Resilient Cities Network focuses its new city-led entity on strengthening cities capacity to recover from COVID-19 and build a safe and equitable world

(Singapore, September 23, 2020) – As continued resilient recovery remains a priority in cities around the world, the global community represented by Resilient Cities Network came together virtually. The organization introduced the new members of its Board of Directors and Global Steering Committee. With cities still battling the unprecedented global pandemic and the compound risks of climate change and social inequity the agenda discussed by the core executive team as well as the Network alumni community was particularly relevant, reviewing and discussing the strategic direction of the Network for 2021-2023.

During the meeting, Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director of the Network, presented Daniel Stander, Private Sector Representative to the United Nations, Naina Batra, Chairwoman and CEO, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, and Sameh Wahba, Global Director of Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience, and Land Global Practice, World Bank as new appointees for the Board of Directors. Also, the network’s Global Steering Committee was confirmed. It will be headed by co-chairs Belfast, represented by Grainia Long, Commissioner for Resilience, and Christchurch, represented by Mike Gillooly, Chief Resilience Officer, and comprised of Buenos Aires, Salvador, Pune, Cape Town, Kigali, Rotterdam, San Francisco, and Houston.

“The reach, achievements, and vision of the Resilient Cities Network are impressive. Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, I can say that we feel deeply inspired by the commitment of the organization to support the critical needs of vulnerable communities by implementing projects that address multiple shocks and stresses and are improving the lives of people.” Sylvester Turner, Chair of the Board of Directors and Mayor of Houston.

Resilient Cities Network co-creates urban solutions to address complex and interrelated urban challenges, so that cities and communities thrive. The Network will focus on three priorities to be delivered through programs of collective action with member cities during the next two years through a holistic resilience approach. It continues to pursue a resilient recovery to reinforce equity, to promote private-public partnerships, and foster stronger local economies. Also, cities need to be prepared to further build climate resilience, not only to protect citizens from water-related challenges but also to strengthen the capacity of communities to cope with the effects of climate change. The third priority is the promotion of circular economies through indigenous and technological solutions to rapidly and sensibly enhance waste management and food systems.

“Now more than ever building city resilience makes sense. Working with cities to create prosperous, equitable, and safe urban environments while prioritizing access to healthcare for vulnerable populations is a key driver for us. We are committed to growing the practice of urban resilience across the globe in a way that it accrues social, economic, and political capital, making our cities thrive. At this point, we feel proud of the refreshed visual identity and of our new website and logo, which better represent the values and commitment of the Network.” Grainia Long, co-chair of the Global Steering Committee, Commissioner for Resilience, Belfast.

Empowered by the knowledge and expertise of resilience practitioners and governments, the Network is activating projects to deliver local benefits and collective impact that benefit over 220 million citizens around the globe, 50 million of them living under vulnerable conditions.

As a city-led Network, the organization works together with Chief Resilience Officers, mobilizing communities, city governments, urban practitioners, and partners in the pursuit of safe and equitable urban societies. “We are grateful to both the Board of Directors and the Global Steering Committee for their active engagement, advice, and commitment. Working with them, we feel empowered to build on the valuable legacy from which Resilient Cities Network emerges. We have in our hands a promising opportunity to enhance the quality of life, improve access to infrastructure, and build a healthier and more sustainable future for all.” said Lauren N. Sorkin, Executive Director.

About Resilient Cities Network

Resilient Cities Network is a global city-led nonprofit organization that brings together knowledge, practice, partnerships, and funding to empower cities to help them build a safe, equitable and sustainable future for all. The Network integrates the combined effort of urban practitioners, city governments, and communities in a collective, comprehensive, and well-coordinated call-to-action to deliver urban impact-driven resilience solutions. For more information visit, www.resilientcitiesnetwork.org.

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Medellín recibe donación de Japón para ayudar a la prevención del coronavirus

Medellín receives donation from Japan to help prevent coronavirus

Medellín received surgical masks, antibacterial gel, gloves, alcohol and facial masks from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency -JICA, in a donation that seeks to help in the prevention of coronavirus in the city.

Supplies will be directed to prison centers, care sites for the elderly and the homeless community, as well as to the hospital network.

This support was achieved thanks to the city’s social manager, Diana Osorio, who in 2016 was a fellow of an academic program of JICA titled: Sustainable Rural Development through life improvement approach for Latin America.

Due to this academic history, the Social Manager had an approach with the Japanese agency regarding the management of these resources, which will improve quality of life in the most vulnerable communities.

This contribution is a result of the mission that the City of Medellín has undertaken with public partners around the world in search of support to better address the crisis generated by the pandemic.

“This important donation includes 15,000 elements that will help us protect people who are on the front lines attending vulnerable communities in Medellín. This includes staff working in hospitals, detention centers, care centers for the homeless and care centers for the elderly, among others,” said the Social Manager.

The Executive Director of ACI Medellín, Eleonora Betancur, said that “cooperation with Japan has a history of good experiences, thanks to the efforts developed jointly through technical actions, which is why this new achievement is also a very important event to strengthen ties with this country that has so much to contribute to the development of the city and the region”.

This aid adds to those received in recent months by the governments of Korea, China and the United Arab Emirates to deal with the pandemic and to better manage the crisis affecting the entire world.

The good relations that Medellín has built with different countries over time now allow it to receive this kind of support in one of the most crucial moments of its history.

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Cooperation in times of pandemic breaks borders

The good relations that Medellín has built with different countries and cities over time, allow it to better address the economic and health crisis created by COVID-19. Thousands of deaths and millions infected have forced local and national governments to activate their bonds of friendship in the world with the sole aim of safeguarding the life and integrity of people.

Thousands of medical utensils and equipment for the care of critically ill patients have arrived in Medellín from different parts of the world.

Faced with this critical situation, few alternatives emerge as a light of relief to weigh the social and economic effects that all continents are facing. Although borders of countries have been closed for tourism or business, another very important door has been opened with more stregnth: international cooperation.

ACI Medellín, together with local and national partners from the public and private sectors, has undertaken an important mission for the management of resources to better address the health crisis.

This type of support, commonly known as Technical Cooperation, facilitates the resolution of common problems through exchange of knowledge and donation.

So far the city has received 3,000 protective suits from the municipal government of Seoul, South Korea; and 100,000 quick tests for Covid-19, 300,000 gloves, 30,000 masks, 10,000 shoe protectors, 3,000 disinfectants and 2,000 food packets, from the United Arab Emirates.

In addition, other donations from:

  • Chongqing (China): 940 protective suits, 1,000 N95 masks, 990 surgical gowns and 10,000 surgical masks.
  • Shanghai (China): 1,000 gloves and 100 surgical gowns.
  • Chuncheon (Korea): protective suits and masks.
  • Grenergy Company (Spain): 50,000 masks.

Likewise, since the beginning of the pandemic, approaches have been made with other governments and international entities to request their support on different fronts:

  • For medical supplies such as mechanical ventilators, beds for sintensive care units – ICUs; or reagents and strips for sample taking: Seoul and Chuncheon – South Korea, Wuhan, Chongqing – China, Embassy of Colombia in China, Embassy of Russia in Colombia and of Colombia in Russia, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates.
  • For support on technology tools versus platforms to tackle COVID-19: Government of Singapore and Embassy of Colombia in Singapore.
  • For food aid: Government of Barcelona, United Nations World Food Programme.
  • For scientific cooperation, clinical trials and vaccine: Contact with Moderna, UK Embassy in Colombia – Jenner Institute, Oxford University, England.

