Just in time for Father's Day, we would like to dedicate this article to Dr. Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, a great father, as well as a mentor and business partner of the IMCC.

The annual meeting of the Secretariat of the Global Mayors’ Forum under the International Mayors Communication Center (IMCC) was held in the Harmony Valley, OCT East, Shenzhen. The venue was sponsored by Mr. Guo Kuizhang. Mr. Chen Minggang, then assistant to the general manager of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd. (CMSK), then general manager of CMSK’s industrial park operation department, then chairman of Shenzhen China Merchants Industry Development Co., Ltd., and later director of the Xiongan Office of China Merchants Group, and Mr. Zhao Jun, then deputy general manager of CMSK, led a CMSK team and a team of New World Development from Hong Kong, while Hugo Chan, a Hong Kong lawyer, led legal elites to the event to show their congratulations and support. Mr. Liu Weixiang, then deputy secretary of the Yantian District Committee of the CPC (currently secretary of the Party group and director of the Rural Revitalization and Cooperation and Exchange Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality) attended the annual meeting as the host and delivered a speech.

Chen Minggang (third from left), Liu Weixiang (fourth from left), Hu Shiying (fifth from left), Hugo Chan, a lawyer (sixth from left), Guo Dishan (fourth from right), Song Ding (third from right), Lily Jin Lan (second from right), and Zhao Jun (first from right) at the annual meeting.

Ms. Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, went to Nairobi to report to UN-Habitat officials the demonstration cases of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone in urban transformation.

From April 5 to April 11, 2014, the seventh World Urban Forum (WUF) of the UN-Habitat was held in Medellin, Colombia. The theme of this event was “Urban Equality in Development — Cities for Life.” More than 15,000 urban decision makers and urban stakeholders from 164 member states around the world attended the event.

It was remarkable that on April 7, 2014, the “World Urban Campaign” (WUC), led by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and initiated by the UN-Habitat, and the Global Mayors’ Forum signed a memorandum of cooperation. Global media witnessed this glorious moment of the International Mayors Communication Centre, the initiator of the Global Mayors’ Forum.

The United Nations Climate Summit (also known as the “Climate Change Summit”) was held in New York. Zhang Gaoli, who was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy and vice premier, attended the summit and delivered a speech.

At the personal invitation of Ban Ki-moon, then secretary-general of the United Nations, Ms. Lily Jin Lan, secretary-general of the Council of the Global Mayors’ Forum, became the only leader of a Chinese NGO attending the summit. During the summit, the Global Mayors’ Forum and some other well-known organizations jointly initiated the establishment of the “Compact of Mayors” dedicated to urban emission reduction, marking the appearance of the International Mayors Communication Centre and the Global Mayors’ Forum on the world’s highest stage.

The International Mayors Communication Centre signed the “Agreement on a Series of Cooperation about the Government’s Sustainable Development Public Service” with the People’s Government of Tongshan District, Xuzhou City. Through high-quality resources at home and abroad, it would enhance the concept of sustainable urban development of government officials, and, with high-end training as a lever and gathering global green industry projects as the goal, realize industrial transformation.

The Global Mayors’ Forum’s “City Sustainable Development (Xuzhou, China) Training Center” was unveiled in the Xuzhou National High-tech Development Zone. Ms. Christine Auclair, project leader of UN-Habitat’s World Urban Campaign, Ms. Eugenie L. Birch, chair of the World Urban Campaign, and Mr. Nicholas You, former chairman of the World Urban Campaign, sent congratulatory letters.

The Council of the Global Mayors’ Forum teamed up with the United Nations World Urban Campaign, the Urban Thinkers Campus, and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Through the high-definition conference system, global multi-city connections could be made to hold a series of online training on resilient, safe, and sustainable cities, and training on financing promotion for urban public projects. The main purpose was to provide a series of solutions for Chinese local governments to realize the development of smart cities by bringing together high-end wisdom from all over the world.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Thomas H. Cochran, chief consultant of urban reputation of the World Bank, delivered a training course to more than 120 local officials in Xuzhou City with the title of “Reputation of Urban Public Projects.” Adolfo Guerrero, director of the Cities Development Initiative for Asia, also delivered a training course entitled “Public Project Financing Operation,” and explained to the trainees in detail in combination with actual cases. The training used a cloud platform of video conferencing, linking Tongshan District, Xuzhou as the main venue and 10 sub-venues in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Hohhot, Xuzhou, and Shaoxing to achieve real-time and efficient interactive training.

In September 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping stood on the UN rostrum for the first time and made a solemn promise to the world that China would shoulder the responsibility of implementing the post-2015 development agenda, and seek solidarity and cooperation to constantly push the cause of global development.

On October 3, 2015, at the invitation of Eugenie L. Birch, chair of the United Nations World Urban Campaign, Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, attended the “Habitat III” New Urban Agenda discussion conference in New York and introduced the example of “City Sustainable Development (Xuzhou, China) Training Center,” which was the only case presentation at the conference. After the meeting, 51 members of the “New Urban Agenda” drafting committee (including city and business leaders and experts) from all over the world took a group photo, and Jin was placed in the center position.

