By Kay Scrimger
April 29, 2002

Organized by The United States Conference of Mayors, The International Conference of Mayors' International Summit on Terrorism and Travel/Tourism, April 16-19, 2002, in Washington, D.C. and New York City brought together thirty mayors from eleven countries and five continents to discuss common challenges resulting from September 11th.

Opening the Summit, Conference President New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial said, "This meeting demonstrates the value of open discussion and exchange of information, ideas, and best practices, as we all work to meet our many shared challenges in cities around the world."

Communiqué and Declaration of Principles Calls for International Conference of Mayors

At the Summit's conclusion, mayors signed a "Communiqué and Declaration of Principles," declaring that, "The tragic and criminal acts of September 11th dramatically highlighted the interdependence of all people, the need to strengthen anti'terrorism efforts, and the critical role of mayors in their respective nations." In the communiqué,

Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran said, "This is a historic moment for our organization—for U.S. mayors and for mayors throughout the world. When mayors come together, they experience almost instantaneous recognition of shared challenges and shared solutions. I am very gratified to be able to be part of this undertaking, and I thank Mayor Morial and Mayor Wellington Webb for their leadership in its creation."

Bonn, Germany, Mayor Barbara Dieckmann stated: "This meeting demonstrated the solidarity among mayors from all over the world and offered us an opportunity to speak about our experiences after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. These attacks were not only attacks against the people of the United States but were attacks against the free and democratic world. As representatives of our citizens, we are dedicated to providing security for our cities. I look forward to future exchanges of this type."

The International Summit was sponsored by United Water, an Ondeo Services Company, one of the premier water services companies in the United States. Ondeo is a subsidiary of Suez, the world's leader in water and wastewater management services.

International Mayors from Five Continents

Organized by The United States Conference of Mayors, the Summit drew the following mayors: Mayors Solomon Darko, Accra, Ghana; Dimitris L. Avramopoulos, Athens, Greece; Barbara Dieckmann, Bonn, Germany; Fiorello Primi, Castiglione del Lago, Italy; José Reyes Ferriz, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; Norbert Gansel, Kiel, Germany; Ettore Severi, Montecatini Terme, Italy; and Paco Moncayo G., Quito, Ecuador.

Councillor Herb Kreling, Chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, represented Mayor Bob Chiarelli of Ottawa, Canada. Mayor Cesar Maia of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, asked Marcos Amaro, Military Advisor to the Mayor, and Leandro Moreira, Special Advisor to the Mayor, to represent him.

Mr. Naofumi Hida, Director of the Japan Local Government Center in New York City, represented the Japan City Mayors Association; and Mr. Yoonmyoung Cho, Executive Director of the Korea Local Government Center in New York, represented mayors of Korea.

Mayors from the United States

U.S. Mayors participating in the meeting included Mayors Marc H. Morial, New Orleans, President of the Conference of Mayors; Thomas M. Menino, Boston, Vice President; James A. Garner, Hempstead, Chair, Advisory Board; Wellington E. Webb, Denver, Past President and Chair, International Affairs Committee; and the two host mayors, Mayors Michael Bloomberg, New York City, and Anthony A. Williams, Washington, D.C.

Additional U.S. Mayors were H. Brent Coles, Boise, Past President; Trustees Michael A. Guido, Dearborn; Patrick Henry Hays, North Little Rock; and Rita L. Mullins, Palatine; and Ross "Rocky" C. Anderson, Salt Lake City; J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth; H. Richard Borer, Jr., West Haven; Joseph P. Ganim, Bridgeport; Jeff Griffin, Reno; Patsy Jo Hilliard, East Point; Harvey Johnson, Jr., Jackson; Scott L. King, Gary; Gus Morrison, Fremont; and George A. Spadoro, Edison. Mayor Linda Ethridge, Waco, participated in part of the meeting.

Exchange of Ideas at Opening Session of the International Conference of Mayors

At the opening session Mayors engaged in an open exchange of ideas on the impact of the September 11th terrorist attacks, including their impact on travel and tourism, and on the importance of forming a permanent alliance of mayors.

Conference of Mayors Vice President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, welcomed the group and commended the mayors for joining him and the Conference on the historic journey to forming the International Conference of Mayors: "I welcome you to this meeting, and I will work with the Executive Director to make sure that this is not a one'time meeting but a long'term part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors."

