UCLG-ASPAC

Volume 20 | November 2013 - April 2014

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10th Anniversary of UCLG

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Women Empowerment and Urban Poverty Reduction Barisal City Experience

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Syed Muhammad Asghar Shah Gillani President UCLG ASPAC

Dear members and friends,

Our beloved readers,

It is with great pleasure for me to write for the first time as president in the UCLG ASPAC newsletter.

A new year 2014 is the year of horse, we must see it as the year for all of us at the General Secretariat to reflect what have and have not been done successfully. This year is also the right time for us to think and plan long term strategies that are doable and measureable.

It is timely as the world has begun the preparation for the 2015 post development, Habitat III as well as the Hyogo Framework for Action 2 – these will be the global foundation for the world to tackle the poverty and protect our earth for over exploited natural resource.

UCLG ASPAC is a longstanding organization committed to the development of local governments and cities in Asia-Pacific, and is constantly evolving to meet the challenges in today’s modern world. This wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the outstanding involvement of our dear members through projects and activities in their respective cities and local governments.

The newsletter is divided according to subregions and it covers activities carried out by our members all around the Asia-Pacific.

Each member has been active with different approaches in tackling current issues faced in local governments.

From health improvements to sustainable green urban development, from reviving rivers to organizing bio industry expos, the focus in different areas has been full of varieties. But at the end, all the activities carried out by our members, are expressing the urgency for reviving participation of local governments on a larger scale.

Also, may I remind you that the next UCLG ASPAC Congress will be held in Taipei from 3-6 September this year.

For the benefit of all of us and our future generations, let’s move forward together and help each other achieve a prosperous Asia-Pacific region.

President UCLG ASPAC

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Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi Secretary General UCLG ASPAC

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As UCLG ASPAC represents cities and local governments, each person in our membership has her/his responsibility to shape the development that centers on human dignity, and harmonization with our eco-system (air, soil and land) and dependency to our neighboring cities, local governments and countries.

This new edition of newsletter reflects well how UCLG ASPAC’s members, have put their effort in underlining the importance of human peace, innovation, in their effort to raise the well-being of their constituents.

Thanks to members for contributing to this newsletter. Your news and information may become the window for others to follow your good and successful actions. We believe that everyone can make a different!

Secretary General UCLG ASPAC

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

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28

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10th Anniversary of UCLG

8

Women Empowerment and Urban Poverty Reduction - Barisal City Experience

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Changchun International Sculpture Symposium

17

Xian’s Silk Road Cooperation

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Jeollabuk-do Mini Series Project

25

2014 Incheon Asian Games

28

Chungcheongbuk-do, the Bio Mecca of Korea

32

Gunsan Art Center

34

Second Asia Energy Conference

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8

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At a time when the world is predominantly urban, and the international community is defining the new development agenda and highlighting the relevance of cities in development, in Asia-Pacific we are celebrating the 10th anniversary since the creation of UCLG, the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments.

Inheritor of the International Municipal Movement that celebrated a century last year, and with origins in the United Nations’ Conference on Human Settlements in Istanbul in 1996 (Habitat II), UCLG has members in over 160 countries across the world and represents over 2/3 of the global population.

Cities, as motors of innovation and development, must exchange experiences and knowledge to be able to face the important challenges of today that have a direct effect on the lives of citizens. In view of

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this, it is important for the voice of the local level to be fully articulated and heard at the global level.

Local governments are the level closest to citizens and are responsible for ensuring the most essential issues such as social wellbeing, security, mobility, access to water and culture in order to make inclusive, sustainable and peaceful societies possible.

As the Regional Section of the World Organization we are proud of our contribution to the international municipal movement.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

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The implementation of regional autonomy has had a positive impact for local governments, as it allows more room for innovation, particularly in the optimization of service delivery.

Since 2000, some local governments have implemented innovative public services due to centralization and the local autonomy associated with this.

However in some cases, the implementation of local public services has not yet reached its full potential. To address this issue, APEKSI has recently organized a workshop for local governments in Jakarta to evaluate these issues together. It aims to look at the problems and to evaluate public services implemented by the government.

On this occasion, APEKSI also launched its volume 9 on the Best Practices of APEKSI. The event was held in order to stimulate dialogue between citizens, the central government and the local governments.

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*$-&8$)9("($5)+2):'(.(;;(%$5) 5$")"+),+<'+5")"'$)=(&&$5") 3%"$#%-"(+%-.)>(/$#)9+%/$%"(+% The world’s leading experts and local authorities on rivers will convene in Marikina City, Philippines for the 2nd International River Summit (IRS) on November 19-21, 2014.

With the theme, ‘Reviving Rivers, Rebuilding Civilizations,’ the biennial event aims to serve as the global platform for the world’s rivers and to find more effective solutions to overcome development challenges. The Summit underscores river basin governance as the key sustainable management framework for the protection and conservation of river systems. The Summit supports the global call to action on environmental protections for rivers and the integral part they play in today’s globalised world.

The IRS has first held in Iloilo City from 30 May to 1 June 2012 when its local authorities led the event with around 1,500 national and international delegates. The summit featured paper presentations, forum, exhibits, and learning tours. During the summit, participants supported the Iloilo Declaration, which calls for more action on the protection of river systems, which have been exacerbated by climate change and rapid urbanization. The

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LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

Philippines have played an instrumental role in the protection of the world’s river through the hosting of this Summit.

