Seoul City Hosts 'Seoul International Urban Resilience Forum'... Representatives from 17 Cities in 5 Countries, 6 International Organizations

Discussion on New Normal and Urban Resilience After COVID-19... Seoul Metropolitan Government and UNDRR Jointly Host Event

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 27th that it will hold the "2021 Seoul International Urban Resilience Forum" on the 28th, focusing on the new normal after COVID-19 and urban resilience.

Urban resilience refers to the ability to prevent disasters, recover cities as quickly as possible when disasters occur, and develop to a better state than before the disaster. Due to COVID-19, strengthening urban resilience has emerged as an even more important policy task.

Now in its third year, this forum is co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction), and organized by the Seoul Institute of Technology. Representatives from 17 cities in 15 countries, 6 international organizations, disaster safety experts, and citizens will participate. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the forum will be held at a video studio set up at DDP. Additionally, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Korea Institute of Public Administration, CityNet, Korean Society of Disaster Prevention, Korean Society of Crisis Management, Korean Society of Disaster Information, and Korea Disaster Prevention Association are sponsoring the event.

The forum will begin with an opening address by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, followed by greetings from Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of UNDRR, and Ko In-seok, Director of the Seoul Institute of Technology. This will be followed by congratulatory remarks from Lim Geun-hyung, CEO of CityNet, and a keynote speech by Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon, who is also the chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, will emphasize the importance of urban alliances to strengthen urban resilience in his keynote speech. He will highlight the importance of jointly responding to deepening climate change, improving urban resilience through innovative technologies and high-quality data, and ensuring inclusiveness for the dynamic present and future of cities.

Afterwards, the forum will proceed with three sessions: new standards for smart safe cities, resilience policies of cities facing a non-face-to-face society after COVID-19, and the role of cities in preparing for the normalization of disasters.

The "2021 Seoul International Urban Resilience Forum" will be broadcast live on Seoul City's YouTube channel and will be available for replay after the event. Videos about the forum are also being produced and shared on YouTube channels such as Seoul Economy Some and All Knowledge of the World.

Han Je-hyun, Director General of Safety at Seoul City, said, "Disaster response in cities must change from before due to COVID-19, and it is time to devise new strategies for urban resilience," adding, "This forum will serve as a platform to reflect on past disasters and prepare for the future, thereby strengthening urban resilience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.