Organization

Organizational Structure

CITYNET 2023-2026 Executive Committee and Elected Officials

Secretary General

Mr. Vijay Jagannathan

President

Seoul Metropolitan Government

President Emeritus

Yokohama City

First Vice President

Kuala Lumpur City Hall

Second Vice President

Makati City Government

Executive Committee

All India Institute of Local Self-Government
Busan Metropolitan City
Colombo Municipal Council
Denpasar City 
Iloilo City
Incheon Metropolitan City
International Climate and Development Institute
Lalitpur Metropolitan City
Plus Arts

Auditor

Muntinlupa City

The General Council

The General Council, the highest authority of CITYNET, comprises all full and associate members. The General Council meets every four years and reviews the activities of the CITYNET Network, elects the President, Vice-Presidents, Executive Committee, Secretary General and Auditor. The General Council also approves the Medium-Term Plan and any amendments to the CITYNET Charter.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee consists of the President, President Emeritus, two Vice-Presidents, and nine members. The Executive Committee formulates the Biennial Work Program for the Network in accordance with the Medium-Term Plan, approves new members, and sets policy guidelines for the Secretariat. The Executive Committee convenes at least once every two years.

SECRETARIAT

CityNet Secretariat

The CityNet Secretariat manages the programs and institutional activities of the network. With the support and engagement of members, the Secretariat promotes the CityNet mission of increasing connections and building capacity across cities in the Asia-Pacific.

After over two decades of success and growth in Yokohama, Japan, 2013 marks the CityNet Secretariat’s relocation to Seoul, South Korea. With this move comes new partnerships, innovative urban collaboration and an even greater network of knowledge and best practices.

Even with a new location, the mission remains the same. The CityNet Secretariat pledges to work side-by-side with over 163 members and partners throughout the Asia Pacific region. With each member city and organization, we will continue to highlight and share successes while tackling challenges standing in the way of urban development.

As the Asia-Pacific region grows in economic, environmental, and technological importance, CityNet is propelling cities toward the goal of urban sustainability, resilience and inclusivity.

Secretariat

Vijay Jagannathan – Secretary General

Dr. Vijay Jagannathan comes from the World Bank where he was Sector Manager for infrastructure in the East Asia and Pacific region. He was responsible for an annual lending program of about $5 billion in the urban, water, transport and energy sectors. Dr. Jagannathan has been also associated with the APEC-led green growth and green finance initiatives. He has worked in the infrastructure, environment and urban development sectors in his twenty four years in the Bank. Prior to that he spent 10 years in Indian Administrative Service. He is an economist by training, with a PhD from Boston University. His dissertation on the informal markets for the poor was published by Oxford University Press in 1987 and recognized as one of the “Outstanding Academic Books of the Year” by the American Library Association. He has published extensively on water, urban development, agricultural development and environmental issues. Dr. Jagannathan currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute, and has been a consultant with the Green Climate Fund. He is a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group for Urban Issues, and is working closely with the New Climate Economy initiative. He is advising the China Council for International Cooperation on Climate and Development (CCICED) in its Special Policy Study on “Good City Models under the Concept of Ecological Civilization.” In 2023, Dr. Jagannathan was appointed to the Advisory Board on Zero Waste by the Secretary General of the UN. He was elected as Secretary General of CityNet at the 2013 CityNet Seoul Congress. 

Aisa Tobing – Deputy Secretary General

Aisa Tobing is a City Planner and Senior Advisor to the Governor of Jakarta. She serves as the Chairman of the Climate Change Task Force for Jakarta and as an Expert Staff for Urban and Environmental Management. Ms. Tobing has worked for Jakarta Capital City Government since 1977. During this time, she was appointed to lead several agencies within the administration, including serving as the Director of the International Cooperation Bureau, the Director of Information Technology and Communications Management Office, as well as Head of the Environmental Management Division. Ms. Tobing received her Bachelor’s degree in City Planning from Bandung Institute of Technology and her Masters from University of Pennsylvania. A strong supporter of sustainable urban development, Ms. Tobing currently serves as the Deputy Secretary General of CityNet.