Governments, businesses and individuals have united since the beginning of the pandemic around a common goal: protecting life.

Finally, the private sector, international investors and natural persons have shown their commitment to the city:

  • MABE (Mexican multinational), donated 200 antifluid booths for medical personnel.
  • The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), through a cooperation agreement with the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, allocated $346 million for the payment of monetary contributions to 450 families of migrant, refugee and host populations. UNHCR also donated essential supplies to the most vulnerable households and shelters in the city.
  • Donatón Medellín: ACI Medellín achieved $156 million pesos for medical supplies. Among the main donors are Grupo EMI, Grupo Réditos and Globant.
  • POMA (French company): provided the city with vehicles to transport food and medical equipment.
  • Volunteer Doctor: through the Sos Paisa network for antioquians who are abroad, Carlos Alviar Restrepo’s visit was accomplished; director of the ICU for cardiology at the Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, who came to give technical advise from his experience and work in ICUs in the United States.

The effort involved in management with governments and companies is not equated with the satisfaction of fulfilling the duty of caring for the people of the city and ensuring that, in the midst of such a complex situation, we are vigilant to strengthen alliances within and outside the city for our wellbeing.

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Medellín recibió $100 mil dólares del BID para prevenir y atender violencias basadas en género durante la pandemia

Medellín receives $100,000 from the IDB to prevent and address gender-based violence during the pandemic

Thanks to international cooperation resources, the Mayor’s Office of Medellín increases its institutional capacity to address and prevent violence against women, in order to reduce the impact of confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This will strengthen the Women’s Agency (Agencia Mujer) and build a model for psycho-legal care.

“These resources, achieved through international cooperation with the IDB, will allow us to strengthen institutional response capacity towards violence against women and its increase during the pandemic, in addition towards actions to prevent such violence and promote shared, non-violent masculinities”,  explained the Women’s Secretary, Juliana Martínez Londoño.

Technical cooperation resources will be implemented in four consultancies with recognized civil society organizations, which will focus on strengthening the Women’s Agency to decongest attention, given the increase in violence during the pandemic, the standardization of the psycho-legal care mechanism model, the promotion of shared and non-violent masculinities through the implementation of a strategy for community education of shared masculinities and in the construction of a pedagogical proposal on masculinities for gender equity, addressed to servitors of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín.

Promotion of non-violent masculinities will be made, due to the increase of cases of violence against women during the pandemic.

Between March 20th and July 19th, 2,138 incidents of violence against women were recorded, mainly physical, with 1,183 complaints, followed by psychological violence with 291, sexual violence with 105, socio-political violence with 78 cases and economic violence with one case.

Women are mostly targeted by their partners with 782 cases, followed by ex-partners with 379. In this order, it is followed by other relatives with 169 records, children with 101records, strangers with 55, neighbors with 70 and parents (father or mother) with 40. The contingency generates specific impacts in the lives of women, which increases inequalities and violence against them. For this reason, a gender approach is fundamental in the prevention and comprehensive care of violence.

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Medellín and 10 cities around the world launch an ambitious plan for the post COVID-19 recovery

Medellín and 10 cities around the world launch an ambitious plan for the post COVID-19 recovery

The mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero Calle, participated in the press conference for the launch of the Agenda for a green and just recovery, promoted by the prestigious city network C40. This document outlines bold steps to achieve an equitable and sustainable recovery subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agenda includes specific measures that are already being taken in many cities around the world and should become the “new normal”, for the cities that wish to contain and be better prepared for future pandemics, resolve systematic injustice and maintain global warming under the 1,5 °C goal set by the Paris Agreement.

Mayor Quintero’s intervention was oriented towards the current strategy of Medellín for the creation of Jobs in industries associated with the digital revolution and businesses that promote environmental sustainability. Moreover, he highlighted the strategy to train people in science, technology and innovation with an emphasis in women, youth and senior citizens, to guarantee equity in the access to the labor market.

“Among the main challenges that the pandemic leaves us is to strengthen our voices and make it clear that our ambition is not to return to “normality”, but to build a better, more sustainable, more resilient and just society from the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis” the mayor told reporters and world leaders at the press conference.

The C40 mayors, all in all, request governments and leaders of the world “to guarantee that all the funds for economic recovery and stimulus packages promote a just and sustainable transition”. In their call to end all public investment in fossil fuels, C40 mayors are unequivocal: “Countries must seize this moment to decisively abandon investments in high-carbon, fossil-fuel-intensive industries and increase their investments in a low-carbon future”.

Informative context:

This document is led by 11 mayors from around the world that form the Global Mayors COVID-19 Recovery Task Force: Freetown, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Melbourne, Milan, Montreal, New Orleans, Rotterdam, Seattle, Seoul and Medellín. Additionally, it counts with the support of entrepreneurs, young environmental activists and unions. This Agenda includes both specific actions, which are already being carried out in many cities around the world, as well as strong calls to national governments, central banks and international financial institutions to carry out a just and ecological recovery.

Download the full document in English.

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El informe sobre los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible 2020

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched in 2015 to end poverty and set the world on a path of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demand nothing short of a transformation of the financial, economic and political systems that govern our societies today to guarantee the human rights of all.

They require immense political will and ambitious action by all stakeholders. But, as Member States recognized at the SDGs Summit held last September, global efforts to date have been insufficient to deliver the change we need, jeopardizing the Agenda’s promise to current and future generations.

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020 brings together the latest data to show us that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, progress remained uneven and we were not on track to meet the Goals by 2030. Some gains were visible: the share of children and youth out of school had fallen; the incidence of many communicable diseases was in decline; access to safely managed drinking water had improved; and women’s representation in leadership roles was increasing. At the same time, the number of people suffering from food insecurity was on the rise, the natural environment continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate, and dramatic levels of inequality persisted in all regions. Change was still not happening at the speed or scale required.

Now, due to COVID-19, an unprecedented health, economic and social crisis is threatening lives and livelihoods, making the achievement of Goals even more challenging. As of the beginning of June, the death toll had surpassed 400,000 and was continuing to climb, with almost no country spared. Health systems in many countries have been driven to the brink of collapse. The livelihood of half the global workforce has been severely affected. More than 1.6 billion students are out of school and tens of millions of people are being pushed back into extreme poverty and hunger, erasing the modest progress made in recent years.

Although the Novel Coronavirus affects every person and community, it does not do so equally. Instead, it has exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities and injustices. In advanced economies, fatality rates have been highest among marginalized groups. In developing countries, the most vulnerable – including those employed in the informal economy, older people, children, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, migrants and refugees – risk being hit even harder. Across the globe, young people are being disproportionately affected, particularly in the world of work. Women and girls are facing new barriers and new threats, ranging from a shadow pandemic of violence to additional burdens of unpaid care work.