For the 2nd IRS, the three-day event features plenary and breakout sessions on themes such as river basin governance, river ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, clean water technology, climate change and disaster risk reduction.

Learning tours and networking activities will also be a part of the summit. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Philippines and International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) – Southeast Asia are on board to help provide global speakers and showcase best practice on river management.

The League of Cities of the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources- River Basin Control Office and Marikina City are organizing the event.

Summit organizers are encouraging local government authorities to attend and take part in this important international gathering. You can visit the event’s official website, www.irsmarikina.com for more details.

The summit is also open for partnership opportunities. By doing this you will be able to: r

Showcase your organization’s innovative programs on river management in one of the sessions.

r

Participate in many of the breakout sessions.

r

Display your products and establish networks with other participants.

For further inquiries, please email LCP at league.cities. philippines@gmail.com

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Barisal city is located on the bank of the river Kirtankhola. It is situated 180 kilometers from Dhaka, the capital, and 95 kilometers from the Bay of Bengal. It is a divisional headquarters and one of the biggest river ports in Bangladesh. Barisal city is currently experiencing high levels of growth.

Due to river erosion, cyclone and floods, every year many people move from the southern parts of Bangladesh to Barisal city. These people either move into the existing slums or form new slums on the riverside of the city.

These living spaces are highly populated and densely packed, leading to the spread of many contagious diseases.

Since 2008, the city authority has been implementing a project named Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction (UPPR)

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Project with the support of UNDP. The main objective of the project is to reduce urban poverty through female empowerment. The key working areas of the project are: mobilization, education, community banking, tenure and housing, livelihood, health and nutrition and infrastructure.

Mobilizing and empowering urban poor communities is at the heart of UPPRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poverty reduction strategy. UPPRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theory of poverty reduction in poor urban settlements, builds upon the understanding that communities themselves are best placed to judge what their main priorities are and who amongst them is in most need of support.

Poor urban households are mobilized by joining Primary Groups (PGs). Each PG represents about 20 households and forms the grassroots level of the community governance structure that UPPR works with.

Almost all members of the PGs are women,

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

creating space for their empowerment and allowing them to take on leadership roles in their communities. In turn, these PGs form Community Development Committees (CDCs). The groups come together and engage in the development of Community Action Plans (CAP), which entails identifying the needs of their communities and designing apt solutions to reduce poverty.

Girls in poor communities often stop their schooling at primary level due to poverty and are forced into early marriages. To avoid this, UPPR provides an education grant that is designed to support more than six thousand vulnerable girls to help them achieve their primary and secondary school certificates.

This allows the recipients to build up human capital that will assist them to overcome disadvantage.

The poor population in urban areas of Bangladesh lacks adequate access to formal or informal financial services such as savings products and loans. As a result, there are no cost-efficient ways for the poor to accumulate savings from the income they have, or take out loans for income generating activities or for the improvement of their livelihoods. In this context, UPPR recognizes that an inclusive financial system can serve as a powerful support that greatly contributes to the economic growth of a community, enabling community members to mobilize available resources and generate income. UPPR has two types of development funds, the Settlement Improvement Fund (SIF) and the SocioEconomic Fund (SEF). SEF supports a range of activities that improve livelihood and expands economic opportunities for households in poor urban settlements.

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In contrast to micro-credit interventions, community members initially focus on mobilizing local financial resources by collecting savings from group members. In turn, savings and credit groups lend from their capital to provide credit to members for microenterprise activities and fulfillment of community needs. A share of the profits from the savings and credit scheme also goes toward supporting group management costs, providing the basis for long-term sustainable community empowerment.

In the absence of a stable income, poor households often cannot cover the cost of doctor visits and medicines in cases of illness, further aggravating the problem of malnutrition. Many poor households in Bangladesh cannot afford three meals a day; thus, they often fall sick from malnutrition.

Mothers and children suffer from low milk supply for breastfeeding, due to poor nutrition behavior and lack of access to essential vitamins and supplements, leading to illness.

UPPR has been running an urban food production strategy to increase the number of food-producing households in poor urban settlements. It is expected that this will not only improve household nutrition but also boost household income.

Another direct nutritional intervention is mainly targeted at women, adolescent girls and children under the age of five.

This strategy includes the distribution of iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements to

pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as adolescent girls. De-worming tablets and multiple micronutrient supplements are supplied to children under the age of five as well. In addition, services such as training, workshops and counseling on nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding and hygiene practices take place in order to raise awareness of healthy and proper practices.

Through the SIF Programme, people in poor communities have improved their living conditions. Community have constructed 14,789 meters footpath, 2,455 meters drain, 4,670 pit latrines, 2 community latrine, 620 tube wells, 620 platforms to the existing tube-wells, 55 Bathrooms, 3,855 improve cooking stoves (ICS).

Communities are now familiar with their project preparation and implementation.

They are changing their hygiene and behavioral conditions. Now their communities are cleaner than ever before.

As a result of the work done by the community and UPPR, 100% of households have access to an improved private or communal latrine. They have safe water and better environment, which has led to a reduction in diseases and medical costs. The objectives of UPPR are being achieved and poor communities are becoming capable of reducing their poverty.

