ASEAN city leaders gathered around Ms Low Yen Ling, chairman of the Mayors' Committee of Singapore, as she signs the Singapore Declaration at the end of the 6th Meeting of Governors/Mayors of Asean Capitals (MGMAC) at Parliament House on July 7. (Photo: straitstimes)Singapore (VNA) – Leaders from ASEAN capitals on July 7 inked a Singapore Declaration on sustainableenvironment during the closing of their two-day meeting held in the island country.
The 6th Meeting ofGovernors/Mayors of ASEAN Capitals (MGMAC) was attended by more than 40delegates from 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN).
The Vietnamesedelegation comprised leaders of Hanoi and Hai Phong cities in the north, BinhDuong province in the south and Quang Ngai province from the central region.Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Van Suu represented thedelegation to sign the Singapore Declaration.
Chaired by SingaporeanChairman of Mayors' Committee Low Yen Ling, the MGMAC programme line-up enabledmayors and governors to discuss liveable and sustainable city challenges withtheir peers and share experiences from what they are doing in their cities. Topicsof discussion included integrated solutions for water management, building environmentallyfriendly cities and the role of smart technology in achieving sustainabledevelopment goals.
In a speech beforethe signing of the declaration at the Parliament House, Singaporean Minister forEnvironment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said it is urgent for ASEAN totake action against climate change.
He cited anassessment by HSBC in March this year which said five out of 10 countries thatare most vulnerable to climate change are in South Asia and Southeast Asia – namelyIndia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Participantsagreed that in addition to efforts of the entire society, ASEAN capitals oughtto work together to overcome difficulties and foster a united and resilientASEAN.
During theirmeeting, ASEAN delegates visited Marina Barrage and Bukit Panjang CommunityClub, which achieved a Green Mark Gold Plus certification awarded by theBuilding and Construction Authority.
They also met withForeign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and paid a courtesy call toSpeaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
MGMAC was startedin 2013 by then Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo as a platform for mayors andgovernors to discuss topics relating to the development of their capitalcities, and to strengthen links between them. This year, Singapore hosted theevent as a precursor to the World Cities Summit, which runs between July 8 and12.-VNA
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