UCLG-MEWA held its statutory meetings between 22-25 November in collaboration with Gebze Municipality. The program included UCLG-MEWA Presidency Meeting, UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting, and Presidency Meeting of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Environment besides thematic panel sessions on Sustainable Architecture: Smart Living Spaces and Role of Smart Cities in Combating Climate Change.

The Executive Bureau Meeting was preceded by UCLG-MEWA Supervisory Board/Financial Management Committee meeting held at the UCLG-MEWA General Secretariat on 8 November. The Meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Alim IŞIK UCLG-MEWA Treasurer and Mayor of Kütahya to discuss the budget review and financial planning of the previous and upcoming term.

The Presidency Meeting was held on 22 November and was presided over by Tayseer Abu Sneineh, Mayor of Al-Khalil and UCLG-MEWA President, in the presence of Dr. Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, besides members of the governing bodies. The Meeting was the first administrative meeting following the UCLG-MEWA Congress ’22 in Konya. Newly elected Presidency discussed strategies and priorities of UCLG-MEWA.

UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting and Opening Ceremony were held on 23 November with overwhelming number of members from the MEWA region. Dr. Mehmet Duman, in his opening remarks, highlighted that the MEWA region is going through a crucial breakthrough and in this process where the developing countries are representing themselves on global platforms, we can feel that the impact of the MEWA region is increasing in international equations. Therefore, MEWA cities have an essential role in this phenomenon as they are the centers of economic and social life in their respective countries.

The Executive Bureau Meeting focused on evaluating the actions in the previous period and sketching and discussing the way forward. Executive Bureau members at the Meeting focused on the role of cities in building a more resilient and sustainable MEWA region.

The UCLG-MEWA Committee of Environment also held its first Presidency Meeting after the election of new governing bodies in Konya. Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality took over the Presidency of the Committee following the UCLG-MEWA Congress ’22. The Meeting evaluated the activities of the 2019-2022 period and discussed the roadmap for the upcoming three years. The main highlight of the Presidency meeting was to analyze the Output document of the Conference of Parties (COP-27) held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and to examine its implementation in the MEWA Region.

Panel discussions in collaboration with various academics, experts, representatives of municipalities, and other professionals were held on 24 November. The panel on Sustainable Architecture: Smart Living Spaces by UCLG-MEWA Committee on Smart Cities and Urban Mobility focused on discussions on ensuring livable spaces for future generations. With the rapid technological developments, the need to integrate smart applications to create a more sustainable, low-carbon, and environment-friendly architecture was also discussed by panelists. The panel was moderated by Dr. M. Sinan Genim, Executive-Bureau President of TAÇ Foundation while as Veronica Ramirez del Valle, from Smart City Cluster delivered the Key-Note speech. The second panel on Role of Smart Cities in Combating Climate Change by the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Environment, focused on how Climate Change is not ignored in new urban planning with the use of advanced techniques such as carbon-neutral buildings, gray water harvesting, and active design strategies besides the emphasis on the role of cities on combating climate change. Abdallah Anati Director, Association of Palestenian Local Authorities moderated the panel and the Key-Note speech was delivered by Dr. Delia Dimitriu.

You can acess the photos here