Jeong-kee Kim – Chief Executive Officer & Under-Secretary-General

Jeong-kee Kim is the Chief Executive Officer of CityNet Secretariat. Before joining CityNet in March 2022, Mr. Kim held the esteemed position of a chair professor at Dongguk University Business School. Throughout his life, Mr. Kim has been engaged in a variety of professional pursuits. In 2000, he was elected as the first president of Soongsil Cyber University, the first Internet-based university founded by Yonsei University and Chosun Daily. In 2007, he served as the International Committee Chairman for Presidential Candidate Myung Bak Lee. In 2008, he was appointed as the 8th Consul General of the Korean Consulate General in Shanghai (Ambassador Rank) and as the Commissioner General of the Korean Pavilion of Shanghai Expo. In 2010, he was nominated as the 1st Vice Minister of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2012 to 2020, he worked as a senior attorney-at-law at DR-Aju LLC and simultaneously taught as a distinguished professor various courses on law, political science, history, sociology, economics, business administration, future studies, and negotiation at Korean universities (SNU, Yonsei, Korea, Kyeonghee, Dongguk, Kookmin, Hannam, Seonggyul, Yongin) and Chinese universities (Peking, Nanjing). In 2021, he served as the Political Reform Committee Chairman and Political Strategy Advisor for Presidential Candidate Seok Ryul Yun. 

Mr. Kim graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1990 and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Marquette University Law School in 2000. He furthered his education by completing a prestigious Senior Executive Programs at Harvard University and Seoul National University in addition to conducting research in North Korea and China as a scholar at Peking University in 2005. As an accomplished author, Mr. Kim has penned numerous best-selling books, including Georo English Studies Series for College Students (1983-1995), I Challenge the Possibility of One Percent (2002), The Art of Negotiation (2004), and Korea and the World (2023).

At CityNet, Mr. Kim hopes to expand work on global problems such as climate change and disaster management. He places particular emphasis on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and believes that achieving the SDGs is a critical step in building sustainable, inclusive cities. Through CityNet, he aims to expand city-to-city cooperation with even more cities in the Asia-Pacific and around the world. He can be reached at ceo@citynet-ap.org.

Youngmin Chang – Director of Programs

Youngmin Chang is the Director of Programs and develops overall programs at CityNet along with the institutional strategy to engage businesses, community groups, and multilateral institutions as strategic partners in identifying practical solutions for sustainable cities. Before she joined CityNet, she had worked for ten years as the Associate Director of a non-profit organization, International Action, in Washington, D.C., which she co-founded and serves as a board member. She was honored to be selected as one of the 40 Under 40 professionals on urban land use by the Urban Land Institute in 2014. She sits on Cities Development Initiative for Asia Stakeholders Forum Expert Group and has led CityNet to be elected to be an Operation Committee Member of Development Alliance Korea. She received her Master’s in International Relations from the University of Virginia. She can be reached at ychang@citynet-ap.org.

Jaime Paulo Mora – Deputy Director of Programs

Prior to working in CityNet, Jaime Paulo Mora spent ten years working in a national local government association based in Manila, Philippines. He held various supervisory positions in both regular and foreign-assisted programs and projects that focused on urban development. Some of these include public procurement, disaster risk and resilience, local health development and localizing Millennium Development Goals/Sustainable Development Goals. He graduated with a journalism degree at the University of Santo Tomas. Mr. Mora has a professional background in development communications, public advocacy, local governance, and urban sociology. In the Citynet, among other tasks, he manages the Citynet Services Program and provides membership services to Philippines and Fiji Citynet members. He can be reached at programs2@citynet-ap.org.

Hui Qian – Senior Program Officer

Hui Qian has a background of Sustainability Science and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Compilation. She obtained a Master of Science in International Cooperation Policy from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan) and a Master of Engineering in International Material Flow Management from Hochschule Trier (Germany). She is experienced in working under a multicultural environment with multidisciplinary cooperation. Prior to joining CityNet, she had worked at ICLEI East Asia Secretariat, with a focus on city-scale researches and projects. At CityNet, she oversees membership outreach and management and CityNet Services. You are more than welcome to reach her at hui@citynet-ap.org (Languages: Chinese, English and Japanese).

