June 23, 2003

Second International Conference of Mayors Brings Together 25 International Mayors with Over 200 U.S. Mayors at 71st Conference of Mayors

The Second International Conference of Mayors, held in conjunction with the first part of the 71st Annual Conference of Mayors, was an historic integration of 25 mayors from 16 countries and five continents with over 200 U.S. mayors.

Throughout its history, the U. S. Conference of Mayors had been honored by delegations of international mayors or individual international mayors who attended the Winter or Annual Meeting. This was the first time, however, that the Conference has devoted the first part of the meeting to case studies, presentations, and best practice demonstrations by mayors from all over the world, with opportunities for interactive discussion between U.S. and international mayors in the plenary sessions, standing committees, and task force meetings.

In addition to the 25 international mayors who attended, 31 representatives from 15 countries and six continents — directors of mayors' associations in other countries, officials of international organizations linking local governments, or representatives of national or city governments — participated in the meeting.

International participants at the meeting were:

Mayors

Cameroun, Douala Mayor Françoise Foning

Canada: District Of North Vancouver Mayor Don Bell; North Vancouver Mayor Barbara Sharp; Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray.

Cote D'ivoire: Abidjan Mayor Emile Danho.

Ecuador: Quito Mayor Paco Moncayo G.

Gambia: Banjul Mayor Pa Sallah Jeng.

Korea: Dalseogu Mayor Dae-Hyeon Hwang; Jeju City Mayor Tae Hwan Kim; Kangdong-Gu Mayor Choong-Whan Kim

Mexico: Juarez Mayor Jesœs Alfredo Delgado Muñoz.

Namibia: Otjiwarongo Mayor Otto Ipinge.

Philippines: Tagaytay City Mayor Francis N. Tolentino.

South Africa: Delmas Mayor Thamsanqa Matosa; Klerksdorp Mayor Dr. Magome Masike; Middelburg Executive Mayor Ida M. T. Mahlangu; Mogale City Executive Mayor Lentswe Mokgatle; Nkangala District Municipality Executive Mayor Simon Piet Dollman Skhosana; Tshwane Executive Mayor Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa.

Spain: Barcelona Mayor Joan Clos I Matheu.

Swaziland: Lavumisa Mayor Victor B. Simelane.

Thailand: Phuket Mayor First Lt. Phummisak Hongsyok.

Uganda: Jinja Mayor David Wakudumira.

Ukraine: Kamianets Podilsky Mayor Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Mazurchak.

Zimbabwe: Harare Mayor Engineer Elias Mudzuri.

Directors Of Mayors' Associations And Other National, City Or Association Officials

Australia: Canberra His Excellency Michael Thawley, Ambassador Of Australia To The United States.

Canada: Calgary Craig Burrows, Deputy Mayor Of Calgary; Montreal Rita Rachele Dandavino, Project Manager, Metropolis International Institute, Sarah Dandenault, Research Assistant, Metropolis International Institute; Winnipeg Heather Mack, Deputy Chief Of Staff To The Mayor.

Cote D-ivoire: Abijan Akossi Noel Benojo, Vice Governor.

Ecuador: Quito William Samaniego, Secretario Particular, City Of Quito.

Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Genet Abera Lilay, Head Of The Bureau Of Finance And Economic Development And Member Of The Cabinet Of The City Of Addis Ababa, Representing His Excellency Mayor Arkebe Oquabi.

France: Paris Professor Ilan Juran, Executive Director, Urban Research Laboratory (Laboratoire Des Reseaux Urbains), School Of Urban Engineering, City Of Paris, Official Representative, Association Des Maires De Grandes Villes De France.

Japan: TokyoJapan Local Government Center, New York City Naofumi Hida, Executive Director, Seth Benjamin, Senior Researcher, Atsushi Fukuda, Assistant Director, Yujiro Toi, Assistant Director.

Korea: Jeju City Kang Young Chul, President Of The City Assembly, Yang-Bo Kim, Director, Department Of Environmental Management, Jiyeon Ko, Senior Staff, Department Of Tourism And Free International Trade Services; Seoul Korea Local Government Center, New York City Samkul Lee, Director, Jaesik Suh, Deputy Director, National Association Of Korean Mayors Dr. Yong-Hak Joo, Senior Consultant.

South Africa: Mogale City Sury Pillay, Legal Advisor To The Mayor; Nkangala District Municipality Sakumzi Vukaphi; Tshwane Sakkie Vukaphi, Senior Advisor To The Mayor.

Spain: Barcelona Josep Roig, Secretary General, World Association Of The Major Metropolises (Metropolis), Bettina Stollar, Department Of International Relations, City Of Barcelona.

Swaziland: Ezulwini Rudolph Maziya, National Coordinator For Swaziland, Un-Amicaall Partnership Program.

Sweden: Stockholm Catharina Tarras-Wahlberg, Deputy Mayor Of Stockholm, Suzanne Liljegren, International Director, Department Of Protocol And International Affairs, City Of Stockholm.

Switzerland: Geneva Mina Mauerstein-Bail, Director, Un-Amicaall Partnership Programme, Dorothy Davis, Consultant, Un-Amicaall Partnership Programme.

Thailand: Phuket Tasanee Aikvanich, Acting Director Of Health And Environment Division.

Zambia: Lusaka Fisho Mwale, UN-AMICAALL Partnership Programme, and Member of the Alliance Coordinating Committee, Alliance of Mayor's Initiative for Community Action on HIV/AIDS at the Local Level; is the former mayor of Lusaka.