The Northeast Asian Mayors’ Forum was first initiated by the Ulaanbaatar City Government in 2014 and successfully organized with the support of the Asia Foundation. It has been operating continuously since then. There were five forums and one thematic meeting held in the past which gathered delegates from over 40 cities in six Northeast Asian countries – the People’s Republic of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation – to discuss solutions and share experiences on the pressing issues among the cities.
In recent years, Asian cities have experienced the highest urbanization rates in the world, and by 2030, nearly 57 percent of Asia’s population is expected to live in urban areas. Therefore, along with the rapid growth of urbanization, there is dire need for proper management on many issues including urban planning, air and soil pollution, waste management, efficiency use of energy, and good governance.
The main purpose of the Forum is not only to exchange ideas, innovative experiences and solutions to the above issues the cities in the region are facing but also to strengthen regional cooperation development.