Far from undermining the case for the SDGs, the root causes and uneven impacts of COVID-19 demonstrate precisely why we need the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and underscore the urgency of their implementation. I have therefore consistently called for a coordinated and comprehensive international response and recovery effort, based on sound data and science and guided by the Sustainable Development Goals.

Health systems must be urgently strengthened in countries that are at greatest risk, with increased capacity for testing, tracing and treatment. Universal access to treatments and vaccines, when they become available, is essential. A large-scale multilateral response is needed to ensure that developing countries have the resources they need to protect households and businesses. Recovery packages must facilitate the shift to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and support universal access to quality public services. And leadership and support are needed to ensure statistical organizations have the tools and resources to facilitate timely and smart decision-making. To guide and support these actions, the United Nations system has mobilized at all levels, leveraging the recent reforms of the United Nations development system.

At the start of this Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs, I call for renewed ambition, mobilization, leadership and collective action, not just to beat COVID-19 but to recover better, together – winning the race against climate change, decisively tackling poverty and inequality, truly empowering all women and girls and creating more inclusive and equitable societies everywhere.

Download the full report [ here ]

António GuterresSecretary-General, United Nations
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Sos Paisa, una red que le da la vuelta al mundo

Sos Paisa, a Network that travels the World

The Sos Paisa network was born in 2004 to connect the countries abroad with their cities, it is an initiative of the Medellin Mayor’s Office, led by the ACI Medellín, which seeks to be a scenario of dissemination of the transformation of the city to connect with the countries abroad, and thus invite them to be part of the network, and contribute to local development through the transfer of knowledge or donations that contribute to the quality of life of the inhabitants of Medellín.

Between 2016 and 2019, the network reached an unprecedented international projection. Actions such as updating the website to effectively connect the Paisas with their home city, the increase in the number of followers on social networks, the strategic exhibition of Medellín as an innovative city, and holding meetings with people from Antioquia living abroad, made the network to be recognized as a connection space with the city and a bridge to make contributions to Medellín.

In these four years, the network reached an outstanding projection and dynamism with 57 contributions from Paisas living abroad and 24 meetings in 22 cities around the world.

Sos Paisa proposes a series of activities that guarantee, not only the permanence and participation of the old members, but the arrival of new paisas to the network; These activities include meetings with foreign countries, and international promotion campaigns.

In 2016, the network achieved six contributions from Paisas and held three meetings in Melbourne, Sydney (Australia) and Barcelona (Spain).

In 2017, the network held eight meetings with Paisas in Caracas (Venezuela), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Pompano Beach (USA), Madrid (Spain), Guadalajara (Mexico) and Mexico City, which was attended by a total of 115 paisas. Likewise, 14 countries contributed to the network.

For the year 2018, there were meetings with paisas in the following cities: Bangkok (Thailand), Lima (Peru), Santiago de Chile, New York and San Francisco (United States), Monterrey (Mexico), Quito (Ecuador), and London (England), which reached 209 paisas. That same year, a record figure was reached with 20 contributions from foreign resident countries.

Finally, in 2019, 91 Paisas attended five meetings in Austin and Washington (United States), Madrid and Barcelona (Spain), and La Paz (Bolivia).

Mayor Federico Gutiérrez met with the Paisa network in New York (2018), San Francisco (2018) and Washington (2019).

In these 4 years, Sos Paisa got stronger and took a little piece of Medellín to the people from Antioquia living abroad. The network will continue to grow to connect the city with the countries around the world. www.sospaisa.com

The Sos Paisa network (@sospaisa) is on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

 

 

 

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ACI Medellín awarded the work of organizations of the Social Sector of the City

Civil society organizations are institutions that contribute to the achievement of a common good, such as providing education to vulnerable populations, protecting children and adolescents, providing health services, addressing climate emergencies, improving quality of life of the elderly, promoting solutions to eradicate poverty, promoting culture and sports, protecting the environment, among hundreds of other causes.

On November 21, a large group of civil society organizations attended the event Medellín and its Allies.

ACI Medellín is conscious of the vital work of these organizations. In that sense, the agency held the event ‘Medellín and its Allies.’ The event opened with a conference focused on impact management and its indicators on behalf of Teresa Marcaida. Then, it continued to deliver five awards to organizations for their work on the SDGs.

The 2030 Agenda is based on five fundamental dimensions which include the most critical development goals for the planet. ACI Medellín chose to award the following organizations:

  • People Category: Marina Orth Foundation with the “4WARD STEM” project for its contribution to SDG 4: quality education. ACI Medellín highlights the relevance and trajectory in the social development programs of this project.
  • Planet Category: Salva Terra Foundation project “Maintaining mineralized agroecological gardens.” which impacts the performance of the ODS 12: production and responsible consumption.
  • Prosperity Category: Comité Privado de Asistencia a la Niñez – PAN [Private Child Assistance Committee], with its “Building the future” project, for its contribution to compliance with SDG 10: reducing inequalities by promoting scenarios for inclusion, equity, and prosperity.
  • Peace Category: Convivamos Corporation with the project “Urban women influencing on Peacebuilding,” for their contribution to SDG 16: peace, justice, and strong institutions.
  • Alliances Category: the Américas Foundation for its project “Operation Walk International – hip and knee prostheses,” contributing to the SDG 17: Partnerships to achieve the objectives.

“The SDGs are the roadmap to achieve a more peaceful, safer, and sustainable world. Besides acknowledging social sector organizations, we wanted to share knowledge about the importance of measuring the results of the programs and projects for the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

“Evaluation is the only way to guarantee that organizations fulfill their mission and objectives to improve the society in which we live,” said Teresa Marcaida, an international consultant expert in impact measurement.

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Medellín and its Allies will recognize the work of the city’s social organizations

As part of its strategy to strengthen relations with local allies in international cooperation, ACI Medellín opens this space to contribute to the capacities of the city’s civil society organizations and to recognize their role in the materialization of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Organizations in the social sector will take the spotlight of this event

The event called Medellín and its allies, organized by ACI Medellín, will take place on November 21 from 7:30 a.m. at Novotel El Tesoro hotel. Organizations in the social sector will meet to learn about impact measurement methodologies, share successful projects, and recognize each other’s progress in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The event will hold a conference/workshop by the Spanish consultant Teresa Marcaida, an expert in impact measurement methodologies. This will be an opportunity for attendees to learn about practical cases of measurement to implement in their daily work.

Also, the event will close with the recognition of five social organizations for their effort and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals in the categories: people, prosperity, planet, alliances, and peace.

The organizations that will receive the mention submitted their programs to ACI Medellín and were evaluated and analyzed by a jury who reviewed their work and made the decision based on the results and their trajectory.

“Medellín and its allies” is a space to ratify the commitment of ACI Medellín to social sector organizations, indispensable actors in the development of the city and communities.

About Teresa Marcaida:

She is an International Consultant on Impact Measurement under the LBG methodology of the London Benchmarking Group and ONLBG. She has a BSc in Economics from the Royal Holloway University of London. Also, Marcaida holds a master’s in International Affairs from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (Madrid) and Georgetown University (Washington DC); a master’s in international Cooperation and Public Policy Management, and a Master in Development of Programs and Projects of the Ortega y Gasset University Research Institute (Madrid).