Author: Dr. Md. Matiur Rahman, Chief Health Officer & Focal Point UPPRP, Barisal City Corporation, Barisal, Bangladesh.

E-mail: drrahmanchobcc@yahoo.com

10 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

>43=,/4?$*/3.24<3=,/$ &2,@24-A$(43B-4/5; Association of District Development Committees, Nepal (ADDCN) organized an interaction program on April 15, 2014 in Kathmandu. It covered a broad range of contemporary issues such as formulating a constitution, local selfgovernance and local development, particularly focusing on the need for elected local bodies.

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The interaction program looked at various issues of local governance such as the effectiveness of the Local Self-Governance Act (LSGA) 1999, the lack of elected representatives in local bodies, consequences to democratic practice and development at the local level, the structure of local bodies in the context of state restructuring, the relationship between federalism and the local bodies election, and issues raised by local body associations namely ADDCN, Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN) and National Association of Village Development Committees in Nepal (NAVIN).

The program has been important and purposeful to governance in Nepal, as the decentralization process and democratic practices at the local level in the country has experienced problems in this transitional phase.

The program was attended by prominent figures such as the honorable Constituent Assembly (CA) members-Ram Chandra Pokhrel, Bharat Bahadur Khadka, Mahin Limbu and the former CA member Krishna Prasad Sapkota. Also present were former secretaries of the government of Nepal and other intellectuals and development practitioners, as experts in the field of local governance.

Manoj Basnet, a UNDP representative from New York, attended the program as the special guest.

The key objectives of the program were to share experiences of managing local bodies and to learn from other international local bodies and their functions. Ideas and knowledge were shared amongst attendees.

Some of the key conclusions drawn from the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discussions are as follows:

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Urgent need to put pressure on political parties and government to hold local elections immediately.

r

Although LSGA, 1999 is a breakthrough in the process of decentralization in Nepal, it has not been practiced fully due to the lack of elected local bodies.

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Need to convince the authoritative actors that local body elections will not jeopardize federalism. There are currently two schools of thoughts in Nepal regarding local body elections.

One agrees that local bodies formed after the local body elections will assist in forming the state. The other believes that holding local elections will make the federal system vulnerable.

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There needs to be a coordinating body at a district level.

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Political change without economic development cannot be sustainable.

Therefore, it is urgent to reinstate elected representatives in the local bodies and give priority to programs for economic, educational and infrastructure development.

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Local bodies should be given the authority and role of a local government. Currently, the local bodies are just extensions of the central government.

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Government should give high priority to developing human capital through available quality education for all.

12 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

*+,-.):.-%%(%&)(%)B$;-.C)) *$&-.):#+/(5(+%)-%4):#-,"(,$ The Local Self Governance Act (LSGA) 1999, which led to decentralization and local self-governance in Nepal, specified that each local body i.e. Village Development Committee-VDC (rural local government), municipality (urban local government) and District Development CommitteesDDC (district government) shall formulate periodical (of at least five years) and annual plans for the development of their respective areas and implement accordingly. The processes of planning are inclusive and participatory.

year, with the annual planning processes starting in the month of November and ending in March. The local level planning processes go through 14 steps.

The next year's annual plans are prepared in the current fiscal year. The fiscal year begins on July 17 and ends on July 16 of the next

Article prepared by: Hem Raj Lamichhane, Executive Secretary General and Mr. Bishnu Prasad Nepal, Resource Person of ADDCN.

It is important to mention that all local bodies (3,915 VDCs, 58 municipalities and 75 DDCs) have successfully held their council meetings following the pre established 14 steps and sent their annual plans and budget to the Central Government by the last day of March 2014 for the final endorsement.

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!"#$%&!"%$'(")$& *$+,-$%+#.$%/&0()/1+)-,& 0231.4#)3 Changchun city has held 14 sessions of international sculpture symposium since 1997 under the approval of the Ministry of Culture.

The role of these symposiums is to promote international cultural communication, elevate the overall image of urban construction and expand its influence in the world.

Since the 10th session, Changchun sculpture symposiums have been organized by the administrative districts of Changchun city.

The 14 sessions of Changchun Sculpture Symposium have gained great support from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jilin Provincial Committee of CPC, Jilin Provincial Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Government, overseas People's Republic of China embassies and consulates, foreign embassies and consulates in China and sculpture organizations from all over the world.

The International Sculpture Symposium is holds great cultural heritage for Changchun.

Now Changchun has five thematic sculpture parks, with the Changchun World Sculpture Park being the largest.

Changchun World Sculpture Park has accumulated 451 sculpture works created by 401 sculptors from 216 different countries and

regions. These works are of different themes, styles and materials, from an extensive range of schools. The art works reflect a fusion of various cultures, such as the Eskimo, Maya, Maori and Indian modern culture. They are highly praised for the blending of Chinese and Western culture as well as juxtapose of modern and traditional culture.

Sculptors from Europe, America, Africa and Asia have created delicate works with regional and national features. The sculptures display the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talent and creative techniques through the use of different materials, mainly marble and granite, combined with other elements from bronze to forged copper, wood to stainless iron and so on.

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The Changchun International Sculpture Symposium is not only a display of art, but it as a medium which allows for the exchange of culture and ideas. During each sculpture symposium, the organizing committee holds art seminars for the sculptors to discuss art.

