of WeGO’s new Secretary General Jung Sook Park, who was appointed by Seoul recently. With her long career in the field of international cooperation—notably as the Korean representative for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—SG Park expressed her delight and commitment in taking on this new role.
“While technology is a core part of WeGO’s mission, the global pandemic and climate change have fundamentally redefined the relationship between cities and their citizens, governments, and tech vendors, and have reformulated urbanization policies for decades to come. We must embrace resilience and sustainability at a personal and societal level,” she said in closing of the event. “I am ready to lead WeGO into its next phase as an international organization, facing new challenges and creating new solutions.”
To rewatch any part of the event or download the key materials, please visit WeGO’s website.
Event sponsored by becloud, Dohwa, Hyulim Robot, Nature and Fiber, SRPOST; SmartCitiesWorld is the event’s media partner.