Singapore will host the first-ever World Cities Summit, a premier international conference on public governance and sustainable development of cities, from 23 to 25 June 2008.
Featuring the theme “Liveable and Vibrant Cities”, the Summit will discuss the challenges of urbanization and examine best practices for the sustainable development of cities. The discussion topics will include issues related to effective governance, urban planning, infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, quality of life and economic competitiveness.
Practitioner focused, the event will have prominent and internationally-renowned speakers sharing their experiences and offering practical insights into effective policy formulation and implementation. They include:
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Haruhiko Kuroda, President, Asian Development Bank
- Ms Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor, Singapore
- Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hussayen, Minister for Water and Electricity, Saudi Arabia
- Hiroshi Nakada, Mayor of Yokohama
- John So, Mayor of Melbourne
- Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup Organization
- Ms Marilyn Taylor, Immediate Past Chairman, Urban Land Institute; Partner, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
- Professor Sir Peter Hall, Bartlett Professor of Planning, University College of London
- Professor Peter Rowe, Raymond Garbe Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, Harvard University
The Summit will bring together Ministers, city mayors, senior government officials, experts and business leaders from around the world. The international delegates will include a good number from the Asia Pacific and Middle East, providing excellent opportunities for networking and exchange of ideas.
The inaugural World Cities Summit will be held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. It will be held at the same time as the inaugural Singapore International Water Week 2008, which has the theme “Sustainable Water Solutions for Cities”. In conjunction with World Cities Summit 2008, Singapore will also be holding the East Asia Summit Conference on Liveable Cities. An initiative proposed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 3rd East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Singapore last November, the EAS Conference on Liveable Cities aims to give EAS cities a platform to network and exchange best practices and expertise in developing sustainable and ecologically friendly cities. Prime Minister Lee will be officiating at the joint opening ceremony for the three events and will deliver the keynote address.
Apart from the plenary sessions and breakout tracks, World Cities Summit will offer site visits for delegates to engage practitioners and get a better understanding of policy implementation. There will also be an exhibition to facilitate business opportunities and stimulate exchanges between the public and private sectors. The exhibition will be co-located with the Water Expo of the Singapore International Water Week.
World Cities Summit 2008 is organised by Singapore’s Ministry of National Development, the Singapore Civil Service College and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore.
Tan Tee How, Permanent Secretary of Singapore’s Ministry of National Development, said “Today, half of the world's population is already living in cities and the trend for further population growth, urbanization and industrialization will continue. Cities, and the way we plan, build and manage them, will determine how far the world can achieve sustainable development and tackle environmental problems like climate change.
Mindful of its limited resources, Singapore has embraced long-term urban planning from the onset to ensure that both economic growth and quality living environment can be sustained. Through World Cities Summit, we hope to bring together like-minded cities and stakeholders to share their insights and expertise as well as discuss the challenges faced in achieving sustainable development.”
“World Cities Summit 2008 will be an excellent platform for public policy practitioners to discuss and to share experiences on how to tackle the challenges of creating cities that are economically vibrant and liveable. The Summit will be a good platform to share learning experiences and perhaps, even spark off some new ideas,” added Chan Heng Kee, Dean & Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Civil Service College.
Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, noted that “Asian cities are becoming the new centers of growth in a dynamic and exciting region. The challenge for national and city leaders is to ensure that these growing cities carry on humming – to keep the water clean, the air clear and the traffic flowing; and more than that, to provide a high quality of life and a good livelihood for the people living in them. World Cities Summit creates enormous opportunities for new ideas to emerge on how Asian cities can be better managed and developed.”
The Strategic Partners for World Cities Summit 2008 are:
- The World Bank
- Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
- United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)
The Supporting Organizations for World Cities Summit 2008 are:
- Arab Urban Development Institute
- China Association of Mayors
- CITYNET (The Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlements)
- Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM)
- Fundación Metrópoli
- Urban Land Institute (ULI)
More information on World Cities Summit can be found at www.worldcities.com.sg.
More information on Singapore International Water Week can be found at www.siww.com.sg.
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