She currently combines her professional work as a consultant on impact measurement at MAS Business, with the management of the projects department of the NGO Living Meki.

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The Medellín Manifesto to promote inclusion in education

After a busy day filled with exchanges and the participation of 650 attendees in the IV International Conference of Learning Cities UNESCO 2019, several challenges became evident in the implementation of practices that benefit the entire population, especially those at a disadvantage such as at-risk youth, immigrants, the elderly, the digitally excluded population and people with disabilities.

The Medellín Manifesto is a result of the IV International Conference on Learning Cities 2019 which seeks to promote inclusion as a primary principle of learning.

Therefore, the Medellín Manifesto was adopted to overcome these challenges and work for population inclusion, and a fund was created under the multi-donor financing modality to support lifelong learning programs in cities of all continents. This strategy will be applied from 2019 to 2021 to strengthen the Network, create knowledge, and develop learning policies and instruments which allow the creation of capacities that will reach the population effectively.

The biggest challenge of the cities around the world is to define how lifelong learning policies and practices should contribute to the inclusion of the most vulnerable populations

 

Medellín, a success story

During the event, 10 cities received the 2019 Learning City Award in recognition of their best practices for the quality of education and the creation of lifelong learning opportunities: Aswan (Egypt), Chengdu (People’s Republic of China), Heraklion (Greece), Ibadan (Nigeria), Medellín (Colombia), Melitopol (Ukraine), Petaling Jaya (Malaysia), Santiago (Mexico), Seodaemun-gu (Republic of Korea) and Sonderborg (Denmark).

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Medellín Mayor’s Office jointly organized the conference.

The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities is a key instrument to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 4 and SDG 11.

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Medellín’s Green Corridors received a Worldwide Recognition

Medellín is an international benchmark and its Green Corridors project earned it the C40 Bloomberg Philanthropies Award, an international award granted to seven cities for demonstrating its leadership in climate action.

This award was presented during the C40 Mayors World Summit held in Copenhagen (Denmark), between October 9 and 12.

“It is our pleasure to award these seven cities for their formidable work on reducing pollutant emissions, cleaning the air, and protecting people’s health. Their efforts will help drive more climate change actions around the world” said the Chairman of the C40 Board, special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Climate Action and former mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg.

The capital of Antioquia stood out of 26 finalists who presented impressive initiatives in the fight against climate change at the local level.

The C40 Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded the project in The Resilient Future We Want category.

 “Medellín is committed to this change, and we greatly value your vote of confidence. This recognition reaffirms our promise to move towards the construction of a sustainable, inclusive, equitable city with opportunities for everyone,” said the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.

C40 Cities connects 94 of the world’s largest cities to undertake bold climate action and leads the way towards a healthier and more sustainable future. It represents more than 700 million citizens and a quarter of the global economy.

The mayors of the C40 cities pledge to meet the most ambitious objectives of the Paris Agreement at the local level, as well as to clean the air. The current president is the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. The three times mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, is the Chairman of the Board.

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in 480 cities in more than 120 countries around the world. The organization focuses on five key areas: arts, education, environment, government innovation, and public health.

 

About Green Corridors

The Green Corridors of Medellín is a project which includes the planting of trees, shrubs, palms, and covers in an environmental network that connects streams, hills, parks, and roads. It is part of the strategy A Greener Medellín for You, which consolidates an ecological system consisting of 18 road axes, 12 stream basins and the Nutibara, El Volador, and La Asomadera hills. This project estimates to reduce up to two degrees Celsius the ambient temperature, also to decrease the effect of heat islands, to capture particulate material and improve the air quality, among others.

This award contributes to the international positioning of Medellín and its best practices

 

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The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, receiving the award.
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Cork -Ireland- and Medellín sign a Memorandum of Understanding

Cork and Medellín sign a MOU to strengthen the exchange of initiatives in education and improve cooperation on learning issues. Both cities belong to the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

On October 2, the mayor of Medellín Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga and the mayor of Cork Lord Mayor Councillor John Sheehan signed a memorandum of understanding to promote collaboration as members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities to share best practices in lifelong education, adult education, continuing education, literacy, and non-basic education formal.

Both cities undertake to implement the policies of UNESCO’s Learning Cities set forth in the Beijin Declaration (2013) for the creation of Learning Cities and the promotion of inclusion, prosperity and sustainability; the Manifesto of Mexico City (2015) for the construction of Sustainable Learning Cities; and the Fundamental Characteristics of Learning Cities , which provide a complete list with the measures to improve and measure the progress of learning cities and recognize the progress made by member cities; and the Cork Call to Action (2017) to implement lifelong learning strategies in Learning Cities.

Cork has committed to an action plan to consolidate initiatives as a lifelong-learning city based on political leadership and recognition of the potential of urban and rural communities

Cork and Medellin commit to promoting inclusive learning from elementary to higher education, promote learning in families and communities, facilitate learning in the workplace, expand the use of new technologies, improve quality and excellence of learning, and fostering a lifelong learning culture.

Cork and Medellín are committed to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 4 and SDG 11, to promote equitable, inclusive, green and healthy living environments

This memorandum of understanding entered into force upon the signature of both leaders and will last for three years.

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Medellín es la primera ciudad hermana de Puerto Morelos

Medellín is Puerto Morelos’ first twin city

Puerto Morelos (Mexico) and Medellín (Colombia) became twin cities on July 29, 2019. They decided to join forces to strengthen their friendship ties and achieve double-track cooperation on issues such as security and tourism.

Puerto Morelos is a Mexican city located in the state of Quintana Roo. It was part of the municipality of Benito Juarez. it was declared a municipality in 2016.

On February of this year, the capital of Antioquia received a delegation of the City Council of Puerto Morelos. Since then, both cities have exchanged knowledge, which led to the signing of this twinning agreement in the offices of the Council of Medellín.

The municipal president of Puerto Morelos, Laura Fernández twitted: “Today is a historic day for Puerto Morelos, by signing our first twinning with Medellín, a modern and innovative city. With this agreement, we will strengthen ourselves by exchanging success stories on topics such as public safety, education, mobility, culture, and tourism.”
Twinnings are mechanisms mediated by municipal councils for international cooperation which allow cities to strengthen ties of friendship working together for mutual development.

Medellín sums up 23 sister cities, including Fort Lauderdale (United States), Bilbao (Spain), San Pedro Sula (Honduras), Armenia (Colombia), El Alto (Bolivia), Quito (Ecuador) , Zaragoza (Spain), Rosario (Argentina), Monterrey (Mexico), Panama City, Boston (United States), Chapecó (Brazil), Seoul (South Korea), Cancun (Mexico), among others.

From left to right: Ludivina Menchaca, governor of Puerto Morelos (chairs the tourism commission); Manuel Moreno, second Vice-Chair of the Medellín City Council; Laura Fernández, municipal president of Puerto Morelos; Jaime Alberto Mejía, Chairman of the Medellín City Council; Ricardo Yepes, first Vice-Chair of the Medellín City Council; Ana Luisa Betancourt, alderman of Puerto Morelos; and Francisco Mendoza, alderman of Puerto Morelos 
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WISE-QATAR recorrieron Medellín

Representatives of WISE-QATAR visited Medellín to learn about its Education and Innovation Ecosystem

The WISE – QATAR Foundation conducts studies and programs to promote innovation in education. WISE was created in 2009 by the Qatar Foundation under the ruling of His Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser.

