CityNet organised a clusters strategic meeting on 23 July 2018 in Kuala Lumpur attended by leaders and co-leaders of the four CityNet clusters that build the foundation of the network’s activities – climate change, infrastructure, disaster, and SDGs. The main purpose of this meeting is for each cluster to present their plans and programmes for 2018-2019.

Representatives from Jakarta, HELP-O, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Yokohama, Barisal, League of Cities of the Philippines, and HUDCO convened in Kuala Lumpur for a full day brainstorming session through SWOT analysis discussion, presentation of each cluster’s plans, and building feasible PDM.

CityNet envisions CityNet clusters as thematic hubs for showcasing peer learning and city-to-city cooperation in Asia. The CityNet Cluster system is meant to de-centralize CityNet work by allowing subsets of CityNet members with a common interest to organize independently. Over the years, CityNet clusters have helped the Secretariat implement key programmes and projects for our members.

In order to do this, CityNet Secretariat supports all clusters with communication channels, administrative support, promotional support, and a grant contribution. Secretariat will continue to support to CityNet clusters in enabling more local champions in the region and in investing in more institutional partnerships for city-to-city support at the regional level.

Over time, the clusters have had mixed results with some of them being active, doing results-oriented programmes for its members with transformations on the ground according to CityNet mission, and getting resources way beyond the Secretariat contribution; while other clusters seem to be dependent on the Secretariat initiative to support and encourage them to do activities.

At the end of this strategic meeting each cluster came up with feasible and tangible action plans to be executed by the end of 2019 for more productive clusters activities.

For more information on CityNet cluster system click here.