Asian cities to cooperate in combating disease, terror

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The fourth plenary meeting of the Asian Network of Major Cities (ANMC) 21 concluded on Tuesday with member cities committing to teaming up in tackling common problems they encountered, including infectious diseases and the threat of terrorism.

"We agree to work to prevent and control the spread of contagious diseases in Asia by cooperation and collaboration among the member cities..," the network said in an official joint statement, the Jakarta Declaration.

The declaration will be implemented through a new project agreed upon at the plenary meeting, the "Countermeasures to combat infectious diseases in Asia", which aims to conduct immediate information exchange and joint research on effective measures against infectious diseases.

"We also agree to further strengthen measures against terrorism through the joint project 'Network for crisis management'," it said, as terrorist attacks in some Asian cities in the last few years had caused tremendous loss of life and damages, and did not show any signs of abating.

"Asian cities have many great potentials to develop further through the implementation of friendship, cooperation as well as tolerance in a bid to provide greater contribution of Asia to the international community," Tokyo Mayor Shintaro Ishihara told a press briefing.

Unfortunately, Ishihara lamented, "there was a delegate who failed to exert a spirit of tolerance by boycotting the meeting".

He referred to the absence of Beijing delegates, who did not show for the press briefing nor the signing ceremony.

Sources said the meeting on Monday evening to decide which city would host the fifth plenary meeting hit a snag due to a tug-of-war between Beijing and its archenemy, Taipei.

The regional forum decided to put the decision to a vote, and Beijing emerged the preferred host of the next meeting, in 2005.

However, Beijing later expressed an objection over the forum's giving priority to Taipei in a clause of the declaration to host the 2006 gathering.

Governor Sutiyoso, who chaired Monday's meeting, said all cities opposed to Beijing's selection had reached a consensus in the final session on Tuesday to accept the result of the vote.

"But, I don't know why he (Beijing Vice Mayor Zhang Mao) refuses to sign the declaration. I will personally persuade him to sign it in accordance with the consensus agreed upon by member cities during the last session," he said.

Beijing delegates could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sutiyoso said if Beijing still refused to sign the declaration, he would request the Tokyo-based ANMC 21 secretariat to make a final decision on which city would host the 2005 meeting.

The 12 members of ANMC 21 -- the 21 in the forum's name refers to the 21st century -- have met annually since 2001 in Tokyo, Delhi, Hanoi and Jakarta.

Member cities of the network are: Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Hanoi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo and Yangon.

ANMC 21 Joint Projects

No. Project Organizing city/cities Jakarta participation 1. Promotion, development of small-medium sized passenger plane Tokyo V
2. Asia distance-learning Delhi/Tokyo V
3. Asian arts, crafts, food, cultural and tourism network Delhi n/a

- Asian Performing Arts Festiva Tokyo n/a

- Welcome to Asia campaign Tokyo V
4. Asian cities' network for controlling vehicle emissions Tokyo V
5. Waste management/recycling Tokyo V
6. Water/sewerage systems Tokyo n/a
7. Formulation of comprehensive public transport plan Tokyo supportive
8. Mutual training of member cities' officials Tokyo n/a
9. Clinical training of HIV/AIDS consultants Tokyo V
10. Training/joint research for earthquake-resistant urban planning Tokyo n/a
11. Participation of women in society Delhi/Seoul n/a
12. International center for urban development/management Kuala Lumpur V
13. Prevention/control of island heat effect Beijing n/a
14. Vertical forestation Beijing n/a
15. Crisis management network Tokyo V
16. Promotion of Asian business and investment projects Hanoi V
17. Youth-to-youth entrepreneurship program Singapore n/a
18. Countermeasures to combat infectious disease Tokyo V

Source: ANMC 21 2004