Centering on the theme of “friendship-peacespring", sculptors freely express their ideas and opinions, providing the opportunity to learn from one another and absorb the artistic world. In addition, the sculpture symposium presents foreign guests the chance to engage with the charm of traditional Chinese culture such as tai chi, calligraphy, painting, dance, acrobatics, magic, folk customs, and much more.

The 14 sessions of sculpture symposium have not only accumulated a number of valuable artistic treasures, but have also greatly improved the cultural identity and popularity of the city. Song Chunhua, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Construction, Wang Keqing, the acting director of National Guilding Committee for Urban Sculpture Construction Committee, Chen Yunxian, the vice chairman of Chinese Artists Association and others have made positive comments and given high praise to the Changchun Sculpture Symposium.

They have said the Changchun Sculpture

Symposium has set up the “Changchun Model”, made outstanding contributions to the cause of sculpture and promoted the development of urban sculpture construction.

“The Changchun Sculpture Symposium has become a famous brand in the field of sculpture,” said Cao Chungseng, the director of National Sculpture Arts Council. “It doesn’t only belong to Changchun, but also to China, and it even has a high reputation in the world.”

Zeng Chenggang, the President of China Sculpture Society said that Changchun fully deserves the title of ‘Sculpture City of China’, and Changchun World Sculpture Park has truly become the Mecca of world sculpture.

The 14 sessions of sculpture symposium has aroused great attention and response both at home and abroad. It has attracted the attention of Chinese and foreign media, bringing an increased coverage of the event.

The ambassadors of 47 countries and officials from 65 embassies and consulates in China have attended the ceremonies.

Sculptress Marianne Vanden Heuvel from the Netherlands said that the Changchun Sculpture Symposium “is among the leading sculpture symposiums in the world”.

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The same opinion was expressed by Mr. Van Lau, the president of Chinese Artists Association in Hongkong and well-known sculptor- â&#x20AC;&#x153;Comparing to other similar sculpture symposiums in the world, Changchun sculpture symposium is the largest one with the highest number of participants and attending countries, and its success can rarely be seen.â&#x20AC;?

Meanwhile according to the president of the International Sculpture Center Jeff Nathanson, the Changchun sculpture symposium â&#x20AC;&#x153;is a miracle in the history of world sculptureâ&#x20AC;?.

In September 2014, the 15th China Changchun (Zhongdong Group) International Sculpture Symposium it will be held and is sponsored by Changchun Municipal Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Government and organized by Changchun Sculpture Planning and Management Office, Changchun Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, Changchun Planning Bureau and the Changchun Zhongdong Group.

The Symposium is now calling for QSPQPTBMT 5IF UIFNF JT i+PZ r -JGF r 'VUVSFu More details can be found on the website www.ccsculpture.org. Contributions and participation are very welcome.

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The Ancient Silk Road was opened by Zhang Qian's diplomatic mission to Xiyu (the Western Regions) 2100 years ago. It has promoted the trade and friendly exchanges between WestEast countries and witnessed the friendship among people.

As the Starting Point of Silk Road, Xi’an is engaged in building and promoting network and cooperation among the cities along the Silk Road and has achieved fruitful results.

Silk Road Mayor’s Conference - A Platform for Exchanges and Cooperation Until the present day, agreements taken on the Silk Road Cooperation are ongoing and expanding. A Declaration for friendly relations was signed back in 2012 in Xi’an.

It was hosted by the National Tourism Administration, the Chinese People's

Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shaanxi Provincial Government. It was organized by the Xi’an Municipal Government.

More than 100 representatives from 20 cities in 12 countries signed the Declaration of 2012 Silk Road Mayor’s Conference.

It had opened a new chapter for the cooperation between cities along the Silk Road and provided a very good cooperation framework for future economic prosperity and development. In accordance with the Declaration, cities along the Silk Road will strengthen friendship and understanding among the people, and exchanges and cooperation in various forms in the fields of economy, culture, science and technology, preservation of cultural heritage , education, sport, health and so on. The Declaration also promotes common development and mutual benefits.

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Roundtable Meeting of Cities along Silk Road Economic Belt. A way to promote multilateral exchanges between Xi’an and cities along Silk Road economic belt.

goals, which are proposed by President Xi Jinpin: communicating policies, road connection, free trade, currency circulation, understanding among people.

During his visit to four Central Asian countries in September 2013, the Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the proposal of a Silk Road economic belt and Xi'an’s important role as starting point.

Wei Minzhou has proposed five points: r To carry forward traditional friendship, expand cooperation fields, enhance practical cooperation in fields of economy, trade, energy, finance, agriculture, infrastructure, public affairs etcetera. r To facilitate free trade, strengthen information exchanges, fully release the potential of regional trade and development. r To protect cultural heritage, deepen tourism cooperation, and promote cultural exchange. r To enhance talent exchange in technology and science in particular among young people, and expand the intellectual resources cooperation. r To establish a normal communication mechanism, and network of learning and cooperation among the cities and build the Silk Road into a road leading to prosperity and culture revival.

On September 27, 2013, the representatives from different cities from around the world, attended the Roundtable Meeting of Cities along the Silk Road economic belt. On the occasion, the agreement of the Silk Road belt has been signed.

