Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun Delivers Keynote Address at 12th World Urban Forum One UN Session

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun delivered a keynote address at the One UN Session of the '12th World Urban Forum' held in Cairo, Egypt, stating, “Suwon City is turning the obvious proposition that 'citizens are the masters of the city' into reality.”

At the World Urban Forum One UN Session held at the Cairo International Exhibition Center on the 7th (local time), Mayor Lee spoke on the theme of 'The Future of Cities is Decided by Citizens,' saying, “To address various urban challenges such as population concentration in cities, climate change, and economic polarization, villages, cities, nations, and the global community must join forces.” He added, “Suwon City is finding the key to transforming urban crises into opportunities through 'citizen participation.'”

He introduced representative citizen participation policies of Suwon City, including △urban policy citizen planning groups △mobile citizen participation app (Saebit Talktalk) △eco-mobility festivals △residential carbon monitoring △local economic revitalization.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun stated, “Suwon City will continue to evolve to create a sustainable future city where citizens participate together,” and added, “We hope that cities around the world will join us with strong solidarity in the journey to create a sustainable future city.”

The '12th World Urban Forum,' hosted by UN-Habitat, was held from November 4-8 at the Cairo International Exhibition Center under the theme 'It All Starts at Home.' Discussions were held on sub-themes including △climate crisis △the future of human habitation △urban partnerships △urban finance, and ways to pursue sustainable urban development were explored. The 'One UN Session,' where Mayor Lee delivered the keynote address, can be considered the core of the forum.

The World Urban Forum, which began in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002, is held every two years. It shares cases and relevant information from cities around the world on sustainable urbanization. It is recognized as the most authoritative forum among those dealing with urban issues.

Meanwhile, on the 6th, Mayor Lee Jae-jun met with Kazuko ISHIGAKI, Regional Director of UN-Habitat for Asia and the Pacific, and Curt Garrian, Head of Sustainable Urban Development Division at UN ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) and Acting UNESCAP Executive Secretary, to discuss plans for exchange and cooperation between Suwon City and international organizations.

On the morning of the 6th, he inspected Al-Azhar Park, a symbol of Cairo's urban regeneration. Al-Azhar Park was created by transforming a landfill site covering 300,000 square meters into beautiful green spaces, museums, Islamic fortifications and mosques.

On the 4th, he inspected the Mokattam area, known as the so-called 'Garbage Village.' Mokattam, a slum in Cairo, is primarily inhabited by families of waste collectors. The residents, called 'Zabbaleen,' collect and sort waste generated in the city to extract recyclable resources.