Mumbai to host BRICS Cities Conclave on April 14

Mumbai, April 8, 2016: Mumbai will host the prestigious BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave from April 14-16, 2016.
The event is being organized by Mumbai First, a think tank, along with the active support of the Government of India and Government of Maharashtra. This is a combined initiative.

The forum is expected to be truly global in nature and has received support from all the partner countries Brazil, Russia (India) China and South Africa.

As many as 75 delegates comprising Governors, City Leaders, Urban Planners, Ministers and experts from across these countries will be attending the inauguration and two day conclave,

The Hon Governor of Maharashtra H E Shri C Vidyasagar Rao will preside over the inaugural function in the august presence of Union Urban development Minister Shri Venkaiah Naidu and the Hon Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis at 5 pm on April 14.

On the occasion, a special book on Urban Challenges called ‘Making of Vibrant BRICS Cities’ will be released. Over 35 experts on this subject from around the world have contributed to this book.

The Hon Governor will also release a special stamp cover on the occasion.

The valedictory function will be held at 4.30 pm on Saturday, April 16, presided over by the Hon Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis.

The Conclave is also putting to reality the vision and dream as outlined by the Hon Prime Minister while addressing the BRICS Summit in Brazil in 2014, stressing the importance in engagement between States, Cities, Local Bodies and “People to People”.

At the BRICS Summit in Ufa, last year in Russia, he specifically emphasized the importance of close cooperation between the BRICS Countries and included, among others “A forum of State/Local Governments among the BRICS nations, co-operation among cities in Urbanization”.

India takes on the Presidency of the BRICS Countries from February 2016 for one full year. The Friendship Cities Conclave 2016 is the first major activity by India as part of the Presidency.

Mumbai being the commercial capital of India, and best example of development, connectivity, infrastructure and variety of culture, Mumbai First pushed the idea to the MEA to hold Summit of BRICS cities. The Government of Maharashtra was delighted with the prospect and is supporting it.

The Conclave is designed to facilitate meaningful dialogue between various stakeholders who partake in shaping the renewal and development of urban areas – the public and private sectors, civil society, and academia.

The BRICS countries together with some of the other developing world countries i.e. Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey account for 50% of the world’s urban population. These countries are expected to attract substantive capital investment, as infrastructure worth trillions of dollars is built. This pace and scale of urbanization is unprecedented. For the private sector to meaningfully partake in this development, it needs to stitch a robust and promising social contract with society, and take a leading role.

This conclave will provide the private sector with a forum to participate in a free and frank dialogue with governments and other stakeholders on its participation in areas ranging from water, inclusive growth, urban transport, affordable housing, waste management and the like.
The theme of the three day conclave is Urban Development and Future of Cities in BRICS countries. In the midst of urbanization posing a mega challenge for cities across the world, cities from developing countries face a common set of challenges and the conclave provides an outstanding platform for leaders from BRICS cities to converge, connect and learn from the experiences of other cities. The conclave is structured around eight broad topics listed below:
Session 1: Strengthening urban governance: Learning from successful models of city governance
Session 2: Making BRICS cities inclusive
Session 3: Making our cities safe and secure
Session 4: Urban transport: fixing the nerve centre of cities to shift to transit–oriented development
Session 5: Financing City Infrastructure
Session 6: Building sustainable cities to improve delivery of urban services
Session 7: Making sustainable and affordable Housing a Reality
Session 8: Maximizing value through efficient land–use and urban planning

Invitations are being sent to Commissioners from across Maharashtra, and the AMRUT cities as well as Commissioners across India to attend the conclave.
To enable Mumbaikars make the most of the learnings, the organizers have facilitated simultaneous translations of the speeches in Russian, Chinese as well as Marathi.
But the conclave is not only a platform to discuss Urban Challenges and growth areas. On the sidelines, on the inaugural day, a special evening of culture showcasing has been organized at the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sangrahalaya (Prince of Wales Museum) where these countries will present one cultural skill of their country. Mumbai will present a Ganesh Vandana.