Chris Di Gennaro – Program Officer

Chris Di Gennaro is keenly interested in the workings of cities and facilitating sustainable urban development. Previously, he worked at United Nations ESCAP to organize an urban innovation themed startup competition. He holds a Master of Korean Studies from Yonsei University and a Bachelor of Psychology from Vassar College. At CityNet, he is managing the Urban SDG Knowledge Platform, a joint project with ESCAP and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He can be reached at sdgplatform@citynet-ap.org.

Erin Um – Junior Program Officer

Erin Um is a Junior Program Officer at CityNet, where she manages external partners and related projects, publications, and communications. She is interested in working with city and corporate partners for collaborative opportunities for sustainable development. Prior to working at CityNet, she worked as an assistant at a humanitarian non-profit organisation. She obtained a BA with double major in Economics and International Relations. She can be reached at programs1@citynet-ap.org.

Jihyun Baek – Junior Program Officer

Jihyun Baek is a Junior Program Officer at CityNet, where she is responsible for the overall coordination and operation of key legislative meetings within the network. She has a strong interest in international relations and resolutions to urban problems. Prior to joining CityNet, she worked as an assistant at the Eastern European and Balkan Institute in Korea. She holds a BA with a double major in Ukrainian studies and International Studies. She can be reached at programs3@citynet-ap.org.

Eunhee Lee – Director of Operations

Eunhee Lee has been working for the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 2008. Ms. Lee was dispatched to CityNet as Director of Operations in July 2023. She can be reached at dir.operations@citynet-ap.org.

Hojeong Jang – Senior Operations Officer

Hojeong Jang has been working for Seoul Metropolitan Government since 2010 and was dispatched to CityNet as Senior Operations Officer in July 2023. She can be reached at operations@citynet-ap.org.

Aruna Zhanibek – Operations Officer

Aruna Zhanibek obtained a Master of International trade and finance from Dongguk University, and graduated from the Kazakh National University for her BA with a major in Korean Studies. Prior to joining CityNet, she worked at Kazakhstan embassy where she coordinated diplomatic corps meetings, organized financial documents and engaged in translation work. She also worked at Woori Bank (headquarter, International Trade Business Department) and at the Korea Tourism Organization (Almaty branch, Kazakhstan). At CityNet, she is responsible for members management and operational work of the secretariat. She can be reached at membership@citynet-ap.org.

SPECIAL ADVISERS

CityNet has two Special Advisers who served as Secretary General. Having served for CityNet, CityNet’s Special Advisers share their time in providing advice to Network’s strategic directions. They also provide overall guidance in improving CityNet’s organizational agenda and in providing strategic and in-depth perspectives in the development of the network’s long-term goals.

CityNet Advisers bring with them unparalled experience in their areas of expertise. Even before joining CityNet, they already had established careers on their own.

Dato Lakhbir Singh Chahl

Dato Lakhbir Singh Chahl is the founding Secretary-General of CityNet having served the position from 1991-2009. Under his guidance, CityNet has grown and achieved its status to become the leading network of advocacy for local governments in the Asia-Pacific.

In CityNet, he had served and represented the network in several United Nations agencies committees like in UNESCAP, UN-Habitat, and UNEP, to name a few. He represented CityNet in Rio Summit 1991, in series of World Urban Forums in Vancouver (2006) and in Nanjing (2008) and at the UN Habitat Summit 1996 in Istanbul.

Mr. Singh was an adhoc expert to the UN-Department of Economic and Social Affairs. He was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Asia Urbs Program of the European Union which strengthened cooperation between Asian and European cities.

In his hometown Penang, Malaysia, Mr. Singh had contributed to the promotion of planning and development of the Penang’s State Master Plan. He has also contributed to the development of local sports having served as president or vice president in many of state’s sports associations. Currently, he is one of Penang’s most-sought legal practitioners.

Mary Jane Ortega

Mary Jane Ortega served as CityNet’s Secretary-General (2009-2013) and a mayor of San Fernando City, La Union (1998-2007). She was also one of three Vice Presidents of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.

