UCLG ASPAC General Assembly to be Held in Goyang Next September

Mayor Donghwan Lee Signs MOU with UCLG ASPAC at Zhengzhou Executive Meeting
Keynote Speech Emphasizes Local Government Cooperation for Eco-friendly, Digital, and Advanced Technology Future Cities
10th General Assembly to be Held at KINTEX from September 24-26 Next Year with 500 Participants from 190 Local Governments in 22 Countries

They are taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement between Goyang Special City and the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC). (From left: Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City; Dakila Qua, President of UCLG ASPAC; Bernadia Chandradevi, Secretary-General of UCLG ASPAC).

On the 23rd, Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, agreed to cooperate with the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) in jointly hosting the '10th UCLG ASPAC General Assembly' scheduled for next September at the 2nd Executive Committee Meeting of UCLG ASPAC held in Zhengzhou, China.

According to Goyang Special City on the 23rd, the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding is a follow-up to the Letter of Intent (LOI) for hosting the 10th UCLG ASPAC General Assembly between Goyang City and UCLG ASPAC, signed on May 13. Goyang City and UCLG ASPAC agreed to mutually cooperate in detail on related cost-sharing, promotion, opening and closing ceremonies, VIPs, and side events to ensure the successful joint hosting of the 10th UCLG ASPAC General Assembly.

The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is an international organization of local governments composed of 240,000 local governments and 175 local government associations from 140 countries worldwide. The Asia-Pacific branch general assembly is held every two years. At last year's 9th General Assembly in Yiwu, China, Mayor Lee Dong-hwan personally expressed his intention to host the 10th General Assembly in Goyang and made a proposal presentation, which led to a unanimous decision to select Goyang as the host city for the 10th General Assembly.

Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, is introducing Goyang City's eco-friendly, digital, and advanced urban technology policies at the UCLG ASPAC 2nd Executive Committee Meeting Forum.

Mayor Lee Dong-hwan said, "I hope this visit to Zhengzhou, China, will serve as a stepping stone for the successful hosting of the 2025 10th UCLG ASPAC Goyang General Assembly," adding, "Goyang City will play an important role in creating a future where the Asia-Pacific region cooperates to achieve smart and green growth."

Bernadia Chandradevi, Secretary-General of UCLG ASPAC, said, "We expect Goyang City's international status to be further elevated through this General Assembly," and added, "The 10th General Assembly held in Goyang will be a platform for local governments to discuss sustainable urban development, and the Asia-Pacific branch will closely cooperate to make this happen."

At the subsequent main forum, Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, delivered a keynote speech on the theme of 'Sustainable Growth through Smart Cities,' presenting Goyang City's eco-friendly, digital, and advanced urban technology policies.

The mayor emphasized, "Goyang City is solving urban problems through international cooperation and technology sharing, which are essential elements for building smart cities and a sustainable future," and added, "We will continue to strengthen international cooperation to achieve sustainable development as a city where environment, technology, and innovation converge."

During the executive committee meeting held in the afternoon, reports were made on matters related to the Goyang General Assembly and the operation plan for the task force formation, and the organizational committee plan for the UCLG ASPAC General Assembly was shared. Additionally, side events such as photo exhibitions, essay contests, and garden creation were unveiled, and promotion was requested to encourage many cities to participate in the 10th UCLG ASPAC General Assembly.

The 10th UCLG ASPAC General Assembly is scheduled to be held for three days from September 24 to 26 next year at the Kintex 2 Exhibition Hall area in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province. This General Assembly will be the third UCLG ASPAC General Assembly held in Korea after the 1st Daegu General Assembly in 2005 and the 6th Jeollabuk-do General Assembly in 2016, marking the first time in nine years.

The General Assembly will be attended by over 190 local governments and local government associations from 22 Asia-Pacific countries that are member cities of UCLG ASPAC. Under the theme 'The Future of Local Governments, Sustainable Global Self-sufficient Cities,' it will be composed of sub-themes such as job creation, talent development, energy self-sufficiency, family-friendly cities, and smart cities, aiming to promote discussion and cooperation among local governments on sustainable urban development.