The plenary session of the 2021 Global Mayors' Forum was held on Nov 11 at the Guangzhou Yuexiu International Congress Center.
Organizations, representatives, and guests from around the world attended the event either online or offline. The session was the perfect opportunity for attendees to share and exchange their urban governance experience as well as discuss ideas for the future development of cities.
Ma Biao, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, sent a video message. Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Wen Guohui, mayor of Guangzhou and president of the World Metropolis Association, Emilia Saiz, secretary general of the United Cities and Local Governments, and Zhong Nanshan, recipient of the Medal of the Republic and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered speeches at the conference. Zhang Shuofu, secretary of the CPC Guangzhou municipal committee, and Zhang Xin, vice governor of Guangdong province, also attended the event.
Ma stated in his speech that the UCLG and the World Metropolis Association are international organizations for local governments and cities with a global influence that are developing effectively.
The Chinese government encourages and supports its local governments to actively expand the global network of city partnerships. Presently, major changes have been made in the last 100 years and continue to be made despite the COVID-19 pandemic. China is willing to support cities around the world to more effectively combat COVID-19, drive the engine for global development, partner and carry out global cooperation, and participate in and promote global governance.
China supports platforms such as the Global Mayors' Forum and Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (presenter of the Guangzhou Award) to play a greater role and hopes that they will continue to make new and innovative contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Lin pointed out that a city is a gathering place in a country where people live and work as well as promote nationalism, and they are important carriers for friendly international relations that translate into benefits for the well-being of all people around the world. He hopes that cities in all countries will focus on poverty reduction and promote sustainable green development globally, build smart cities and promote the modernization of urban governance, strengthen exchanges and mutual understanding to achieve common prosperity, practice true multilateralism, and uphold justice and equality throughout the world. The CPAFFC is willing to always serve as a guide to coordinate and encourage Chinese local governments to partner with local governments from around the world and pursue shared development.
Wen spoke to the session's guests about the valuable experience Guangzhou has gained in urban development and the governance it has acquired through prioritizing ecological preservation, pursuing green development, inheriting cultural traditions, opening up, and cooperative activities. He proposed that cities around the world should always partner with each other for a more prosperous economy, enhance exchanges and mutual learning to develop more equitable societies, promote solidarity and cooperation for more resilient governance, always place people as a central focus, and build cities that people will be satisfied with. He called on everyone around the world to join hands together and make our planet a better place to live and prosper.
Saiz congratulated everyone for their participation in the successful conference and said that she hopes that cities around the world will keep their communication channels open and cooperate, share their experience in urban governance, continue to explore innovative issues, and build a better home for all of us in unison through platforms like the Global Mayors' Forum and the Guangzhou Award.
Zhong highlighted Guangzhou's experience and steps taken to fight COVID-19. He noted that the global pandemic is still severe and hopes that the global community will unite and work together through more thorough cooperation in scientific research, pandemic prevention, and treatment.
Other guests gave keynote speeches via video during the conference such as Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Li Yong, director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Francisco Carvalho, mayor of Praia, Cape Verde, Li Mingyuan, mayor of Xi'an, Eckart Würzner, mayor of Heidelberg, Germany, Uwe Schneidewind, mayor of Wuppertal, Germany, Antonio Di Carlo, mayor of Bari, Italy, and Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul, Turkey.
Carlos Giralt, consul general of Mexico in Guangzhou and the head of the Consular Corps, was among 33 consular officials from 24 consulates general in Guangzhou who attended the plenary session. Chen Qiuyan, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, and leaders of the Guangzhou city government, Pan Jianguo, Wang Huanqing, and Zhang Yajie, also participated in the event.
