The Second WCSDF: Focusing on Development and Cooperation Among Cities

BEIJING, May 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Second WCSDF co-organized by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the People's Government of Chengdu, Sister Cities International (SCI) and World Cities Scientific Development Alliance (WCSDA) is slated for Aug 11-13, 2011 in Chengdu, China. The theme for the Forum is "Development and Cooperation among Cities: Building Livable Cities for Humanity". This is an international event on sustainable city development with a focus on disaster reduction and post-disaster reconstruction in 2011 and has attracted attentions of the United Nations and the international community.

The objectives of the 2011 WCSDF is to focus on the development and cooperation among cities and the building of livable cities for humanity. The Forum will highlight the sharing of information and insights on challenges and opportunities brought about by sustainable city development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and disasters of various kinds.

At the moment, the Forum has gained support of competent departments, including the Ministry of Environmental Protection of People's Republic of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the support of different provinces, cities, autonomous regions and municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council. The participants preliminary confirmed by the Foreign Affairs Department of the WCSDA include: officials of UNISDR, senior officials of UNHABITAT, officials of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, officials of international organizations like the EU, the ASEAN, the AU, ECALEC and IPU, mayors or parliamentarians from France, Singapore, Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Turkey, Sweden and the Philippines, well-known national and local media, representatives of organizations, governments and individuals dedicated to sustainable city development. All of them will meet at the event on international disaster reduction to be held in Chengdu, China and actively live the aspiration of the United Nations to "make cities resilient to disasters and climate change".

In recent years, sustainable city development has become a shared concern of all stakeholders. In 2010, WCSDA held its First WCSDF & the Annual Meeting in Beijing and a session in Shanghai, and has successfully accomplished its mission for the first year. The 2011 WCSDF will remain committed to the vision of world cities' scientific development and highlight bilateral and multilateral cooperation under the theme of promoting development and cooperation among cities and building livable cities for humanity.