U20 Sherpa Meeting, Jakarta Focuses on 6 Post-pandemic Urban Issues
Reported by Yudha Peta Ogara | Translated by Nugroho Adibrata
You can make a discussion here but the results and messages must be conveyed to the public
Jakarta has held the Urban 20 (U20) Sherpa Meeting, as a series of events leading up to the Urban 20 Mayors Summit (U20) 2022 last Wednesday (3/23) to Thursday (3/24).
The meeting which was held in a hybrid manner at the Pullman Hotel, Central Jakarta brought all Sherpas (representatives/delegates) from the government heads of the U20 member cities, including observer and partner city representatives.
Jakarta to Bring Experience of Planning a Sustainable City in U20 Mayors Summit 2022They discussed the U20 Communique or the Joint Message from U20, as one of the G20 engagement groups.
This joint message would be brought to the U20 Mayors Summit which will be held in August before being officially handed over to the Indonesian G20 Presidency.
It was opened by presenting several speakers, namely Deputy for International Economic Cooperation Coordination as G20 Co-Sherpa Edi Prio Pambudi; Cooperation Facilitation Center Head for Home Ministry Heriyandi Ron; UCLG Secretary General Emilia Saiz; and C40 Executive Director Mark Watts.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil as the U20 Co-Chair also opened this meeting.
Baswedan reminded all delegates that the agenda discussed at the U20 forum was not something exclusive.
"You can make a discussion here but the results and messages must be conveyed to the public thus we can discuss together," he expressed, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release, Tuesday (3/29).
He went on to say that the U20 Sherpa Meeting, U20 Mayors Summit 2022, and G20 Presidency events were held amid a world peace crisis. Therefore, to close his remarks, all delegates were asked to join online for a silent moment as a form of encouragement for world peace.
"We all want world peace. The crisis nowadays is also a discussion of how important communication and collaboration between governments at the global level is, how we can rise in economic and social terms. There is an element of justice there," he continued.
He also expressed that today's momentum was not only about the success or programs conducted by the city government but also how the experiences of a city/region could become a priority to be discussed at the global level.
"Moreover, we have experienced a pandemic for the past two years. We're grateful, this is an opportunity for Jakarta and West Java to represent Indonesia in conveying things that can become global priorities," he added.
Economics and Finance Assistant Sri Haryati as U20 Sherpa Jakarta explained the Sherpas focus on discussing six priority issues or post-pandemic urban challenges as the main agenda of the U20 2022 Cycle which will then be filed in the form of the U20 Communique.
"Those six issues are social and economic revival for all, the need for affordable housing that supports productivity, the renewable energy transition, access to sustainable mobility for all, mental health and resilience to pandemics, and the future of the world of work," she explained.
Briefly, the U20 Sherpa Meeting consisted of four sessions, three of which were closed sessions. In the second session, this year's G20 roadmap was also presented and aimed at hearing input from other representatives of the G20 Engagement Group, including Business 20, Civil 20, Labor 20, Science 20, Supreme Audit Institution 20, Think 20, and Youth 20, on the agenda of the U20 discussion.
Meanwhile, the two sessions held on the second day were private. It was about policy recommendations on priority issues and key messages to bring to the U20 Mayors Summit. The results of the entire series of discussions, including the draft Communique, were reported to the U20 Co-chair.
List of Participating Cities for U20
1. Amsterdam, Netherlands
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. Beijing, China
4. Bengaluru, India
5. Berlin, Germany
6. Buenos Aires, Argentina
7. Delhi NCT, India
8. Chicago, United States
9. Durban (eThekwini), South Africa
10. Helsinki, Finland
11. Houston, United States
12. Istanbul, Turkey
13. Izmir, Turkey
14. Jakarta, Indonesia (U20 Chair 2022 Cycle)
15. Johannesburg, South Africa
16. Lisbon, Portugal
17. London, United Kingdom
18. Los Angeles, United States
19. Madrid, Spain
20. Mexico City, Mexico
21. Milan, Italy
22. Montreal, Canada
23. Monterrey, Mexico
24. Moscow, Russia
25. Mumbai, India
26. New York City, United States
27. Osaka, Japan
28. Paris, France
29. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
30. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
31. Rome, Italy
32. Rotterdam, the Netherlands
33. São Paulo, Brazil
34. Seoul, South Korea
35. Strasbourg, France
36. Sydney, Australia
37. Tokyo, Japan
38. Tshwane, South Africa
List of Observer Cities for U20 2022
1. Ambon, Indonesia
2. Balikpapan, Indonesia
3. Banjarmasin, Indonesia
4. Batam, Indonesia
5. Jambi, Indonesia
6. Jayapura, Indonesia
7. Makassar, Indonesia
8. Medan, Indonesia
9. Padang, Indonesia
10.Palembang, Indonesia
11. Palu, Indonesia
12. Surabaya, Indonesia
13. Surakarta, Indonesia
14. West Java Province, Indonesia
15. Yogyakarta, Indonesia
16. Athens, Greece
17. Auckland, New Zealand
18. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
19. Bangkok, Thailand
20. Copenhagen, Denmark
21. Freetown, Sierra Leone 22. Glasgow, Scotland
23. Hanoi, Vietnam
24. Iriga, Philippines
25. Kolkata, India
26. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
27. Lima, Peru
28. Manila, Philippines
29. Naypidaw, Myanmar
30. Oslo, Norway
31. Phnom Penh, Cambodia
32. Quito, Ecuador
33. Singapore
34. Subang Jaya, Malaysia
35. Toronto, Canada
36. Vientiane, Laos
37. Xi'an, China