So far, they have held events in Tunisia, China, Spain, Ghana, the United States, France and are exploring an upcoming version in Colombia.

A delegation from the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE-Qatar) led by Elyas Felfoul, Director of Policy Development & Partnerships; and Aurelio de Amaral, Partnerships and Policy Development Officer, visited Medellín to learn about the city’s education and innovation ecosystem.

WISE develops biannual conferences and summits in Qatar and other countries of the world.

During their visit led by ACI Medellín, they learned about the city’s transformation process and made a tour around Ruta N’s facilities, its Innovation Laboratory and the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Afterward, they met with allies from the educational ecosystem of Medellín such as Vivero del Software (Software Nursery), the Teacher Innovation Center – MOVA, the Academia, Private and Public Sectors Committee (CUEE), Comfama and Proantioquia to exchange knowledge and best practices.

These meetings show the joint work and efforts which generate trust in Medellín and allows it to be a laboratory of living experiences in the field of innovation for education.

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Cooperación Internacional

Delegates of Jeonju, South Korea met Medellín’s Sustainable Mobility System

Delegates from Jeonju, South Korea, completed a mission in Medellín guided by the EDU, the Metropolitan Area, Metro, and Metroplús, to learn about the city’s sustainable mobility system. Their main objective was to understand how Medellín uses public transport to drive the socio-economic development of the territory.

The Korean delegation made up by experts in mobility, innovation, sustainability and construction, received information on Medellín’s best practices, background, achievements and challenges in terms of mobility.

During their visit, they took a tour around the different transport systems which allowed them to understand its integration, contributions to urban development, and how it has benefitted users.

“During the visit, I found differences in the conditions of the two cities (Jeonju – Medellín), despite that, I saw that both have the same objective: to make the city sustainable. The city of Jeonju has made great progress in several aspects, however, I felt that the transport system of Medellín is a well-structured system, more than ours. I am sure that this experience will give us good ideas when we prepare our transportation programs.” said Songbok Um, Manager of the bus policy office of the city of Jeonju

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Medellín nodo de conocimiento para el mundo

Medellín stands out as a good partner for international cooperation in the World

Special Report on Cooperation 2016, 2017, 2018

Medellín continues to generate interest amongst the international community in the development of new cooperation opportunities, mainly with those countries seeking allies to implement and develop programs and projects on peacebuilding, city transformation, urbanism, economic and social development, education, culture, and investment. Hence, during the last three years, 30 million U.S. dollars have arrived in the city to develop different projects and initiatives which even had been implemented in other cities of the country.

In 2018, we achieved the highest cooperation amount in ACI Medellín’s history for 12.5 million U.S. dollars for sustainable mobility granted by South Korea.

Between 2016 – 2018, Medellín has received 503 delegations from 57 countries

The United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and France have sent the largest number of government and business missions to Medellín during the last three years.

The topics they are interested the most are the following: urban planning, environment and mobility; transformation; investment; peacebuilding, government and security; and economic development.

Between 2016 and 2018, 134 delegations from different Colombian cities visited ACI Medellín to know, learn, and replicate its model.

Between 2016 and 2018, the Sos Paisa program has supported 40 contributions from Paisas living abroad. Also, Sos Paisa has coordinated 19 meetings with Paisas in different cities around the world.

The city also has used international cooperation in the implementation of best practices. In this sense, Medellín currently explores knowledge exchange opportunities to learn from their good results in other countries. In the last three years, eight best practices were coordinated with Mexico, South Korea, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain on health, mobility, planning, energy, urban planning, social inclusion, and economic development.

The evolution of international cooperation has helped southern countries and cities to interact and seize the strengths they can learn from other projects implemented in developed countries. In this case, Medellín has positioned itself in the international system as a reliable city for the development of South-South cooperation projects, achieving the transfer of knowledge of 17 projects with countries such as: Granada, Chile, Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Burma, Costa Rica, Brazil, Honduras, Saint Lucia, Guyana , Argentina and Mexico.

In 2004, another international cooperation strategy was born to connect Paisas living abroad with their city, the Sos Paisa program. It invites them to become ambassadors of Medellín to the world and making contributions to promote social development. The program has grown progressively. In the last three years, it has coordinated 40 contributions and 19 meetings in 12 countries.

Achievements:

2016

Remarked cooperation actions: 

Embassy of Canada: The promotion of inclusive economic growth and providing support to the consolidation of peace through market-oriented training and the generation of employment opportunities for young people, women, and people affected by the armed conflict. In situations of poverty and vulnerability to support the projects of the Secretariat of Youth and the Secretariat of Social Inclusion and Family (Victims Unit).

South Korea: This cooperation activity sought to start up the technical elaboration process of the Comprehensive Master Plan for Mobility of Medellín.

World Bank: Provided consultancy in the implementation of TIF ( Tax Increment Financing) as a non-traditional source of financing for urban renewal and development in the city.

  • International scenarios where the city was invited to share experiences: XXII Congress of the Ibero-American Center for Strategic Urban Development – CIDEU (Spain), World Cities Summit (Singapore), VI Biennial Summit of Mayors of C40 (Mexico).
  • Four international awards for the city, including the 2016 Lee Kuan Yew Award, worldwide known as the Nobel of cities. Medellín was recognized as a model city for its urban transformation which improved the quality of life of its inhabitants.
  • Visits and work agendas with more than 900 delegates and 250 journalists to share Medellín’s best practices. In addition, the visit of renowned politicians to strengthen ties between cities: Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo; Senior Advisor to the US Secretary of State, David Thorne; Mayor of Quito, Mauricio Rodas; and Vice Mayor of Barcelona, Gerardo Pisarello.

 

2017

Remarked cooperation actions: 

Bloomberg Philanthropy: This technical and financial cooperation action aimed to develop the Bancuadra project of the Bank of Opportunities attached to the Secretariat of Economic Development. This project is the solution to address the problem of illegal credits (Daily Payments) which support organized crime in the city.

Marina Orth Foundation: A financial cooperation action to guarantee high-quality education in three major areas: English, technology, and leadership. Also, it offers extracurricular activities in English and robotics for the development of leadership skills in the complimentary day.

U.S.: Alliance for Reconciliation Program (PAR in Spanish). It benefited two projects of the Medellín Mayor’s Office: Reconciliation: Economic autonomy for the construction of social capital in Medellín; and More than 90 minutes, addressed to 120 soccer fan club leaders of the city. Sweden: Technical and financial cooperation action for the Motor Route Program which aims to offer access to formal education opportunities to vulnerable young people.

South-South Cooperation with Mercociudades: Medellín and Santa Fe (Argentina) presented the project “Strengthening the local entrepreneurial culture and the socio productive fabric.” It will allow knowledge exchange between both cities.

