The first Asian City Journalist Conference was held to focus on the voice and roles of the media in the context of developing sustainable urban development and promoting city-to-city cooperation in Asia. Ten distinctive journalists representing newspapers from respective Asian cities Bangkok, Busan, Dalian, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Ipoh, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore and Shanghai, as well as representatives from local authorities, academia and the private sector met in Fukuoka to address and discuss the forementioned issues and goals.
The Conference was divided into three discussion sessions under the theme 'Sustainable Urban Life'; a life which encourages 'reduce, reuse and recycle (3R)g' of resources and committed to reduce the burden imposed on the environment. Part I 'City-to-City Cooperation in Asia' examined the roles of cities and potential strengths of a 'C2C' relationship in realisation of urban sustainability. Part II 'Toward Safer Cities'discussed various 'safety' concerns and measures in the respective cities; from disaster prevention to fighting crime. Finally, part III 'Sustainable Urban Environment' raised environmental issues and concerns, and discussed how 'C2C' could contribute in influencing policy measures and initiatives. In each of the sessions, the importance of a consolidated and supra regional approach and network building was revisited. The panelists' broad and candid observations of the current issues and suggestions were critical added value to the outcomes and implications from this Conference.
A keynote speech on urban challenges in Asia and 'C2C' was addressed by Daniel Biau, Director of Regional and Technical Cooperation Division, UN-HABITAT, in prior to the discussions. (*Please refer to the Conference program for detailed information of the participants and schedule.)
The world is experiencing unprecedented levels of urbanisation as the majority of people now reside in urban areas. By 2030, three-quarters of the worldﾕs population will be urban, and the largest cities will be found in the developing world. While urbanisation has brought tremendous benefits to many cities, it is also coming at a price. Cities in Asia are facing common challenges such as inadequate human settlement and services, urban poverty, waste, air, energy, transportation and etc. We must consider balance between environment and development as well as safety against disasters and crimes in order to keep our cities and urban life sustainable.
These issues and goals cannot be achieved by cities alone. 'C2C': a city-to-city cooperation with or without support from external organisations such as UN-HABITAT is essential. And as these cooperation efforts mobilise joint working partnerships between public authorities, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, and the private sector, it is crucial that key information is shared and made commonly available through a network (platform) of these stakeholders. In recent years, journalists and the media are also considered critical stakeholders in urban decision-making, and their roles are increasingly becoming an important pillar in advocating the importance of such cooperative approach and networks.
The Journalist Conference is a very unique attempt to focus on the voice and roles of the media in the context of developing sustainable urban development and promoting city-to-city cooperation in Asia. Ten distinctive journalists representing newspapers from respective Asian cities Bangkok, Busan, Dalian, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Ipoh, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore and Shanghai, as well as representatives from local authorities, academia and the private sector will meet in Fukuoka to address and discuss the forementioned issues and goals. The Conference is divided into three discussion sessions under the theme 'Sustainable Urban Life'; a life which encourages 'reduce, reuse and recycle (3R)g' of resources and committed to reduce the burden imposed on the environment. Part I 'City-to-City Cooperation in Asia' will examine the roles of cities and potential strengths of a 'C2C' relationship in realisation of urban sustainability. Part II 'Toward Safer Cities' will discuss various 'safety' concerns and measures in the respective cities; from disaster prevention to fighting crime. Finally, part III 'Sustainable Urban Environment' will raise environmental issues and concerns, and will discuss how 'C2C' could contribute in influencing policy measures and initiatives. In each of the sessions, the importance of a consolidated and supra regional approach and network building will be revisited. The panelists' broad and candid observations of the current issues and suggestions will be a critical added value to the outcomes and implications from this Conference. A keynote speech on urban challenges in Asia and 'C2C' will be addressed by Daniel Biau, Director of Regional and Technical Cooperation Division, UN-HABITAT, in prior to the discussions. (*Please refer to the Conference program for detailed information of the participants and schedule.)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) is the lead agency within the United Nations system for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda; the global plan of action adopted by the international community at the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul, Turkey in June 1996. UN-HABITAT promotes socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all, and its activities include promotion of sustainable development within the context and the challenges of a rapidly urbanizing world. The Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP) - Fukuoka covers 28 countries and regions in the Asia and Pacific and its tasks cover many aspects of human settlement development and reflect the mandate of UN-HABITAT. The responsibilities combine operational activities (development projects and programmes) and normative activities (advocacy and policy guidance) and include the Campaigns for Secure Tenure and Good Urban Governance. Linking cities, sharing knowledge and best practices have been an important modality which UN-HABITAT has introduced to cities worldwide, where 'C2C' have become useful tools to realise various urban decision making processes such as policy making, civic engagement and governance. This Conference is part of a series of ROAP's 10th Year Anniversary Events to commemorate ten years since establishment of the Regional Office for Asia and Pacific in Fukuoka. Continual discussions will be made on sustainable urban environment later in December (jointly with Nishi-Nippon Shimbun in commemoration of their 130th Annivesary) in an international conference titled 'Better Mobility for Sustainable Urban Life'. For details and schedule of other related important events, please refer to http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/.
In prior to this Conference today, the Asia-Pacific City Summit Working Level Conference was held on July 30-31, 2007 in Kitakyushu-city. The ten journalists attended the Asia-Pacific City Summit which is another important initiative to strengthen city linkages and discuss synergy opportunities between member cities. This year's theme was 'Urban Charm: Building a Beautiful City by Residents'. For detailed information on the Asia-Pacific City Summit, please refer to URL: http://www.urc.or.jp/summit/index_e.php.
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photos from 1st Conference
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photos from 1st Conference
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welcome speech by Governor Aso, Fukuoka Prefecture