She is the first Filipina to receive the United Nations Scroll of Honour Award from United Nations Habitat in 2000 for her advocacy for the empowerment of women and for the City Development Strategies. She is currently a member of Board of Trustees of Clean Air Asia, a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Initiatives on Trans National Crime, and Special Advisor to the City of Yokohama’s Y-Port Project.

In the Philippines, she continues to be a part-time lecturer at the Ateneo School of Government, Acting Chairman of the Institute of Solidarity in Asia, Mentor for Synergeia Foundation, board member of St. Louis College and Coordinator/Liaison for the La Union Marine Center.

Mary Jane generously shares her time by representing CityNet in high-level conferences, contributing to the network’s strategic long-term agenda, and promoting CityNet in the Asia Pacific region.

NATIONAL CHAPTERS

The National Chapters (NCs) are part of CityNet’s decentralization strategy and support CityNet Secretariat to reach out to its members, collect membership fees and recruit new members. There are six NCs:

The concept of the NCs was first conceived in 1993. CityNet members highlighted that greater coordination of members within a country would allow experience and expertise to be better shared, and partnerships to be more easily established. This does not reduce the significance of sharing the experience with other countries; it does, however, strengthen the overall ability of CityNet to reach its members even more effectively. The NC concept was approved and recognized at the Seventh Session of the CityNet Executive Committee in Makati, Philippines in 1994.

How to establish a National Chapter

CityNet members from the same country who are interested in establishing a NC have to first discuss the preliminary issues among themselves. Afterwards members from the same country hold a meeting to define the organization and structure of the NC they wish to establish. The CityNet Secretariat provides guidance but no financial support for establishing a new NC.

Organizational Structure

  • Define representative, office location, design charter, action plan, functional struchure and financial strategy, etc. of National Chapter.

Approval Process

  • Application submitted by focal point to Secretariat.
  • CityNet Executive Committee appoves

Registration

  • Accredited representative registers NC in accordance to local laws.

How to join a National Chapter or participate in its activities?

If you are interested in joining the activities of the NC in your country, please contact the designated focal point. The focal person will provide detailed information about ongoing activities and projects (for more information see NC profiles below).

National Chapter Bangladesh

CityNet NC Bangladesh was established in 1994. It consists of six full members and six associate members of CityNet. Its active members include six City Corporations (governing body of a large city) and Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB). NC Bangladesh’s organizational structure consists of President (Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation), Vice President (Mayor of Khulna and Rajshahi City Corporation), Secretary General (Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Cooperation), Auditor (Center for Urban Studies), focal point (Dr. Tariq Bin Yousuf) as well as 12 members.

Recent projects

• Green Campus Initiative through Climate and Disaster Resilient Activities in School (2014-2015)
• Creation of a Resilient Community through Knowledge Sharing and Awareness Building on Disaster Risk Reduction (2016-2017)

Contact

Name: Dr. Tariq Bin Yousuf
Email: tariqbinyousuf@gmail.com
Phone: +88-02 985 5630

National Chapter India

CityNet National Chapter-India was established in 2013. Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) is its leading institution and host. The organizational structure of the NC India consists of Chairperson Dr. M. Ravikanth, Secretary General Dr. D. Subrahmanyam, Sr., focal point Executive Director (Training), and fifteen members. The Vision of City Net National Chapter is to establish healthy environment, an eco-friendly city in India. NC India is to act as the focal point and facilitator to coordinate with CityNet and other agencies for capacity building, research, technical study visits, and documentation.

Recent projects

• Improving Public Transport System- Addressing the missing links (2014)
• Transit Corridor Development (TCD): Framework and Guiding Principles (2016)

Contact

Name: Ms. Nila Pandian, nilapandian@gmail.com
Executive Director (Training) HUDCO, edthsmi2013@gmail.com
Phone: +91 11 2430 8611
Website: https://hudco.org/Citynet.aspx

National Chapter Indonesia

CityNet NC Indonesia was established in 2007 and is hosted by Sidoarjo City Government. Its organizational structure consists of a supervisory board, advisory board, followed by executive board (president, two vice presidents, secretary, and treasurer). Its management structure includes the Director of administration, Program director, as well as 25 members. NC Indonesia holds a congress every four years to elect a new host and president city.