  • Medellín is the first city in Colombia to join UNESCO’s Learning Cities Network.  As it was announced at the III International Conference on Learning Cities held in Cork, Ireland. This network seeks to support and accelerate the practice of lifelong learning.
  • Six international awards for initiatives from the Mobility Secretariat, the Comptroller General of Medellín, the House of Memory Museum, and the Secretariat of Environment.
  • The creation of the Medellín LAB as a strategy to account for the social and urban transformations of the city as a “living laboratory” of experiences.
  • Work agendas with 1,500 delegates and 241 journalists interested in learning about the processes and advances of the city on different matters. They included the presence of high-level personalities such as the Minister of Transport of the United Kingdom, Christopher Stephen Grayling; the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Paula Lehtomamaki; and Senior Vice President of the World Bank, Mahmoud Mohieldin.

 

2018

Remarked cooperation actions:

Spain: Technical Exchange with the House of Memory Museum and Madrid City Council.

South Korea: The Ministry of Land, Transport, and Infrastructure of Korea (MOLIT) bet on the city’s smart mobility with a historical figure of USD 12.5 million in international cooperation (the highest granted to the city in its history). This project aims to the creation of an integrated center for traffic management, installation of monitoring equipment and increasing the action range of Medellín’s Secretariat of Mobility.

  • Participation in international scenarios: IDB’s III Ibero-American Forum of Mayors (Argentina), Global Climate Action Summit (USA), World Cities Summit 2018 (Singapore) in which Medellín was appointed to host the event in 2019.
  • Visits and city agendas with 1,400 delegates and 256 journalists interested in learning about the advances and the transformation of Medellín. They included personalities such as the Ambassador of France in Colombia, Gautier Mignot; Mayor of Chuncheon, South Korea; Read Jea Su; Deputy Minister of Trade Affairs of the European Union, Chancellery of Sweden, Oscar Stentsön.
  • In 2018, the Semilleros Infantiles de Participación Ciudadana program received a mention in the UNESCO Educating Cities Award.

The Inter-American Development Bank, IDB, awarded EPM for its Medellín River Sanitation Program as one of the 5 best practices in Latin America and the Caribbean.

NovaGob.Lab awarded the 2018 Excellence Award to the 1,2,3 Woman’s Emergency Hotline from the Secretariat of Women.

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Consulado de Perú en Medellín

The Republic of Peru opened its Consulate in Medellín

On February 20, Medellin welcomed the new Consulate of Peru, located at 7 South Street # 42-70 (Forum Building, office 415).

The event was chaired by the Ambassador of Peru in Colombia, Ignacio Higuera Hare who affirms that the new consular space seeks to consolidate the binational relations between Colombia and Peru.

Mrs. Patricia Nava Pérez, Minister Counselor of the Diplomatic Service of Peru, was appointed as Consul General. She will be in charge of facilitating joint work in terms of investment and international cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations.

The new Consulate will provide services for Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda, and Chocó, promoting tourism and Peruvian culture. ACI Medellín celebrates the opening of this consular office and welcomes Mrs. Nava, and wishes her the best results.

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Aporte de Medellín a la Agenda 2030

Our Contribution to the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda

Of the 231 indicators within the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – and the 200 outcome indicators that are part of the Medellín Cuenta con vos (Medellín Counts on You) 2016-2019” Development Plan, there are two indicators that are fundamental for the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area. These two are the contribution from our task, two challenges that significantly affect the economic and social development of the city and impact the achievement of results of the 2030 Agenda: “amount of national and foreign investment reported for development and competitiveness” and “amount of national and international technical and financial cooperation received.”

Executive Director, ACI Medellín, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal.

Although these two indicators are directly associated with SDG 17, “Partnerships for the goals,” their impact is also reflected on five more objectives: 4. Quality education; 8. Decent work and economic growth; 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure; 10. Reduction of inequalities, and 11. Sustainable cities and communities.

Our goals in nationally and internationally managed cooperation and in attracting foreign investment, as well as the actions we take going forward in the search for the internationalization of the City-Region, reflect our commitment to the contribution toward the improvement of the quality of life of the community, regarding the economic and social development of Medellin and the region. We are achieving this through the articulation of national and international actors with whom cooperation and investment partnerships are consolidated.

Directly, the actions carried out by the Agency in meeting these challenges seek the social development of the territory with equity, inclusion and sustainability.

Our task is putting Medellín on the global scene in a positive way, highlighting its advantages and competencies, generating trust and working together with international organizations, promoting local and global relationships. The Agency also showcases the city in different scenarios to promote and stimulate investment. This initiative leads to materializing of results such as the exchange of experiences and knowledge, capturing technical and financial support, generation of quality employment, qualification of human talent, development and strengthening of physical and technological infrastructures, economic growth and improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants.

At ACI Medellín, we understand the dimensions of this global commitment and the significant impact we have on achieving this collective goal that erases the borders between countries and shows us how to walk hand in hand. For this reason, we have assumed the challenge with total responsibility, a sense of belonging and, above all, with a deep love and respect for our city, the region and the country.

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Gestión de Cooperación Internacional

ACI Medellín Works in Six Lines of International Cooperation

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín- manages and oversees international cooperation opportunities for public initiatives and programs of social impact.

According to the origin of the resources for international cooperation, there are six cooperation modes:

Decentralized cooperation: refers to the set of actions promoted by local and regional governments for the dynamization of cooperation. Usually, these are medium and long-term actions aimed at enhancing the development of the territory and, sometimes, with the direct participation of interested population groups.  

Horizontal cooperation (South-South): promotes the generation of positive agendas and exchange of knowledge and experiences among developing countries. This type of cooperation is horizontal and solidary, focused on supporting the priorities of the countries involved.

Vertical cooperation (North-South): it involves a developed country and another one developing or with a lower level. In this mode, technical or financial cooperation provided by official bodies (State, local governments, executing agencies) or private entities that promote economic and social development come into play. These on-reimbursable resources are destined for developing countries and multilateral institutions.

Triangular cooperation: a mixed modality of international cooperation. It combines traditional or vertical cooperation with horizontal cooperation to provide cooperation to a third developing country.

Private cooperation: it refers to the provision of technical or financial resources by the private sector to promote innovation, development, generation of employment, wealth, and to reduce poverty.

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Cooperación en Medellín

The Public Policy for International Cooperation, a roadmap towards development

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín carried out the lectures: “Let’s talk about the public policy of international cooperation in Medellín.”

More than 14 civil society organizations attended the conference on “Public Policy for International Cooperation of Medellín” which took place from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the Software Incubator.

The meeting addressed issues such as International cooperation, the National Development Plan, the main issues for managing cooperation, recommendations for the mobilization of resources in social organizations, and access and use of the ACI Cooperation Platform.

The organizations had a space to share their needs and experiences in international cooperation to establish alliances and achieve networking among the attendees.

“Beyond the public policy we are talking about how to access international cooperation and some tips for organizations to learn how to approach it. Breaking paradigms is very important because cooperation is not only financial but also technical. Also, it is important to articulate actors so that the organizations understand there is a public policy they can rely on to have an effective and efficient cooperation not only in Medellín but throughout the region,” said Catalina Escobar, co-founder of Makaia and supporter of the event.

Also, there was an opportunity to socialize the International Cooperation Platform operated by ACI Medellín, a useful tool for civil society organizations.