Conference President Mayor Morial began the session by discussing the economic and psychological aftermath of the terrorist attacks: "Here in the United States for three to four days the entire civil aviation system was shut down. This had a traumatic effect on every one of our communities . . . because [U.S.] cities basically run airports."

Boise Mayor Brent Coles stated that the cost of strengthening the floors for the weight of the new x'ray machines in the Boise Airport is $2 million, a huge hit for a city of 190,000 people. "Where will that money come from?," he asked.

Athens, Greece Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos said: "Terrorism is an international phenomenon that calls for international cooperation at all levels. . . . There is no doubt that after the attacks of September 11th, the psychology of the world has changed. The shadow of terrorism will be with us, with the entire world, for years to come." Mayors must provide psychological support, instilling optimism and a sense of hope, for their citizens in this difficult climate, he emphasized.

Accra, Ghana, Mayor Solomon Darko pointed out that mayors across the globe "have been very proud of how New York managed after the attacks."

Kiel, Germany Mayor Norbert Gansel, said that after September 11th, he witnessed a "degree of compassion and solidarity with the American people beyond that which I had ever seen before."

Mayor Fiorello Primi of Castiglione del Lago, Italy, stated that, "We mayors must commit ourselves to international cooperation and solidarity" in the face of the terrorist threat.

Montecatini, Italy Mayor Ettore Severi called for better marketing strategies in order to restore tourism and travel, adding, "We are promoting the joyfulness to be experienced by visiting our cities."

"Terrorism lost its battle in New York because New York stood on its feet. Starting from September 11th, mayors can never expect that state and national authorities will give us the answers. We must face challenges in our own cities with our own strength," observed Mayor Paco Moncayo G. of Quito, Ecuador. "Permanent contact and dialogue among us all is beginning here today," he said.

Marcos Amaro, Military Advisor to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, focused on the importance of excellent planning for emergency management and commended New York and Washington, D.C. for their emergency efforts in the crisis.

Ottawa, Canada Commissioner Herb Kreling commended the United States for portraying on the international scene "all that is good and right about democracy."

Overview of the Origin of the Summit: Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran

Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran described how the Summit came into being, as the third in a trilogy of meetings begun in 2000 under the Presidency of Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb, with the cooperation of the U. S. Ambassador to France, Felix G. Rohatyn, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, John Kornblum, Christine Elder also with the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Aspen Institute Berlin, and Aspen Institute France

"We look at this meeting today as a beginning because Mayors need an organization like this," he said. He noted the importance of comparative analysis of the ways in which central governments in different nations relate to their local governments, including financial support and technical assistance for various key governmental functions.

"In our organization there is a strong spirit to continue to bring together mayors from across the world to work on best practices and address common challenges," he concluded.

New York City: Security and Safety, Visit to World Trade Center Area, and Looking to the Future

As with the Conference of Mayors' Winter Meeting in January 2002, the International Summit was held both in Washington, D.C. and New York City to show support and respect for New York and its people.

As Mayor Morial said at the April 19 Breakfast Session, "We truly feel that New York is America's city—and must be fully supported in the task ahead. It is clear from the presence of our international mayors that mayors throughout the world support New York's rebuilding efforts."

Commissioner John Odermatt, New York City Office of Emergency Management: Importance of Security Back'Up Systems

John Odermatt, Commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) spoke to the Summit on Friday morning, April 19, about lessons learned following the September 11th attacks on New York. He also thanked every city for their unwavering support during the recovery period following the devastating attacks.

Commissioner Odermatt told the group that his top goal as OEM Commission is to achieve the highest level of integrated coordination in New York City. Odermatt said that the day of the attacks, one of the buildings collapsed along with their emergency plans; however, the city was able to bounce back quickly because of its electrical back'up site on Pier 92. He stressed the importance for every city to create an integrated communications system and a secondary back'up system.

According to Odermatt, the city of New York has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to create a back'up system in case of an emergency and also plans to use IP phones as another form of back'up.

Looking to the Future Together

Mayors James A. Garner of Hempstead, Chair of the Advisory Board, and Wellington E. Webb, Chair of the International Affairs Committee and Past President, spoke at the conclusion of the meeting about the future.

