The 13th Metropolis International Training Seminars Mashhad were held in Mashhad, Iran, on December 9-12. The seminars were attended by representatives of local and regional governments from 5 countries besides the municipalities of Iran.
The seminars mainly focused on two themes: Reimagining Urban Life and the City Brand: Innovative & Creative Approaches to Urban Development, and Leading Transport Transition: Strategies for Affordable, Safe, Low-carbon, and Inclusive Urban Mobility, and were conducted in the form of 10 parallel sessions.
UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Dr. Mehmet Duman, while addressing the official opening of the seminars, highlighted the importance of the City Networks and Global Municipalism in addressing the collective issues cities face and sharing urban practices as learning resources for cities worldwide.
Additionally, a bilateral meeting with Mayor of Mashhad, Mr. Mohammad Reza Ghalandar Sharif, was held at the Mashhad Innovation Center, during which Dr. Mehmet Duman informed the mayor about the work and activities of UCLG-MEWA and the projects that are being undertaken to facilitate the implementation of the global agendas at the local level.
Moreover, a cooperation agreement (MoU) was signed between UCLG-MEWA and Metropolis International Training Institute Mashhad (MITI). The MoU aims to accelerate collaboration in capacity building, learning & experience sharing for municipal staff. The signing was conducted at the valedictory ceremony of the seminars, where Dr. Mehmet Duman and Hamid Isfahanizadeh, Director of City Diplomacy Center, Mashhad Municipality, and MITI handed signed copies of the MoU to each other.
As part of the program, several urban visits were conducted, and the UCLG-MEWA Secretary General assessed the urban practices that are in operation to provide the best services to the communities and how the best practices can be propagated to the global world.
Representatives of UCLG-MEWA members, especially Municipality of Tehran, Karatay Municipality from Konya Türkiye, and Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), were among the participants at the seminars.