“ACI Medellín carries out strategic activities to develop international cooperation and effectively impact the programs and projects of the Municipal Administration, a very important task to improve the quality of life of citizens. In this sense, our work is complementary to the management carried out by many organizations in the city, and that is why ACI Medellín seeks to strengthen them and guide them towards a good performance,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

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Medellín será la sede de la 49 Asamblea General de la OEA

Medellín will host the 49th OAS General Assembly

For the second time, Medellín is chosen to host the General Assembly of the Organization of American States – OAS. The decision was made by Resolution of that same entity, after Colombia stated its intention to host the meeting between June 26 and 28, 2019.

The General Assembly is the ultimate meeting of the Organization of American States. It is composed by the delegations of the member states and is held annually in a venue chosen under the principle of rotation.

“It will be a great honor to receive the 35 delegations of the member countries and other special guests in this summit on June of next year. With the warmth of our people, our city infrastructure and the support of the institutions, we will carry out one of the best meetings in the history of the Organization of American States,” said the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.

OAS is the oldest regional entity in the world and one of the most extensive. Today, it constitutes the main political, legal and social governmental forum of the hemisphere.

The celebration of the 49th edition of the OAS Assembly joins other events of great international relevance that will be held in Medellín next year, such as: the World Cities Summit , the Meeting of UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities , the World Avocado Congress , the Concordia Summit , among others that will make: “Medellín the epicenter of major meetings in Latin America and the world in 2019” added the local leader.

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Guajira

ACI Medellín is a Model for La Guajira

A delegation from the department of La Guajira, located in northern Colombia, visited the facilities of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín. Their purpose was to approach ACI Medellín’s work methodology, exchanging knowledge, experiences and best practices, as well as analyzing the possibility of replicating the ACI Medellín’s model in the newly created Agency in La Guajira.

The formulation, design and start-up of this entity were an initiative of the government of La Guajira which started since 2018. It started operating nearly two months ago and will focus on the attraction of cooperation and national and foreign investment.

“We are currently in a training process to learn about what we should and should not do in terms of best practices. La Guajira has several challenges and many objectives to be met. Which is why we want to learn from those who have more experience,” said Iván José Riveira, responsible for the execution of investment proposals in the Cooperation and Investment Agency of La Guajira.

On the other hand, the representative of the Departmental Administration of La Guajira, Eliécer Barros, said that cooperation contributors have been disjointedly working and separated from the Administration. “This is an initiative which seeks to regulate the actions of cooperation contributors to make them much more efficient. The department action is very limited due to its resources, for that reason, the idea is to learn how to do more with less.”

The visit of the delegation to Medellín is part of a round of meetings they will have with other investment promotion agencies around the country to learn the best lessons from each.

“After seeing the actions of ACI Medellín, I began to seize the tasks we have to do. We know it is a long way we are beginning, and we want to start with the best guide. In that sense, you are a national reference; In fact, the change of the image of Medellín has been the model to be followed by the country. Although, as a coastal region we have different dynamics, we want to learn to communicate and change a bit the image of the Colombian Caribbean region,” Barros said.

Funcionarios de la Guajira
Iván José Riveira and Eliécer Barros from the government of La Guajira, Colombia
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La Embajadora de la Unión Europea estrecha relaciones con Medellín y Antioquia

The Ambassador of the European Union strengthens relations with Medellín and Antioquia

Between October 4 to 5, the Ambassador of the European Union in Colombia, Patricia Llombart, visits Medellín for the first time to deepening relations with the city and the department of Antioquia. They will focus on analyzing business opportunities and investment in the framework of the EU-Colombia Trade Agreement after five years of implementation.

The mission will also address cooperation issues such as education, tourism, environment and press freedom within the framework of the Gabriel García Márquez Award and Festival of journalism.

ACI Medellín and the Embassy coordinated a work agenda which included meetings with: representatives of the binational chambers of commerce of the European, organizations such as Procolombia, Proantioquia, Metropolitan Area of ​​the Aburra Valley, Analdex and Agrofuturo, among other. Likewise, the Ambassador had the opportunity to talk with the Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga about the cooperation and investment possibilities in the city.

“We want to promote business contacts and find ways to advance an agenda between the E.U. and Antioquia. These new opportunities are accompanied by a European commitment to sustainable rural development in Colombia; a strong support for the peace process; the generation of employment; the protection of human rights and support for the competitiveness and development of small and medium company,” explained Ambassador Llombart.

About Ambassador Patricia Llombart

“Jurist and Euro-enthusiast by conviction. She was born in Valencia, Spain and did her master’s degrees in international trade and European studies. Llombart has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of international relations and foreign policy in the European Union. She has worked in the directorates for Latin America and the Middle East and oversaw Mercosur countries, Iran and Iraq; Gulf and Yemen Cooperation. The Ambassador was also part of the Cabinet of the Vice-President of the Commission and of the European Commissioner in charge of external relations. In her most recent position, before being appointed Ambassador in Colombia, she was Director of Infrastructure, Budget and Security at the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS). Source: Embassy of the European Union in Colombia.

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Cooperation Agreement with Korea will improve Medellín’s smart mobility system

Mayor Federico Gutiérrez traveled to Seoul, Korea, to sign the Letter of Intent with MOLIT and implement the Traffic Function Improvement Project in the city and to officially start cooperating between both entities.

This Project seeks to implement three fundamental components for the development and improvement of smart mobility in the city:

  1. Construction and improvement of an integrated traffic information center between the Metro System, the Enterprise for Urban Safety, ESU in Spanish, and the Mobility Secretariat.
  2. Implementation of a regulated and systematized pilot project to manage vehicular parking.
  3. Development of a training program for mobility officials in smart transport systems

From left to right: Delegation of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korea, MOLIT headed by Paek Seung Gun; the delegation of Medellín headed by Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga accompanied by ACI Medellín Executive Director, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal.

“We take a major step towards the management of resources to improve the quality of life in Medellín. There is no doubt, Medellín’s mobility will be among the most modern in Latin America thanks to the implementation of this Project. One of my major government goals is to improve mobility, with this cooperation project with Korea, we resolutely move forward to achieve this goal,” said Mayor Federico Gutiérrez.

“The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín, carried out an important support mission for the collection of information, accompaniment to field visits and the development of the components of the Agreement. Thus, becoming an important reference in the region for the management of technical and financial cooperation resources” added Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, ACI Medellín Executive Director.

Once the Agreement is signed, MOLIT and the Mobility Secretariat will begin joint work in the implementation of the project.

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Barcelona and Medellín, a friendship that goes beyond borders

Friendship is feeling comfortable, talking and sharing with others. In Medellin and Barcelona’s case, ​​this friendship was born with a particular interest: to offer and provide to each other. It grew over time, up to the point that even new friendships in pursuit of decentralized cooperation works have been born from it.

It has been more than 17 years in which Medellín has learned from Barcelona ​​through the exchange of models of government management and the strengthening of local governance: libraries, markets, urban habitat, education, social rights, entrepreneurship, are some of the several experiences that Global City has shared with the capital of Antioquia

There is more than one way in which Cooperation is materialized. Barcelona has seen in Medellín the abilities of an applied student, that who learned the lesson and is ready to share his experiences with the world. For this reason, Barcelona has called on Medellín to cooperate with the development of other cities, such was the case of the triangular cooperation developed with Havana (Cuba) in 2014, when they joined forces to teach their experience on urban planning and international cooperation.

