Suwon City and ICLEI Sign MOU on 'EcoMobility Pilot Project'

Suwon City announced on the 18th that it exchanged a memorandum of understanding with ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) on the 'EcoMobility Pilot Project' at the ICLEI World Congress held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young signed the memorandum of understanding with Jamba Berman, Secretary General of ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), for the 'EcoMobility Pilot Project 2013 Suwon (EcoMobility Festival 2013 Suwon)' at the closing ceremony of the '2012 ICLEI World Congress' on the 17th at 4 p.m. (local time), in front of approximately 1,000 people including local government leaders from around the world and international organization officials, and pledged the successful hosting of the event.

Under the agreement, ICLEI will take full responsibility for international management and oversight of the EcoMobility Festival, inducing international interest in the festival, and linking the 'EcoMobility Festival 2013 Suwon' project to a global partnership aimed at comprehensively promoting walking, cycling, the use of non-motorized transportation, and public transit.

In particular, Suwon City anticipates that during the festival period, international conferences by expert groups such as the EcoMobility Alliance meeting will be held consecutively. Therefore, experts from around the world, including the Global EcoMobility Alliance, UN organizations, international non-governmental organizations, business and user associations, are expected to visit Suwon.

Additionally, ICLEI, which has 1,200 member cities worldwide, is planning to invite the festival to participate, and it is expected that delegations of local governments from around the world will visit Suwon.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young stated, "Through hosting the EcoMobility Pilot Project, we will introduce Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and the naturally restored Suwon Stream, as well as Haengungdong where EcoMobility is realized, to the whole world. This will not only enhance our international standing but also increase the brand value of eco-friendly city Suwon."

The EcoMobility Festival is a global project that recreates and observes the adaptive process of a future city using non-motorized, zero-carbon, eco-friendly transportation methods such as bicycles, under the assumption of an age of oil depletion, and researches solutions for EcoMobility. It will be held for one month in the Haengungdong area of Suwon City next year.