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Representing Suryodaya Municipality on the Global Stage
The UNDP Asian Mayors Forum event that took place in Beijing as part of the 2025 Beijing CBD Forum from June 11 to June 13, 2025 provided me with a great and humbling experience to represent the Municipality that I have been serving mayor as I.e Suryodaya Municipality as one of the members of esteemedAsian Mayors Forum.
Hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the participation symbolized our commitment to international dialogue, mutual learning, and our motto of continuous prosperity and forward-thinking innovation in urban governance.
The Forum’s Vision: Collaborative Innovation for Low-Carbon Cities
Under the theme “Collaborative Innovation: Shaping Low-Carbon and Sustainable Cities of the Future,” the event brought together a diverse array of city leaders, global experts, development partners, and practitioners from across Asia and beyond.
The forum’s focus on technological, financial, and policy innovation enlightened us, the participants with how forward-thinking innovative cities must adapt and evolve to address the urgent realities of climate change, urbanization, and inequality.
Key Takeaways from the Panel Discussion
I was honored to participate in panel discussion titled “From Resilience to Prosperity-Unlocking New Growth Drivers in Sustainable Cities”, which was moderated by Mr. Chang Jae-bok, the chief executive office of Citynet Secretariat on which featured distinguished voices from experts across the globe which includes the likes of Professor Zhu Xufeng (Professor and Dean, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Ms. Dor Samphors (Deputy Director of Phnom Penh Capital) from Cambodia, Mr. Tim Kocur (Executive Director from Waterfront BIA, Toronto) from Canada, and Andrew Hodgson from ARUP.
Part-taking in such a insightful high-level exchange helped me gain deeper insight into the role of integrated urban policies, resilient infrastructure, and citizen-centric planning, an experience that strengthened my belief that Suryodaya Municipality must proactively embrace innovation, data-driven decision-making, and environmentally sound urban strategies.
A Shared Understanding: Cities as Engines of Change
Across all the session in this event, a single clear message echoed I.e “cities are not merely units of administration—they are transformative forces capable of shaping inclusive, resilient societies.” and it is one of the major responsibility of a city leader to be the one to lead the growth from the front rather than just managing the growth that’s already been there taking into consideration the sustainability, equity, and governmental transparency.
Getting to know from cities like Singapore, Dhaka, Ulaanbaatar, and Seoul who are among the front runners of the message that the event echoed really was helpful for me to come up with realization of universal existence of challenges and the point of shared spirit of solution-seeking was a one of a kind experience and self reflection.
Whether it be about gender-inclusive governance, circular economies, or participatory design that the events touched upon it resonated with potential that’s there for Suryodaya’s own local context.
Looking Ahead: Suryodaya’s Path Forward
By the conclusion of the forum, a strengthened resolve to translate global ideas into local action had really been into me and taking all of the learnings from this esteemed event as Sponge, Suryodaya Municipality will focus on embedding sustainable development goals (SDGs) into its core policies be it through green infrastructure, participatory governance, or inclusive urban planning.
Gratitude and Commitment
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the UNDP, CityNet, and the international community for creating this transformative platform and especially grateful to everyone for providing Suryodaya Municipality with the opportunity to engage, contribute, share and learn from a panel of such experts.
As I return home, I do so with strengthened resolve to lead with wisdom, to govern with foresight, and to serve with purpose.
Jay Suryodaya