Medellin and Barcelona still have a long way to go together, because friendships grown over the years, even if they are kilometers away. At the end, strong and lasting friendships are those that transcend borders despite the difficulties.

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Revista LINK ACI Medellín

Link Magazine 2017 issue and the International Cooperation Video of the city are launched this week

On Thursday, December 14 at 6:30 pm, the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area will launch the latest issue of Link Magazine and the international cooperation video of the city in the Duque Arango Gallery.

The magazine reports on the development of Medellín in terms of international cooperation and foreign investment over the 15 years of ACI Medellín’s existence.

The event is called Link Magazine “15 years – 15 stories” and is an opportunity to share a space in which ACI Medellín accounts for the results of its 15 years of management. This issue gathers the statements of 15 characters that have influenced the creation, development and growth of the Agency.

It starts with a statement of its founder, then, goes through the entities that make up the Board of Directors of the Agency, the Mayor of Medellin, the City Council, the beneficiaries of international cooperation, international networks, foreign investors, local businessmen and the processes of South-South cooperation in which Medellín is now the main character. This issue also shows a compendium of activities and processes which today make ACI Medellín a leading institution at the national level in terms of internationalization.

In the same event, the international cooperation video of Medellín will be presented. It shows the development proposals the city has implemented with the help of the governments and international institutions.

There will be a special space for the attention to journalists interested in expanding information.

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Medellín, Ciudad Educadora

Medellin is proud of being an educating city!

On November 30, Medellín and more than 500 members of the International Association of Educating Cities around the world will celebrate the Educating Cities Day.

Medellin is part of the International Association of Educating Cities (IAEC) since 2017

The celebration seeks to raise awareness on the importance of education in the cities It is also an opportunity to highlight the commitment of local governments to education and encourage citizens to join this important initiative.

This year, Medellín will carry out a campaign in which citizens will be able to express their commitment through messages with their signature on a strategically located mural.

This worldwide celebration will take place on November 30th because on 1990, the Charter of Educating Cities was proclaimed in Barcelona (Spain) by the IAEC.

“Being the only city in Colombia in the AICE is a challenge that drives Medellín to continue working for the most important thing: its people. This celebration reminds us that education is a symbol of transformation and growth, and that the city must continue along this path. I expect a great citizen participation,” said Sergio Escobar, ACI Medellín CEO.

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MEDELLÍN IN THE MERCOCIUDADES SUMMIT

From November 29 to December 1, the XXII MERCOCIUDADES Summit, the most important network of local governments of Mercosur, takes place in Córdoba (Argentina). Carolina Bernal, ACI Medellín Deputy Director of Knowledge Management represented the city in the event and attended the thematic round tables on decentralized cooperation and sustainable development objectives.

Since 1995, Mercociudades aims to favor the participation of governments in the process of regional integration, promote the creation of an institutional environment for the cities of South America and develop horizontal exchange and cooperation.

Statement of Carolina Bernal:

IDB’s Project: Public Goods. Latin American and Caribbean Coalition against Racism, Discrimination, and Xenophobia

At the same time, a follow-up to the IDB’s Regional Public Goods Project took place: Latin American and Caribbean Coalition against Racism, Discrimination, and Xenophobia. Medellin, Montevideo, Quito and Mexico City are part of this coalition. María Alejandra Saleme, Assistant of ACI Medellín’s CEO, represents the city in the General Assembly of this Coalition, in which the progress of the project will be presented.

Statement of Alejandra Saleme

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Medellín y Chapecó, hermanos por siempre

Chapecó and Medellín, brothers forever

November 29― Today, it’s now one year after the tragedy of the Chapecoense soccer team, an event that shocked the world and strengthened the ties between Chapecó (Brazil) and Medellín (Colombia).

Both cities made this relationship official on May 10, 2017, through a twinning agreement. “The gratitude, solidarity, peace, harmony, respect for differences, overcoming difficulties and friendship, are feelings that will unite us forever, ” said the mayor of Chapecó, Luciano Buligom.

In this twinning, Medellín and Chapecó share a spirit of dialogue, peace and harmony and commit to constantly promote ethics, respect for differences and strengthening the bonds of friendship among its citizens through cultural, social, environmental and economic activities.

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín is in charge of establishing a permanent dialogue between the authorities of both cities, exploring cooperation opportunities, mainly in territorial planning, mobility, public transport, health and childhood.

Medellín Park in Chapecó

As a tribute to the victims of that tragic accident, a space to contemplate life is built in Chapecó. The Medellín Park will have a viewpoint, fenced boardwalks with benches, flowers, skate parks, public services, fountains, water mirror, flower beds, areas for sculptures and flags and a stage for different leisure and recreational activities.

Even the sky cried

Telemedellín broadcast on Sunday, November 26, the documentary “Hasta el cielo lloró” (Even the sky cried), a story told with the voices of the players, survivors, relatives and lifeguards involved in the tragedy of Chapecoense. It will be retransmitted on Tuesday, November 28 at 10:00 pm.

The mayor of Chapecó thanked the documentary and wrote:

“My brothers from Medellin. On November 29, we celebrated one year of the tragedy that shook all the people of Chapecó.

The tribute broadcasted on Telemedellín, the institutional channel of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, besides moving us, was a beautiful gesture which only reaffirmed the bond between two sister cities.
 
That is why today, I thank and acknowledge all the love you gave us in that tragic and painful moment.

You embraced us, gave us love, affection and from that moment we began to rebuild ourselves. The world recognizes that Medellín offered its best feelings for the reconstruction not only of Chapecoense, but to all Brazilian people.

Brothers forever. For always fraternity will unite us and in the most difficult moments we will remember the love of all of you.

Thank you very much.

Luciano Buligom
Mayor of Chapecó

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Medellín will receive the Ninth Citizen Security Week

Between November 27 and December 1, the Ninth Citizen Security Week will be held in Colombia. The event will be in Bogota and Medellín

The event is organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Vice Presidency of the Republic of Colombia and supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE)

The Citizen Security Week is the largest regional event on citizen security and justice in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its objective is to enable a dialogue and the creation of an exchange platform for program directors, experts, academics and civil society in general interested in issues of prevention and control of violence and crime.

This edition of the event will discuss the challenges faced by the states in the generation of legitimacy and confidence in the implementation of public policies on citizen security.

To this effect, it will be divided in two main components; the first is the Regional Policy Dialogue, which will be held in Bogotá from November 27 to 28. This is a closed-door meeting in which ministers and senior officials from across the region will discuss the challenges and progress made in citizen security and justice policies.

The second component is the Coexistence and Citizen Security Clinic, an activity that will take place in Medellín between November 30 and December 1. It is a space open to the public (previous registration), to exchange technical and specialized knowledge on the subject. The event will conclude with a series of field visits to innovative solutions. These visits require direct invitation from the organization of the event.

Download the event agenda in Medellín here »

Follow the Coexistence and Citizen Security Clinic at  livestream »

more info. here»

Photography: Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá

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