UCLG-MEWA CONGRESS WAS HELD IN TEHRAN, IRAN 15.04.2013

UCLG-MEWA Congress was held in Tehran, capital of Iran, on 10-11 April, 2013. Around 120 participants, consisting of mayors, municipal councilors and local government officials attended the Congress. UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau, Council and General Assembly Joint Meeting was held on the first day of the congress.

The meeting was opened by the speeches of Mehmet DUMAN, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, Muhammad Bager QALIBAF, Mayor of Tehran, Rafiq MIKKI, Mayor of Gaza and President of Union of Gaza Municipalities, representing the participants, and Lokman ÇAĞIRICI, Mayor of Bağcılar-İstanbul, representing Dr. Kadir TOPBAŞ, Mayor of Istanbul and President of UCLG. A wide participation was ensured in the opening session, consisting of Mayors and local government officials of various Iranian cities, academicians, diplomats and specialists.

Agenda of the Joint Meeting consisted of UCLG-MEWA Progress Report, 2012 Financial Management Committee Report, Ombudsman Report, 2013 Draft Program of Activities, 2013 Draft Budget, and new Membership applications, Amendments to the UCLG-MEWA Constitution, Membership Fee System and Strategic Planning. Besides, local governments to be proposed and elected for the period 2013-2016 were determined. Accordingly;

For the UCLG-MEWA Presidency,

• Mr. Mohammad Bager QALIBAF, Mayor of Tehran, Iran

For the UCLG-MEWA Co-Presidencies,

• Mr. Abdul Hussein AL MURSHIDI, Mayor of Baghdad, Iraq
• Mr. Osman BAYDEMİR, Mayor of Diyarbakır, Turkey
• Mr. Rafiq MIKKI, Union of Gaza Municipalities, Palestine
• Mr. Aziz KOCAOĞLU, Mayor of İzmir, Turkey
• Mr. Tahir AKYÜREK, Mayor of Konya, Turkey

For the UCLG-MEWA Treasurer,

• Mr. Lokman ÇAĞIRICI, Mayor of Bağcılar, Turkey

For the UCLG-MEWA Financial Management Committee Members,

• Mrs. Yüksel BARAN, Mayor of Bağlar, Turkey
• Mr. Özcan IŞIKLAR, Mayor of Silivri, Turkey
• Mr. Burhanettin KOCAMAZ, Mayor of Tarsus, Turkey
• Mr. Bülent Hamdi CİNGİL, Mayor of Yenişehir, Turkey

For the UCLG-MEWA Ombudsman,

• Mr. Ülgür GÖKHAN, Mayor of Çanakkale, Turkey

For the UCLG-MEWA Secretary General,

• Mr. Mehmet DUMAN, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, Turkey

were elected.

              In the second day of the congress, two workshops took place entitled ‘Urban Sustainable Energy’ and ‘Strengthening Urban Life Against Crises’.

In the session on Sustainable Urban Energy, chaired by Dr. Husein-Mohamad Pourzarandi, Deputy Mayor of Tehran for Financial and Administrative Affairs and Head of Iran Urban Economic Scientific Association, the following persons made presentations:

• Mr. Mehmet Ali ŞEKER, Director General of Energy Company, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey,
• Dr. Mohamad DEHAINI, President of the Union of the Municipalities of Iqleemel Tufah, Lebanon

• Mr. F. Birsen TURGU, Expert-Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Turkey
• Dr. Majid ABBAS-POUR, University Professor and Head of Iranian Society of Environmentalists, Iran
• Eng. Seyed Mohamad MOJABI, Deputy President for Tehran Research and Planning Centre, Iran,
• Eng. Reza POURVAZIRI, Representative of UN-Habitat BLP;
• Mrs. İrem ÇİĞCİ, Dept. Director of Foreign Relations of Kırşehir Municipality, Turkey
• Eng. Mohamad-Hadi HEIDARZADEH, Head of Tehran Municipality Environment and Sustainable Development Headquarters, Iran
• Dr. Morteza ABOUTALEBI, University Professor, Tehran, Iran
• Mr. Selim Yücel GÜLEÇ, Director of Foreign Relation and Tourism Dept., Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey

In the session on Strengthening Urban Life Against Crises, the following persons made presentations:

• Eng. Mohsen NADI, Vice President, Tehran Prevention and Crisis Management Org., Iran
• Mr. Ramazan YAHŞİ, Istanbul Disaster Coordination Center Official, Turkey
• Dr. Nemat HASANI, University Professor and Senior Advisor, Tehran Prevention and Crisis Management Org, Iran
• Mr. Ryoji TAKOHASHI, JICA, Japan
• Ms. Fatemeh SALEH, Deputy President for Training and Public Participation, Tehran Prevention and Crisis Management Org, Iran
• Mr. Hashem OSMAN, Mayor, Baalbeck Municipality, Lebanon
• Mr. Mehmet KELEŞ, Deputy Secretary General, Union of Municipalities of Turkey

Mr. Mehmet DUMAN, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, presented his gratitude to Mr. Mohammad Bager QALIBAF and his team, for their cooperation and hospitality before and during the Congress.  

Congress has also decided to hold the next joint meeting of UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau and Council in Konya, Turkey towards the end of 2013, upon the kind invitation of Konya Metropolitan Municipality.