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Municipal Partnerships with Asia

First Regional Conference

A female participant delivers her contribution to the discussion
Participants discussing in plenary about their motivation for partnership work. Photo: SKEW

Berlin, 17 to 18 November 2014. The Conference on Municipal Partnerships with Asia took place at the Bavarian Representation in Berlin. Some 90 guests met by invitation of the Service Agency Communities in One World to compare notes and share experiences of working in partnership with Asian municipalities.

The participants came to Berlin for a variety of different reasons and with different things in mind. They all had one thing in common, however: strengthening links between the municipalities. Participants included municipal policy-makers and administrators, as well as numerous engaged twinning associations, NGOs and migrant organisations.

Right away on day one, the German Federal Government clearly indicated the high level of political interest in the topic of municipal partnerships. Bernard Felmberg of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) emphasised, for instance, the unique nature of the close link between work in Germany and work in partner countries, and the responsiveness of municipal policy-makers and administrators to citizens at the local level. He explained that this gave municipalities a key role to play in tackling global challenges.

A group of people sitting around a round table
Participants of the First Conference on Municipal Partnerships with Asia exchanging views on partnership work. Photo: SKEW

In forums, working groups and a World Café participants discussed a broad diversity of themes in municipal cooperation, as well as concrete examples. The Main-Kinzig District and the ‘Citizens of Nuremberg Helping People in Sri Lanka’ association, for instance, reported on the joint development activities they launched following the tsunami in 2004. They also discussed the post-2015 agenda, the inclusion of migrants and the strengthening of citizen participation.

The panel debates which compared municipal development cooperation across Europe provided participants with an opportunity to look beyond their own immediate horizons. Delegates from France, Sweden and Germany with municipal partnerships in Asia provided fascinating insights into the different political contexts in their respective countries. Another feature that clearly emerged was the continuous joint endeavour to ensure that the partnerships are run on an equal footing and deliver benefits for both sides.

In his concluding speech, His Excellency Tsolmon Bolor, Ambassador of Mongolia to Germany, said how delighted he was by the international engagement of municipalities, and particularly by the partnership between Baruth/Mark in Brandenburg and the small town of Murun in northern Mongolia – a rural location so idyllic it is known as the ‘Switzerland of Mongolia’.

To sum up, the key outcomes of the conference were:

  • With the exception of China, the number of municipal partnerships between Germany and Asia remains low. At the same time, there is huge potential for new activities. There are also many dormant links that perhaps need only a little stimulus in order to recover their vitality.
  • There are large numbers of migrants who contribute to the work of the municipal partnerships as bridge-builders. The migrants from Viet Nam and Indonesia who attended the conference, for example, can make a key contribution towards the intercultural expertise and international capability of municipalities actively involved in development work. To realise this potential, both the municipalities and the migrant organisations need to become more open.
  • Sustainability will be a top priority issue in the post-2015 agenda. It is already beyond doubt that municipalities will have a key role to play in implementing the agenda, primarily within the framework of multi-stakeholder partnerships. Germany's Charter for the Future provides overarching guidance for the German contribution.
  • The project '50 Municipal Climate Partnerships by 2015' will be entering its final phase next year. So far, the project has focused on climate partnerships with Africa and Latin America. The Service Agency is now looking into the possibility of making Asia a new focal region of the project.
Group picture of all participants
Group photo of the participants at the First Conference with Asia. Photo: SKEW

The conference clearly demonstrated that many municipalities face similar challenges when working in their partnerships with Asia. These include for instance establishing clear communication structures, obtaining funding or support in the form of human resources, or revitalising a partnership following elections or after a prolonged period of relative inactivity. Overall the conference brought to light a huge potential for more development engagement in Asia. This should be harnessed in order to establish new municipal partnerships and further develop existing ones.

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