In his remarks at the closing luncheon of the ICOM meeting, Hempstead Mayor James Garner, Chair of the Conference's Advisory Board, spoke on fighting Terrorism, saying, "If we are to stop this lunacy and restore the confidence of our traveling public, we must work together, reaching out beyond just the borders of the United States. This is a matter of the good people of the world versus. a small but dangerous radical element, and it's a battle we cannot lose."

"The U.S. Conference of Mayors has been committed for more than fifty years to learning from our colleagues abroad. This Summit, and the spirit of cooperation that will follow, is a natural extension of that commitment.

While the languages we speak may differ, the problems we face are similar,

and many solutions can be found by working together," Mayor Garner added.

Mayor Garner spoke to the history of international efforts within The U.S. Conference of Mayors saying, "When the Berlin Wall was erected in 1948, Mayor Willy Brandt asked The U.S. Conference of Mayors to send a delegation of U.S. Mayors to Berlin, which we did. And soon after the Berlin Wall came down, the Conference of Mayors sent a mayoral mission to Poland to work with the newly elected mayors there." Mayor Garner also referenced mayoral missions to Africa, China, and transatlantic conferences in Lyon, France and Berlin, Germany.

"I am gratified to see that our outstanding President, Marc Morial, had the opportunity to host this Summit while he is still our leader. Marc, along with Past President Wellington Webb, who initiated the idea of an international conference of mayors in Seattle in 2000, have been motivating forces behind this movement," Mayor Garner said adding, " As the future president of the Conference of Mayors, I can assure you that our work towards bringing this ideal to a reality will continue, unabated."

Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb pointed out that "Mayors all over the world are the same. We are facing the same kinds of challenges and trying to devise solutions to the issues that face our cities. I think this has been illustrated by our discussions together in the past two days of this Summit.

"In our mayoral missions to Africa—to Ghana and Senegal—and at the great meetings we had in Lyon, France, in 2000, and in Berlin, Germany, in 2001, with the cooperation of the U.S. Embassies in France and Germany and with the help of Aspen Institute Berlin and Aspen Institute France, we discovered the many issues and experiences that mayors have in common.

"Our organization was founded in 1932 in a time of crisis in this nation with the Great Depression. I hope that in this time of crisis 70 years later that we can move toward formation of an alliance that will let us share ideas and best practices in a focused, systematic, and productive way.

"That is why I think that it is very important—our signing this communiqué here today in New York City, signifying our commitment to a permanent international organization, not only an organization of structure and tradition but one of true international cooperation and dedication to helping us cope with the challenges to the cities of the world.

"I am pleased to invite you to my city of Denver, Colorado, for the next International Summit of Mayors, in June of 2003, and I look forward to seeing you there."

The International Summit on Terrorism and Travel/Tourism concluded with remarks by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City and with the signing of the Communiqué and Declaration of Principles.

Letters of Support Received from Additional International Mayors

In addition to the mayors who signed the communiqué (see related article, with copy of communiqué and signatures), several mayors from around the world, who were unable to attend the Summit, wrote letters of support for the concept of the International Conference of Mayors. Quotations from several letters are below:

"I recognize the importance of the Summit as a major step toward forging closer relationships among mayors throughout the world."

—Councillor Jim Rodgers, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Ireland

"I wish to express my personal support and that of the Italian Association of National Municipalities to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. I think it necessary to enhance closer relations and links among mayors throughout the world toward a strong international mayors alliance. . ."

—Mayor Leonardo Domenici,

Florence, Italy

"The appalling act of terrorism on 11th September 2001 has affected all our lives. The response in Ireland literally brought the country to a halt when a National Day of Mourning was declared for the Friday following the disaster. . . I have asked my City Council to consider and support the concept of an International Conference of MayorsÉ."

—Councillor Michael Mulcahy,

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland

"I fully support the proposal to establish an international alliance of mayors. We are in a position of great local influence, given the nature of our role as mayors of major population centers who are in touch both with the communities that form our cities and with regional and national governments. It is time for us to maximize our potential for influence on the international level as well. I look forward to hearing about your deliberations at the Summit and to making my own contribution to the process in the future."

—Mayor Ehud Olmert,

Mayor of Jerusalem, Israel

Conference staff who contributed to this article include Lina Garcia, Ed Somers, and Crystal Swann. See additional articles related to the meeting in this edition of U.S. Mayor.