On March 7th, CityNet Deputy Director of Programmes Jaime Paulo Mora and Senior Programme Officer Chris DiGennaro visited their peers at the UNESCAP East and North-East Asia (UNESCAP-ENEA) office to discuss the programme of activities for 2025, particularly the upcoming International Forum on Low Carbon Cities (LCC). 

As the 5th LCC approaches, scheduled for September 22nd in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (subject to change), CityNet Secretariat proposed a strategic review of the Forum’s objectives and format to better align with the evolving strategies of its partners. CityNet expressed its hopes of positioning the LCC as a one of the more important knowledge-sharing platform activities in the Northeast region, as it provides the opportunity to recognise Northeast Asia members, the secondary cities. 

Ms. Fideles from UNESCAP suggested the idea of repackaging the Forum to carve out its own niche and proposed that the Forum should complement the Senior Officers’ Meeting (SOM), an annual approval and review on the progress of the ESCAP-ENEA’s cooperation activities. Ms. Fideles mentioned that this alignment would ensure that the outcomes of the Forum contribute directly to ESCAP’s regional programming policies.

A significant topic of discussion during the meeting was the potential for the Forum to serve as a platform for mentoring cities and partners facing similar urban development challenges. The concept of city-twinning and mentoring programmes was particularly well-received, with the suggestion that Forum Partners, including CityNet, could play a key role in facilitating, supporting, and monitoring these initiatives. 

Besides the LCC, CityNet and UNESCAP also discussed other programme highlights, including the 45th Executive Committee (ExCom) Meeting in Denpasar and the 4th SDG City Awards. CityNet noted that the SDG City Awards would be an important opportunity for ESCAP’s engagement, as it marks the first time that non-CityNet members will be included in the Awards.

The meeting highlights both organisations’ commitment to strengthening city networks and fostering regional cooperation, laying the foundation for a series of exciting city-to-city activities and opportunities in 2025.

This article was written by Ms. Gina Shim, SDG Programme Assistant at CityNet. She can be reached at pg.assistant1@citynet-ap.org.