THE Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC delivered remarks at the National Urban Forum: Towards Indonesia New Urban Agenda held in Jakarta on 28 May 2015. Present at the Mayors’ Session were Tri Rismaharini, Mayor of Surabaya and Muhidin, Mayor of Banjarmasin who each shared their achievements on sustainable development.
Under the leadership of Mayor Rismaharini, Surabaya was transformed into the best green city in the country and she has vowed to oversee the improvement of public space for their citizens. She has also actively promoted to the Government to consider “kampong” as heritage – given that kampong in Surabaya are clean and green, and managed well by the people.
For his part, Mayor Muhidin spoke how he developed his city better by focusing on the local uniqueness of Banjarmasin which is famous as a city with a thousand rivers. The city’s development focuses on the economic activities centered on the rivers, such as the revitalization of floating markets which are attractive to tourists.
The Secretary General complimented the works done by those cities and expressed hope that more Indonesian local governments would be inspired by their achievements. Strong and committed leaders are the key for success; and it is everyone’s duty to ensure that we have the right leaders in our own cities.
She also highlighted the importance of building human-centered cities in which culture and local wisdom are given attention. Finally, she called for the development of strategies for international cooperation as almost all cities in Indonesia do not have such plans. These approaches, she believes, would allow Indonesian cities to take advantage of the gains in this globalized era.
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