Recent projects

  • Catfish Breeding for Business Development and Youth Empowerment in Sidoarjo Regency (2014)
  • Improving waste management at the village’s public health center in Sukabumi City (2015)
  • Aksiku.bdg: A Digital Platform for Neighborhood Data Mapping (2016)

Contact

Name: Mr. Ari Suryono
Email: ari.suryono1997@gmail.com
Phone: +62 812-3253-303

National Chapter Nepal

NC Nepal was established in 2001. In 2019 the National Society for Earthquake Technology Nepal (NSET) has expressed its interest to host the NC Nepal. In the coming months, NSET will reach out to CityNet members and partners in Nepal in order to jointly develop a proposal for a new organizational structure and strategy for CityNet’s NC Nepal.

Recent projects

  • School Sanitation and Public Toilet Projects (2010, 2012, 2013, 2016)
  • Installation of Streetlights in Putalibazar Municipality (2014)
  • Building Resilience of Municipalities and their Residents: Responding to the Nepal Earthquake (2015)

Contact

Name: Mr. Ganesh Kumar Jimee
E-mail: gjimee@nset.org.np

National Chapter Philippines

NC Philippines was established in 2017 and is hosted by the Makati. National Chapter Philippines has a three-year term. The President shall automatically be from the host city, while the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor and PRO shall be elected every three years. The host city shall designate a secretariat and/or focal person in-charge of the day-to-day transaction of the chapter.

Contact

Name: Ms. Merlina Panganiban
E-mail: uddmakati@gmail.com
Phone: +632 899 8958

National Chapter Sri Lanka

CityNet National Chapter Sri Lanka was established in 1997 with Colombo Municipal Council as the host organization. Its organizational structure consists of president, two vice presidents, treasurer, executive committee members which are confined only to Mayors of municipal councils, as well as secretary general, consultant, auditor, and 23 members (municipal councils).

Recent projects

• Community-run Computer Learning Centre Project (2014)
• Artistic Skill Training Project for Children of Low Income Communities (2015, 2016)

Contact

Name: Ms. Thamara Mallawaarachchi
Email: thamaramal@gmail.com
Phone: +94 11 268 1198

YOKOHAMA PROJECT OFFICE

Establishing the CITYNET Yokohama Project Office

On April 1, 2013, the City of Yokohama set up the CITYNET Yokohama Project Office (CYO) to continue knowledge-sharing activities from Japan. The main task of the Yokohama Project Office is to initiate and implement projects with beneficiary cities based on their needs. The operation of the CYO will be supported primarily through funds from Yokohama as stipulated in the TOR. Project funds are expected to be supported partially by the City of Yokohama as well as the funding agencies in collaboration with the CITYNET Secretariat in Seoul. Its staff members are:

Ms. Rumi Kurita

Head of CITYNET Yokohama Project Office

Ms. Kurita brings in her experience from working in local government for over 30 years. Her mission is to help cities become more resilient so that residents can live safely by making full use of knowhow and human resources to address various challenges. While at CITYNET, Ms. Kurita wishes to contribute to the further prosperity of member cities, companies and organizations by deepening connections and collaborations.

Ms. Akiko Yamakoshi

Director, Administration

Ms. Yamakoshi has been dispatched to the CityNet Yokohama Project Office from April 2023. She joined the City of Yokohama in 2013 and since then has worked in departments related to waste management and family registry. She is interested in city to city cooperation and collaborative efforts among governments, citizens, and businesses to solve global and urban issues, and in contributing to development works through CityNet. She has a Master’s degree in International Law.