The representatives proposed to carry out the comprehensive cooperation and exchanges on the basis of friendship from generation to generation, achieve common prosperity by building cooperation mechanisms, deepening cooperation in fields of economic and trade, tourism, science and technology, environmental protection, education, culture.

Wei Minzhou, Secretary of the CPC Xi’an Municipal Committee proposed at his keynote speech, the cities along the Silk Road belt should take historical responsibility with a broader mind, in a broader view and should conduct practical cooperation on the basis of realizing five

During the Meeting, Xi’an has established friendly exchange relationship with two cities: Caprarola of Italy and Gyumri of Armenia.

Article by: Xi’an Foreign Affairs And Overseas Chinese Affairs Office

18 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

2789:;<=7' 0>8?@'A=?'B?C89' -99=D8EF=9 Urban innovation is increasingly seen as a key contributing factor to improving urban governance and in making cities and regions more resilient.

For this reason the City of Guangzhou, United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) and Metropolis, the world association of major cities, decided to co-sponsor the Guangzhou Award for Urban Innovation.

The purpose of the session was to help unpack the concept of urban innovation from two different angles.

The first angle consisted of looking at the link between urban innovation and governance in two cities facing very different challenges and operating in very different contexts. The two cities - Medellin and Vancouver - were both finalists for the Guangzhou Award for Urban Innovation in 2012.

The second angle consisted of looking at innovative approaches to research, capacity building and knowledge sharing.

These included the activities of the 100 Resilient Cities Program of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guangzhou Award and Institute for Urban Innovation, and the Urban Development

and Housing cluster of the Inter-American Development Bank.

Both the Medellin and Vancouver case studies covered the thematic areas of land, housing, basic services, local economic development and governance, while the action areas of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guangzhou Award and Institute for Urban Innovation and the Inter-American Development Bank covered the areas of research, city-to-city cooperation and capacity building.

Outline of the Discussion and Debate The presentations made by Medellin and Vancouver underscored the importance of innovation in addressing the social, economic and environmental challenges.

In the case of Medellin, the focus is very much on civic engagement and promoting social inclusion by bridging the digital divide. While for Vancouver, the focus is very much on a holistic approach to greening all aspects of the city, be it in planning, design, transport, energy, water and waste.

Both cases underlined policy consistency and strategic planning as key to good urban governance.

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Lessons learned from additional urban innovation case studies were also presented.

These included: (i) the city of Dakar, Senegal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an integrated approach to improve road infrastructure, create jobs for micro-enterprises and make road surfaces permeable to help prevent flooding; (ii) the case of city-to-city cooperation between Lilongwe, Malawi and Johannesburg, South Africa; (iii) the case of Seoul, tackling a national issue of internet addiction and young girls at risk through inclusive mentorship, education and training.

The 100 Resilient Cities Program of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation and the Inter-American Development Bank presented three different approaches to research, capacity building and city-to-city cooperation. All three are experimenting new ways to capture lessons learned from experience and to disseminate them.

These approaches include the identification and peer review of urban innovations with: r the use of professional journalists to provide investigative reports on urban innovations targeting decision makers; r the creation of new knowledge sharing platforms and databases; r new forms of city-to-city cooperation and peer exchanges through networking; r new methodologies for making traditional forms of learning and sharing such as conferences and seminars much more effective.

The presentations and the discussion were highly relevant to Habitat III and the preparation of a New Urban Agenda.

It was noted that the wealth of knowledge generated by the Guangzhou Award for Urban Innovation is crucial for the preparation of a New Urban Agenda.

Recommendations It was suggested to establish an international platform to systematically help cities learn from each other on the matter of urban innovation.

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The Five Mini Series Projects - Wellness Project

On the 24th of April, some elderly people in Imsil, one of the cities in Jeollabuk-do province, were talking about Spiderman II they watched the day before. It is easy for people in urban areas to watch films, but for people living in rural areas, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of a dream. However, their wish seems to have come true. Also farmers and elderly people in rural communities can now watch films whenever they want, like people in big cites.

5 Mini Series Project aiming to enhance the quality of life The Mini Series Project implemented by the Jeollabuk-do Provincial Government has changed rural life. People can watch newly released films, use public spas, and read any book whenever they want without having to travel to another city.

The Mini Series Project is a representative project that Jeollabuk-do has implemented and is one of its Wellness Projects. The project aims to make the province a desirable region to people and businesses through the rejuvenation of facilities and culture.

The project has led to the establishment of mini movie theaters, fifteen public spas, seven libraries, three museums, as well as sport facilities.

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Enjoy New Films at the Mini Movie Theater The mini movie theater project has been designated as a model project by the central government. It has now proven to be a successful and popular project with a lot of other municipal governments implementing similar projects. The mini theater project aims to build movie theaters in 8 out of the 14 cities in Jeollabuk-do. They screen both 2D and 3D movies at an affordable price. The government has remodeled a youth training center, an art gallery, and a community center into movie theaters in order to reduce the cost of construction.

In 2013, 69,170 people attended the theatres and as of February 2014, 35,454 people have attended. In 2012, the Republic of Korea held an average of 3.83 trips to the movie theater per person a year while Jeollabuk-do had an average of 2.93 trips, 0.9 trips less than the national average. Since the movie theatre project in 2013, the people of Jeollabuk-do watched 3.39 movies, while the average Korean watched 4.25 movies. It shows that the mini movie theaters have reduced the urban-rural cultural gap.