Mr. Nicholas You, chairman of the UN-Habitat “New Urban Agenda” drafting committee, visited the picturesque Nanshe Ancient Village, Chashan Township, Dongguan City. Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, the officials from Chashan Township, and the owner of Nanshe Village told Mr. You that the construction of Nanshe during its start-up stage had received guidance and support from Mr. Liang Qi, a designer introduced by the International Mayors Communication Centre, and Yuan Tiejian, a leader of the Overseas Chinese Town (OCT). Liang had participated in the urban planning of the OCT.

The International Mayors Communication Centre, the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and Qianhai Financial Holdings jointly signed a strategic agreement in Qianhai to promote the international issuance of China’s green bonds.

The world’s first “Open Green City Laboratory” was established in Shenzhen, and a globally-connected seminar was held, hosted by Jia Qi, a bilingual host of the Shenzhen Satellite TV. China’s state-level media, such as People’s Daily Online, Xinhua News Agency, Guangming.com, and Global.com, as well as 46 domestic media reported the establishment of the “Open Green City Laboratory” in detail, praising that the newly-built laboratory by the Chinese was taking center stage in the world.

Ms. Jin Lan also went to Qianhai with Nicholas You for research, and they were specially received by the various departments in Qianhai.

Sir Christopher Pissarides, the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economics, inspected the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Cooperation Zone (Futian Bonded Area), had an in-depth exchange with Ms. Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, and agreed to support the “Open Green City Laboratory” as a training instructor.

The International Mayors Communication Centre, the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21, and the United Nations Development Programme were listed as supporters of the “Forum on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Shenzhen, China)” and organized international speakers to participate in the forum.

Sponsored by the International Mayors Communication Centre and undertaken by Green City (Shenzhen) Public Service Co., Ltd., the “Forum on the Construction of Shenzhen National Innovation Demonstration Zone for Sustainable Development” was held in a conference room of only 60 square meters in the OCT-LOFT creative park in Shenzhen.

The forum adopted a combination of global connection and live broadcast. A total of 21 people, including 13 internationally renowned guests and the representatives of Shenzhen public institutions, participated on the site, while 17,200 people attended the forum online, creating a zero-carbon green conference mode for high-end international meetings, which was highly appreciated by Dr. Youba Sokona, vice chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who attended the forum. Dr. Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, former chairman of the IPCC and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was hospitalized, gave an 18-minute online speech. After hearing Dr. Sokona report to him on the innovative green conference mode of the International Mayors Communication Centre (IMCC), Dr. Pachauri soon wrote a letter to IMCC Executive Director Lily Jin Lan to respond to her invitation to serve as the chairman of the “Open Green City Laboratory.” He also outlined the path and prospect of building a “World Sustainable Development University” in illness.

Dr. Youba Sokona, vice chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), delivers a keynote speech.

Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, an NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations, went to Yingde City to participate in the first China Yingde Black Tea Firstling Picking Festival.

With the support of Ge Fengzi, section chief of the Rural Revitalization and Cooperation and Exchange Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, and Ye Hanhui, leader of the Futian District Targeted Poverty Alleviation Working Group in Heping County and member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Heping County Committee, Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, went to Heping County of Heyuan City to investigate rural traditional culture. The county has received targeted aid from Futian District.

The first UN-Habitat Assembly was held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. More than 3,000 representatives and exhibitors from governments of the UN member states, various UN departments, global non-governmental organizations, enterprises, and local governments participated in the assembly. Ms. Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, and Nicholas You, co-chairman of the Global Mayors’ Forum, attended the assembly.

The United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (HLS) were held in New York. Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, led a team to attend the segment. Before the segment, the International Mayors Communication Centre submitted a written statement on China’s sustainable development to the segment, which was released to the world in multiple languages through the website of the United Nations.

The written statement of the International Mayors Communication Centre introduced the facts of the “Forum on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Shenzhen, China)” and the “Forum on the Construction of Shenzhen National Innovation Demonstration Zone for Sustainable Development,” especially the “Open Green City Laboratory” (OGCLab for short) mode, which uses innovative Internet technology and the lowest carbon method to achieve Goals 4, 8, 13 and 17 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), involving training and related technology as well as project incubation.

The “World Sustainable Development Summit” was held in Durango, Mexico, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged in China, the International Mayors Communication Centre sent two short documentaries - “We Are All Fighters” and “Thank You, World” - to the summit, which showed the anti-epidemic spirit of Wuhan. They were played to 25 dignitaries and heads of state, more than 80 ministers and 1,700 participants. Huawei Mexico sponsored this summit, showing Huawei’s super capability in crisis public relations and sense of social responsibility.

Dr. Ash Pachauri followed the will of his father, Dr. Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, took over the banner of the “Protect Our Planet Movement” and received the highest honor of the “World Sustainable Development Forum.”

Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, and Pan Jichang, former director of the Futian Bonded Area Service Center, went to the Industrial Park of Shuangpai County, Hunan Province to inspect the production of anti-epidemic masks.

Through the planning and operation of the International Mayors Communication Centre, Jiangsu Guangda Group’s isolation gowns won the bid for the procurement project of the District of Columbia Department of Health. This was the first time that a Chinese product had won the bid for a U.S. public procurement project during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has created a precedent for the International Mayors Communication Centre, as an NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations, to play the role of non-governmental diplomacy when the pandemic was raging worldwide, winning honor for the country and adding wealth for the enterprise.

The International Mayors Communication Centre made unremitting efforts and did everything possible to help China’s anti-epidemic materials and products bid for U.S. global public procurement bidding. After the isolation gowns from Jiangsu won the bid in 2020, came the transportation peak in October. Yang Tianping, director and senior vice president of SF Group, commanded his team to give full play to SF’s sense of social responsibility and escort the export of China’s epidemic prevention materials. They made every effort to ensure that the isolation gowns won by Jiangsu through bidding were delivered to the District of Columbia Department of Health on time, and also enhanced SF’s international brand competitiveness.

Before the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development was held online in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the written report of the International Mayors Communication Centre, as an NGO in special consultative status with the UN, was published in full on the UN website on June 24, 2021. The report used nearly 200 words to promote Haier’s mobile medical vehicle. This product excellently solved the epidemic prevention and treatment efficiency in poverty-stricken areas, reflecting Haier’s technological innovation.

The third International Conference and POP Festival for Youth-led Climate Action was held online and offline. Green City (Shenzhen) Public Service Co., Ltd. (GCPS), a subsidiary of the International Mayors Communication Centre, recommended the Shenzhen Ecological Monitoring Nature School to participate in the event on behalf of Shenzhen, displaying the case of Shenzhen’s marine protection to the world. The school’s “Protecting the Ocean by Hand” activity attracted exchanges and cooperation from participants from 124 countries.

The International Mayors Communication Centre fulfilled its social responsibility, played the role of non-governmental diplomacy, and cooperated sincerely with the HIC company of the United States. They broke through the obstacles in Sino-U.S. trade to help Haier win the global bidding of ultra-low temperature refrigerators for the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August 2021. Haier signed a five-year contract after winning the bid, which greatly enhanced the influence of Chinese brands.

During the three years of the COVID-19 outbreak, the International Mayors Communication Centre deeply has felt that the destiny of mankind is one. In the face of the pandemic disaster, people all over the world must unite and join the ranks of the United Nations for sustainable development to protect all living things on the earth, improve the climate and the health of the people, and build our homeland into a better place.

The 21st World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS), hosted by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), was held online. Dr. Youba Sokona, vice chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Sundar Ojibo, CEO and executive director of the United Nations Global Compact, Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, John Roome, regional director for South Asia sustainable development at the World Bank, Vibha Dhawan, director general of the Energy and Resources Institute, John Kerry, U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, and many other dignitaries and celebrities attended the summit and delivered keynote speeches. Ms. Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, attended the summit.

The unveiling ceremony of the “Open Green City and Countryside (Zhenglan Banner) Laboratory” was held in Zhenglan Banner. Authorized by the International Mayors Communication Centre, the laboratory was set up by Inner Mongolia Jinzhao Industrial Co., Ltd. The laboratory would promote rural revitalization through research and development of globe flowers.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, was unable to return to her hometown Zhenglan Banner to attend the unveiling ceremony in person. She had to participate in the ceremony online at the “Open Green City Laboratory” in the Futian Bonded Area, Shenzhen. She drank a cup of globe flower tea, a specialty of her hometown, and delivered a speech.

The seventh Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) of the UN was held with the theme of “Science, technology and innovation for building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) authorized the International Mayors Communication Centre to host the parallel forum of “SDG 4 Quality Education.”

The second session of the UN-Habitat Assembly was held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. A total of 89 ministerial officials and more than 5,500 representatives from 137 countries attended the session. It passed a number of important resolutions, covering hot topics such as housing, resilient cities, and smart cities. Ms. Lily Jin Lan, executive director of the International Mayors Communication Centre, was invited to attend the session. However, as she was infected with COVID-19, she had to attend the session online in Shenzhen, China through a dedicated link.

……

For nearly 10 years, the International Mayors Communication Centre has been working hard to promote sustainable urban development. From June 2018 to the present, our team has published a total of 145 articles interpreting the Sustainable Development Goals, showing more than 400 excellent examples of sustainable development to readers in China and around the world,  which have been appreciated by sustainable development stakeholders in China and around the world.

Along the way, we are grateful for the support and help of all parties. We’d like to pay tribute to the comrades, colleagues and friends who have been on the road of sustainable development with the IMCC for so many years! In the future, we look forward to working hand in hand with global stakeholders to jointly advocate and practice the concept of sustainable development, and contribute to the realization of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and live up to our lofty mission an NGO in special consultative status with the UN!

(The Chinese version was first published on June 18, 2023 and revised on June 20.)