The 2nd ASEAN – Japan smart cities network high level meeting

The 2^nd ASEAN – Japan smart cities network high level meeting took place online on December 16^th. Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh co-chaired the conference. There were Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Akaba Kazuyoshi; ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi; national representatives, smart city representatives under ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) at the conference.  

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh co-chaired the 2nd ASEAN – Japan smart cities network high level meeting.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh affirmed urban centers as a driving force for socio-economic development in each country. In many ASEAN countries, problems such as urbanization, overloaded infrastructure, environmental pollution, increased greenhouse gas emissions and unusual developments of weather and climate change have raised urgent requirements for the application of science and technology in general and information technology in particular in urban management and development of countries in the region.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh spoke online at the conference.

In 2020, the covid-19 pandemic caused economic recession and negative impacts on the socio-economic situation of many countries. However, this pandemic also highlighted the importance of applying smart solutions in all aspects of the socio-economic life of countries.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh emphasized that as the rotating chairman of ASCN, Vietnam wished to promote cooperation between member countries and member cities of ASCN with Japan toward improve the quality of human life and sustainable development.

Japanese MLIT Minister Akaba Kazuyoshi spoke online at the conference

MLIT Minister Kazuyoshi and ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi highly appreciated the leadership and as well as the implementation of the commitments of the Government of Vietnam as Chairman of ASCN 2020 in developing smart cities; and Japan’s supports in strengthen smart city cooperation with ASEAN.

Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi outlined three priorities for ASEAN countries and Japan in regional integration and sustainable development including: investment in infrastructure and digital solutions, and close coordination between all levels and sectors of the Government, between the public and private sectors, and most importantly with the people.

ASEAN secretary general Lim Jock Hoi spoke online at the conference

ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi expressed his pleasure that in 2020 ASCN has finalized and approved the ASCN Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. According to him, the Assessment Framework would help the parties to better understand ASCN's efforts in facilitating and promoting cooperation with external partners of ASEAN.

At the Conference, ASEAN countries and Japan updated smart city development of each country; exchanged action plans to achieve the goals and discussed possible solutions to face challenges in practice, created opportunities to connect with potential partners of the Japan Association of ASEAN Smart Cities (JASCA).

At the end of the conference, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh thanked the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, the Japan Urban Renaissance Agency, the representatives of countries and member cities in ASCN, the ASEAN Secretariat for closely cooperating with the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam to successfully organize the 2nd ASEAN - Japan Smart cities network high level meeting.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh also hoped that though the conference, each city would further concretize the action plan, propose highly feasible solutions, suit to the current context to achieve targets set out in smart urban construction and development.