To reach all levels of society, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has issued a “culture card” for low-income people, a prepaid cash card that helps people to access the

facilities and services of a wide range of cultural sectors. The project has also been successful by increasing employment in the region.

From watching space to participating space Jeollabuk-do aims to expand the project to other cities. By 2015, Jeollabuk-do is going to establish 6 more movie theaters in Wanju, Jinan, Muju, Soonchang, Gochang, and Buan.

Due to this increased emphasis on film, the government offers ‘Citizens Cinema School’ to teach people about the film making process and how to do it themselves. The plan is to organize competitions and family film festivals to increse awareness and interest in the film industry.

The Jeollabuk-do government wants to invest in the health of its people. The first Korean Citizens’ Quality of Life Enhancement Policy Division has been created to enhance the quality of life of its citizens. It will aim to improve people’s health and wellbeing as well as improving the region. It is believed that cities with a higher quality of life are more attractive to businesses and other people.

Jeollabuk-do’s wellness project began from small beginnings and has now developed into a concerted plan to develop the region and to increase peoples happiness.

22 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, October 2013 - April 2014

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LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, October 2013 - April 2014

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This year, representatives from 63 local governments worldwide have joined the K2H (Korea Heart to Heart) Fellowship Program to enhance cooperation between local governments globally.

This six-month program (April-October), conducted by the Governors Association of Korea (GAOK), gives participants the opportunity to work in their sister-city or collaborative partnering local government office to learn about local administration and work as a facilitator between the two cities/ provinces/counties.

This annual fellowship program has had more than 520 public officials from approximately 22 different countries participating since 1999.

The 63 local government officials participating this year are representatives from the following countries; Australia, Belize, China, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.

Before travelling to the Korean local governments, the 63 participants have undergone a ten-day pre-training program conducted by the Governors Association of Korea. The program aims to provide basic knowledge of Korea and Korean local governments in order to prepare them for the six-month stay.

Lectures on Korean culture and history, central and local administration, and Korean language were provided to participants to enhance their basic understanding of Korea. Participants also had the opportunity to visit regional sites such as Gangwon Province, Pyeongchang County and Goyang city to see the venue of the 2018 winter Olympic site, as well as take part in some of the regional festivals and events.

Participants also enjoyed cultural opportunities such as a Korean cooking class, dressing in traditional Korean costume, watching a Korean musical and learning tea etiquette among others.

The 63 representatives will play a vital role in becoming contributors to Korean governance and to international exchanges between Korean local governments and their hometowns.

This K2H program is conducted annually and provides sponsorships including accommodation, insurance and a monthly allowance for the six-month stay (round-trip airfare must be provided by the participating local government).

The Governors Association of Korea wishes to extend an invitation to UCLG ASPAC members, who are the closest partnering collaborators, to join the program in the future.

For information or inquiries regarding the K2H Fellowship Program please contact ymkmaria@gmail.com

24 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

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2014 Incheon Asian Games Crew Recruitment

Come and enjoy together!

The 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) has recruited its newest members for the “Incheon Asian Games Crew” (IAG Crew). IAG Crew is a group of bloggers who write for the official blog of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. http://blog.incheon2014ag.com

‘Come and enjoy, 2014 Incheon Asian Games!’ is a promotional campaign for 2014 Incheon Asian Games, which is being held in Incheon elementary schools to raise awareness and excitement for the Games.

The Organizing Committee is planning to visit a total of 64 schools located in Incheon in order to promote the Games and encourage attendance.

Most of the crew was recruited from overseas and the first meeting was held last March. It was the first time the crew, from different parts of the world, got the chance to meet one another via online video chat.

You can watch it on: http://blog.incheon2014ag. com/iag-crew-video-chat The latest recruitment was held from April 17 to May 16 and the selected participants are expected to begin their work from the beginning of June. The crew will be writing an article per month and also promoting the Asian Games via their own social media sites.

IAGOC also aims to be the “Social Asian Games” by encouraging participating countries to be involved in the Asian Games, not only by visiting the actual venues, but also through online activities such as social media services that welcome everyone from everywhere.

The campaign consists of promotional staff visiting schools to teach the children about the Asian Games through fun activities.

During the visits, students view the promo videos of the Games, learn the choreography to the official song of Incheon Asian games 'Only One' by a goodwill ambassador JYJ, and many other activities.

The campaign will continue until August.

The opening day of the 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014, scheduled to be on September 19, is quickly approaching and we need your ongoing support! Go Incheon Asian Games!

26 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

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CIFAL Jeju (Jeju International Training Center) was established in October 2010 as a UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) affiliated training center. It is located in Jeju, the largest island in Korea off the southern tip of Korean Peninsula.

Jeju is a well-known tourist attraction with beautiful scenery and well-preserved natural environment. It has been designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is it also a member of UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

In 2005, the Korean government designated Jeju Island as the island of World Peace.

Jeju is a popular venue for various summit meetings and international conferences.

