News Room

             Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.  

2.           When the Civil Service College organised the first World Cities Summit two years ago in June 2008, we found very good traction with a broad spectrum of people who were keen to participate in a discourse on how good governance underpins any effort to build and sustain great cities.  We are pleased to partner the Centre for Liveable Cities to organise the 2010 World Cities Summit to continue this global conversation on the interplay between good governance and urban solutions.   

The Criticality of Good Governance

3.           Good governance cannot be left to chance and its influence on urban outcomes cannot be underestimated.  Liveable and sustainable cities require a sound governance framework that can harness and implement good ideas. 

4.           The idea of automatic social or market forces regulating governance outcomes may be attractive, but the reality is that this alone cannot ensure that economic growth will be tempered by the requisite level of social development and environmental protection to maintain overall harmony.  The private sector tends to generate short-term responses to rapid market fluctuation, while failing or refusing to see the long-term repercussions of such actions.  So countries and cities need a robust working model of good governance to strike the appropriate balance, settle on the trade-offs and decide on strategic directions for the long term.

5.           In Singapore, the Government plays an important leadership role to make tough decisions that might only pay off in the long run.  This is evident from Singapore’s urban planning experience over the last five decades.

6.           Singapore has benefited from an integrated approach to urban planning that saw many variegated agencies working together to banish highly pollutive industries, abolish illegal hawking and rid our waters of indiscriminate effluent discharge.  The same method was adopted when Singapore conceptualized how we would optimize our scarce land and surmount the problem of limited water catchment areas.  In all instances, good governance ensured that policies were implemented effectively and that legislation was firmly but fairly enforced.

7.           At the same time, the state must also tap on the dynamism of the private sector for market knowledge and expertise, and engage with the public in planning and co-creating urban solutions.  

8.           Much as Singapore is happy to share its experience in building a liveable and sustainable city, we are also keen to learn from others.

Highlights of World Cities Summit 2010

9.           The 2010 World Cities Summit will bring together decision-makers, practitioners and experts from the public and private sectors to identify and develop practical, replicable and scaleable solutions for urban development.  Effective governance and leadership are important pillars of this process.

10.           It is thus fitting that the theme of the opening plenary is “Sustainable Cities: Leadership and Governance”.  It will examine the role of good leadership and governance in building and managing sustainable cities.  Participants will consider and discuss the leadership and governance challenges they must tackle – from garnering support and securing resources to leveraging on growing public awareness – and explore models and frameworks that can help them build communities that are liveable and sustainable.  During the Summit, we hope to benefit from exchanging views with distinguished speakers such as Mr Haruhiko Kuroda, President, Asian Development Bank, Mr Kamal Nath, India's Minister of Road Transport and Highways, and Mr Peter Schwartz, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Global Business Network.

11.           To provide our international guests with a first-hand perspective of how sound policies for sustainable urban development have been implemented within a supportive context of good governance and leadership, a series of learning journeys will be hosted by six public sector agencies in Singapore.  These include the Public Housing Journey hosted by the Housing and Development Board and the Waste and Resource Management Journey hosted by the National Environment Agency.

12.           The World Cities Summit Expo will also be held concurrently with this conference to profile other success stories of urban development around the world.

Conclusion

13.           This Summit is a timely platform for cities to come together, exchange ideas and share knowledge on innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing billions around the world.  We can look forward to an insightful and stimulating discussion in June!

14.           Thank you.