Access

CITYNET Yokohama Project Office
6F International Cooperation Center
1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-0012 JAPAN

Contact

 

Phone: +81-(0)45-221-1214
Fax: +81-(0)45-664-7145
Email: citynetyokohama@gmail.com
https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/city-info/seisaku/kokusai/kyoryoku/city-net/

 

CITYNET-PLUS ARTS CENTER FOR CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

Establishing the CityNet-Plus Arts Center for Creative Partnerships

On April 1, 2021, Plus Arts NPO established the CityNet-Plus Arts Center for Creative Partnerships in Kobe to expand knowledge sharing from Japan. The Center for Creative Partnerships will support CityNet members in strengthening their disaster education programmes, including the establishment of DRR learning centres, and by enhancing the capacity building of public officials through creative and innovative solutions for multi-sector challenges. The Center for Creative Partnerships is primarily supported by staff and funding from Plus Arts.

Plus Arts was launched in 2006. Learning from the lessons of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (Kobe Earthquake, 1995), Plus Arts formulated the "Have Fun while Learning about Disasters" programme that utilizes design and art to raise awareness on disaster prevention, and carries out promotional activities through workshops and exhibitions held domestically and abroad. In cooperation with overseas partners, it implements programmes that are flexibly adapted to local needs, so that disaster education originating in Japan is also widely disseminated overseas. It has improved the level of disaster awareness among students, communities, organizations and local authorities in many parts of the world.

The staff members of the CityNet-Plus Arts Center for Creative Partnerships are:

Mr. Hirokazu Nagata - Chairperson, Director

A planner and producer, Mr. Hirokazu Nagata founded the City Culture Creation Research Institute in 2001. He also established Plus Arts NPO in 2006. Since August 2012, he has been working as the Vice Director of the Design and Creative Center Kobe and in 2021 he was appointed as the Director of the same center. His major planning and production achievements include Iza! Kaeru Caravan! since 2005 which is a DRR education program, Earthquake Expo in 2006, and Chibikkobe since 2012. He is also the recipient of the 15th JICA President’s Award Commendation.

Mr. Kendra Hirata - Executive Director

Mr. Kendra Hirata has worked in both the private and public sectors for several years conducting training for and managing of development projects. His previous experience includes leading a Japanese non-profit organisation, conducting projects in developing countries, as well as several years of living and working in developed and developing regions. He brings a balanced perspective into his work through CITYNET Yokohama Office. He previously worked for the CITYNET Secretariat in Yokohama and was assigned to his new position upon the Secretariat’s relocation to Seoul. He continues to provide his expertise for CYO by developing meaningful projects to improve urban communities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ms. Makoto Sasaki - Chief Staff, Program Officer

Ms. Makoto Sasaki is from Miyako, Iwate. She experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake when she was junior high school student. After she had taken part in the internship at Plus Arts while she was in university, she started working at Plus Arts in2019. She is in charge of the domestic disaster education programs.

Ms. Mayu Takihara - Staff, Program Officer

Ms. Mayu Takihara has worked at Plus Arts since 2022. She majored in education at university, and got teaching licenses of elementary school, English for junior high school and English for high school. She got a certificate in Bousaishi, a disaster prevention expert certification in Japan in 2020. She works in international cooperation projects.

Mr. Kazuyoshi Mitsuda - Staff, Program Officer

Mr. Kazuyoshi Mitsuda is from Oita. He learned graphic design during his school days. He has been employed at Plus Arts since 2020. He is active in the frontline activities utilize his technical skills for the disaster education programs, and works in editorial design for private sectors.

Ms. Masayo Morimoto - Part-time Staff

Ms. Masayo Morimoto is responsible for procurement, online sales, shipping and handling of Plus Arts material and related administrative duties. Previously she lived in the Midwest of the United States. She speaks Japanese and English.

Ms. Takako Nakamura - Accounting and General Affairs

Ms. Takako Nakamura is from Kobe. She is in charge of the accounting and general affairs. Previously she also worked in accounting in the private sector companies. She is working behind the scenes to support our members.

Address

CityNet-Plus Arts Center for Creative Partnerships
c/o Plus Arts NPO
Design and Creative Center Kobe 307
1-4 Onohama-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0082
JAPAN

Contact

Phone: +81-78-335-1335
Fax: +81-78-335-1339
Email: info@plus-arts.net
http://www.plus-arts.net

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