CIFAL Jeju belongs to the UNITAR Global CIFAL Network, which comprises of eleven training centers around the world. Under the vision of UNITARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CIFAL network,

CIFAL Jeju strives to transfer knowledge to government officials and civil society leaders in the Asia-Pacific region for sustainable development. CIFAL Jeju successfully hosted sixteen capacity-building workshops and two youth workshops for university students, covering thematic areas such as environment, green growth, safety and human security.

CIFAL Jeju focuses on maximizing networking opportunities between cities to share their knowledge and experience through city-to-city cooperation. CIFAL Jeju carries out its mission under the UNITAR guidelines.

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9'8%&,'$+%&=8G<4+H)"'$)?(+)I$,,-)+2)J+#$-

+.?<,-.$3,$$ 3B.$J!K"$E=,$*/5;I329$'O0,$ HI,/@$(,2.4$$ Chungcheongbuk-do Chungcheonbuk-do is the only inland province located in the center of the Republic of Korea. With a transportation network of four north-south Expressways and three eastwest Expressways, Chungcheongbuk-do is a transportation hub.

Its Osong Station is the junction of the KTX Gyeongbu and Honam Lines, and Cheongju International Airport is the representative airport of the central part of Korea as well as the gateway to Sejong City. It is accessible within two hours of anywhere in the nation.

In addition, the province values its beautiful and clean natural environment, including three national parks (Sobaeksan Mountain, Woraksan Mountain, Songnisan Mountain) and two inland lakes (Chungjuho Lake, Daecheongho Lake). Its cultural and tourist attractions include ‘Jikji’, the world’s first metal printing type, and ‘Cheongnamdae’, the vacation house of Korea’s president.

The province has about 100 industrial complexes, including Ochang Scientific Industrial Complex, as the cluster of IT companies and 1st and 2nd Osong Bio-Health Science parks for bio-tech firms.

Chungcheongbuk-do is leading the bio industry of Korea through 680 bio companies present in the province and Osong, the nation’s best bio tech zone.

2014 Bio Industry Expo, Osong Korea Chungcheongbuk-do will hold the 2014 Osong International Bio Industry Exposition from September 26 to October 12 2014 in Osong, the hub of Korea’s bio industry. The expo is co-hosted by Chungcheongbuk-do and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and will attract about 700,000 domestic and foreign visitors and 230 domestic and international bio firms. The Expo aims to strengthen the awareness on high-tech bio industry, and publicize Osong and bio-industry worldwide.

The Expo will have a Bio Future Universe Hall to house cloning and preserved animals. It

28 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

will also have a 3D Thematic Image Hall as well as a Bio Health Hall, a Beauty Hall and an Education Hall.

Industrial exhibition spaces like Bio market and Cosmetic will also be present. In addition, there will be thematic video presentations (Dream of Mankind, Bio Life) and interesting performances for 17 days, including an academic conference with bio tech experts.

Autumn is the best season in Korea, with warm weather and beautiful nature tinged with green, yellow, and red. You are cordially invited to the Osong International Bio Industry Exposition that will explore the future of bio industry.

Expo Website (Homepage): http://www.bio-osong.kr

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2Q=C8Q'-99=D8EF=9'!=?7M Theme: Innovation 4.0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Shifting the Innovation Paradigm toward Creative Economy Date: 11th - 14th November 2014 Venue: Daejeon Convention Center (DCC), Daejeon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea Organized by: Daejeon Metropolitan City, UNESCO, The World Technopolis Association (WTA) and Innobiz Association.

Cooperation with: the Ministry of Science, LCT and Future Planning, the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST), the Research Institutes in Daedeok Innopolis and Daejeon Technopark.

Background and general information Since 2007, Daejeon Metropolitan City and World Technopolis Association have been working with UNESCO in three fields: i)

promoting technological innovation to developing countries through science park and technology business incubators; ii) the popularization of science; iii) the promotion of South-South Cooperation for STI (Science, Technology and Innovation) policy.

Daejeon Metropolitan City and WTA initiated Daejeon Global Innovation Forum (DGIF) as the official international forum of UNESCO, and it will open its inauguration forum this November.

The vision of DGIF is to start a global forum for creative innovation culture.

Missions: (i) to promote innovation capabilities; (ii) to establish global collaborative networks among innovation actors; (iii) to develop a creative model of innovation.

The Forum will connect R&D professionals, STI policy makers, players in the hi-tech productive sector and civil society from across the globe, and provide an environment for exchange.

2014 Daejeon Global Innovation Forum The theme for 2014 DGIF is Innovation 4.0: Shifting the Innovation Paradigm toward Creative Economy.

The 2014 Daejeon Global Innovation Forum will provide many opportunities for discussion on how innovative actors (precursors, collaborators, and facilitators) should lead Innovation 4.0, and the strategies to establish innovation ecosystems.

30 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

2014 UNESCO-WTA International Training Workshop

Associated Events

9th WTA General Assembly Date: 11th-14th November 2014 Venue: Daejeon Convention Center (DCC), Daejeon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea WTA General Assembly is the top-level decision making organ and comprises the delegations of all the members. It reviews the major policies and business activities.

11th WTA Hi-Tech Fair Theme: Regional Strategic Industry as a Base of Creative Economy Date: 12th-13th November 2014 Venue: Daejeon Convention Center (DCC), Daejeon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea

Theme: Development of Research Park and Strengthening of University Role Date: 11th-14th November 2014 Venue: Daedeok Innopolis, Daejeon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea This training workshop aims to discuss universities role in the development of research parks. Creative high quality human resources is important for technology innovation and one of the important factors for a successful science park is a university that has excellent research capabilities in this respect.

