CityNet Congress 2017 begins today

The CityNet Congress 2017 will be held from November 6th to 8th   at the Colombo Hilton.
CityNet is the largest association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. Established in 1987 with the support of UNESCAP, UNDP and UN-Habitat, the Network of cities has grown to include 135 municipalities, NGOs, private companies and research centres. 

The theme of the conference this year is “Our City, Our Future: Sharing Local Solutions for Sustainable Development”.

The inaugural ceremony will take place today. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the chief guest, while the speaker of the parliament will be the guest honour. The keynote speech will be delivered by Mayor of Seoul Metropolitan government.

Under the theme of “Our City, Our Future: Sharing Local Solutions for Sustainable Development”, this year’s congress gives a unique opportunity to voice your cities’ challenges and solutions aswell as network and form partnerships with other CityNet members, partners, and business leaders. It also marks the network’s 30th anniversary.CityNet was established as a pioneering institution which looked at how to promote peer-to-peer learning, how cities could learn from 
each other. 

At this year’s congress, hundreds of international and local participants, including 30 Mayors, member cities,associate members, and international organizations will participate in sessions, meetings, site visits, etc. Throughthis peer-to-peer learning platform, city mayors, civic leaders and international experts gather together tocollaborate on climate change, disaster risk reduction and other urban development issues.