October 9, 2006

Eighteen mayors from the United States, South America, Central America and the Caribbean joined together September 25-26 in Miami at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for the first ever Mayors Hemispheric Forum. The mayors, representing cities from 12 countries around the hemisphere, came together to discuss issues of mutual concern and interest in cities in all parts of the Americas using the demonstrated innovation, best practices and policies at the city level as a basis for the discussions.

The forum was hosted by Conference of Mayors Advisory Board Chair Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, and included roundtable sessions on public safety and security; urban design; energy reform, environmental protection and sustainability; and the role of mayors as the catalysts for their cities’ commercial and economic development. The two-day forum was supported by the Conference of Mayors and other partner organizations. These included the Police Executive Research Forum, The Mayors’ Institute on City Design, the Manhattan Institute and CEOs for Cities. Before introducing Conference Past President Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Conference Executive Director Tom Cochran explained the U.S. mayors’ national commitment to energy reform and environmental sustainability efforts with the attendees from Latin America and the Caribbean, citing the Conference’s national initiative and city leadership nationwide.

The accomplished group clearly welcomed the opportunity to engage with each other on the pressing issues confronting cities regardless of their location in the hemisphere. Mayors were engaged and enthusiastic through to the completion of the agenda, during which they shared best practices, regional insights and proven city-based policies. “City problems are the same in the United States as they are in Latin America and all of us can learn from one another” said Daley.

Latin American and Caribbean participants included the mayors of Santiago de Chile, Lima, Peru; Asuncion, Paraguay; Chacao-Caracas, Venezuela; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Kingston, Jamaica; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Quito, Ecuador; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Other U.S. mayors participating included Columbus, Wichita, San Juan, Tampa, and Shelby County. ‘’No matter where we are from we are linked by shared duties and shared ideas,’’ Diaz said. Diaz cited the expertise of several cities such as Bogota, Colombia and Asuncion, Paraguay, which have made significant strides in ensuring public security and fighting crime.

Structured around five interactive sessions pertaining to issues of crucial importance to cities, the Mayors Hemispheric Forum was developed as an opportunity for leading city executives from around the region to build stronger relations and exchange the first-hand experiences that only mayors can provide due to their close interaction with their residents on a daily basis, which elected officials in higher offices often do not have. The participants discussed public safety programs and the security of urban residents, the latest developments in urban design, energy diversity and environmental initiatives, and both the opportunities and challenges faced by cities in the context of new global economies.

Following the sessions the mayor of Chacao-Caracas, Venezuela, Leopoldo López, described to the press on hand how the forum importantly and decisively “strengthened understanding between city governments in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, to the point where the hemisphere rises above the issue of inequality and advances towards solutions and the future.” Lima Peru Mayor Luis Castaneda Lossio added that city residents are better served “in a globalized world that supports competitiveness”. “Many creative solutions for the issues we face in all of our cities are discussed and provided, and here [at this forum] we have the opportunity to learn about them, shared Quito, Ecuador Mayor Paco Moncayo Gallegos. “In this century we are seeing the miracle rebirth and rise of cities, not states, where decisive mayors determine the future,” he added.

“[This] initiative doesn’t end here. It begins here,’’ Guayaquil, Ecuador Mayor Jaime Nebot Saadi said. Kingston, Jamaica Mayor Desmond McKenzie expressed a desire to build upon the discussions. “We hope to build on [this] foundation” he said. ‘’It doesn’t matter what ideology we have, how far apart we are, or what language we speak,’’ Asuncion, Paraguay Mayor Enrique Riera Escudero added.

Additional guest participants included Daniel Scioli, Vice-President of the Republic of Argentina, Jaime Lerner, architect and urban planner the former mayor of Curitiba and former governor of Parana, Brazil, Hugo Acero Velazquez, former Deputy for Security for Bogota, Jeff Speck Director of Design at the U.S.’ National Endowment for the Arts, columnist and author Andres Oppenheimer, and author Charles Landry.

Representatives of multilateral financial institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) were also on hand to share their expertise on funding issues and economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean, setting the course for sustainable urban growth through trade development and regional integration programs.