The theme of the 11th Hi-Tech Fair is to keep up with demands from firms looking for new markets located in the region through results of industry-university collaboration and technology development from universities, innovative SMEs and backbone firms.

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PG;/I4/$%23I$C./3.2P In today’s globalised world, culture and arts are playing an increasingly important role in improving the quality of people’s lives. But, those who are living outside major cities have a limited access and fewer opportunities to enjoy these aspects of culture.

In order to solve this problem, Gunsan opened the Gunsan Arts Center in May 2013 with a total investment of 81 billion Won ($80 million US dollars), both from national and local sources.

Since it’s opening, the center has held a total of 279 performances and exhibitions, which is twice the average of any other regional performance center. It is showing not only large-scale musicals but also other performances mediums such as opera music and ballet, attracting audiences from far and wide.

One of the greatest attractions of the Gunsan Arts Center is that it offers free performances.

The Gunsan Philharmonic Orchestra and Gunsan Civic Choir have held over 50 free performances including regular concerts, youth music festivals, pop concerts, and invitation concerts. The center continues to seek variety by sourcing various talent and different singers.

Equipped with cutting-edge lighting and sound systems, the center has a grand performance hall with 1,200 seats, small halls with 450 seats, an exhibition room, seminar room, cafeteria, and spacious parking lot.

This year, some concerts will offer 20% of its seats for free to those who can't enjoy cultural events due to financial difficulties.

As the center celebrates it’s first anniversary, it has already positioned itself as one of the region's best cultural venues. By providing great performances and exhibitions, the center is also a source of pride for Gunsan citizens.

Gunsan is renting it’s hall to local artists at a cheaper rate of 50%. This aims to encourage Gunsan citizens to expand their cultural taste to include not only pop art but also fine art, Gunsan is also providing cultural education programs such as 'Saturday Cultural School.'

Gunsan's Cradle of Arts

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/=?R=?8EG'(GIG98ES'' &@AA:89B?C,!@D9@87D,7?E,, *89F)6D796E,*G9BHB9B6I Gunsan is an industrial city, home to companies such as Hyundai Heavy Industries, Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, Seabeseutil and GM Korea.

As part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities, these companies have provided financial support and human resources to host major cultural performances.

In collaboration with these companies, Gunsan has held large-scale performances such as The Last Empress musical, Ballet

Giselle, and Tour Opera by the Korea National Opera. The joint work by Gunsan and these companies has led to a development of culture and art and has acted as a model to other cities.

Since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening, the center has welcomed a total of 179,000 audience members. Gunsan will continue to seek new opportunities and grow the center to be Gunsan's major cultural and arts venue, as well as providing Gunsan citizens with a source of pride due to its great performances and quality exhibitions.

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The 2nd Asia Energy Asia was held on Jeju Island for three days from February 19 -21, 2014. Experts from United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong and other countries discussed a range of wind power issues including the creation of a centre for wind energy and the development of a wind energy complex.

In connection with this conference, a technology fair also featured presentations about design, technical solutions to wind generators, and was attended by turbine development technology companies from Germany, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Living up to its alternate name of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Island of Windâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Jeju has 10 wind farms in operation and aims to build a 2GW wind power plant by 2030, which will help turn Jeju into the biggest wind energy complex in Korea.

Asia Wind Energy Association will be launched in an effort to encourage awareness of wind energy in Asia and to share and exchange policy and opinions for an increased use of wind energy.

It will include board members from Asian countries such as Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and others to discuss the wind energy business. The Secretariat will be located in Jeju Island, Korea.

34 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

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Imagine more electric vehicles on the roads of Jeju Island.

One of Jejuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to make itself a greener city by transforming all energy resources into 100% renewable energy by 2030.

The number of electric vehicles on Jeju Island is set to increase as the island aims to become a greener city. One of Jejuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals is to transform all energy resources into 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Jeju disseminated over 300 electric vehicles in 2013 and 450 will be supplied to residents through a lottery competition this year.

The 1st International Electric Vehicles Expo, held from 15-21 March 2014, was an opportunity for Jeju to embrace its plans to become a centre for electric vehicles.

Over 40, 000 visitors enjoyed a wide range of new and rare car models produced by BMW, Nissan, KIA, and Chevrolet.

Challenges that consumers are facing include a lack of charging stations, chargers that are not compatible and more time spent on repairs compared to gasoline-fueled cars.

The expo encouraged people to reflect on the current environmental state of the world and provided opportunities for people to embrace environmental friendly living in their daily lives.

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Published by the United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

Executive Editor : Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi Editors : Olga Amato Madeleine Macreadie-Smith Correspondence: UCLG ASPAC Secretariat Jakarta Capital City Government (City Hall of Jakarta) Building F, 2nd Floor Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 8-9, Central Jakarta 10110, Indonesia Email: info@uclg-aspac.org Website: www.uclg-aspac.org

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Volume 20 | October 2013 - April 2014

!"

10th Anniversary of UCLG

38 | LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Newsletter Volume 20, November 2013 - April 2014

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Barisal City Women Empowerment and Urban Poverty Reduction