The 3rd General Assembly of AMF (Thailand/Bangkok)-2012

We, Mayors and Authorities of Asian cities convened in the Third Meeting of the General Assembly of the Asian Mayors Forum (AMF) under the theme of “Local Governance: Urban Initiatives for Progress & Justice” on November 28th and 29th 2012, in Bangkok, Thailand;
Observing the path covered so far, namely the First Meeting of the AMF in Tehran in November 2008 and the Second Meeting of the AMF in Istanbul in April 2011, and emphasizing the continued relevance and validity of Declarations adopted therein;
Appreciatingthe generous and continuing support provided by Tehran Municipality, under the leadership of Honorable Dr. Mohammad Ghalibaf, to the AMF Secretariat since 2008;
Recognizing with appreciation the valuable efforts made by Honorable Dr. Kadir Topbas, the distinguished Mayor of Istanbul in promoting the work of AMF during his AMF Presidency since 2011,
Expressing appreciation and gratitude to Honorable M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribarta, the distinguished Governor of Bangkok for the gracious support extended to the Forum as well as the generous hospitability accorded to all delegations attending the Third AMF General Assembly;
Considering the constructive efforts made by the AMF General Secretariat in organizing this meeting and preparing the documents needed for deliberation and decision by the delegations of Member Cities;

• Remain cognizant of dire need for enhancement of local governance institutions in our cities; reinforcement of initiatives for urban progress and sustainable development in Asia; as well as promoting further prosperity, equity, and justice for Asian cities and citizens.
• Identify the following as priority areas for further collaboration of member cities in the next two years:
  further use of information technology and on-line communication by AMF including upgrading the Secretariat’s website and developing a data bank of documents and reports on successful urban projects from all Member cities;
  Facilitating further economic cooperation among Asian cities with particular emphasis on investment opportunities and project financing;
  Further exchange of experience and sharing best practices in urban management particularly in public transportation, managing natural disasters, and facilitating public participation and engaging neighborhood councils;
  Empowering local players, including NGOs, media networks, individual activists, in fostering good governance;
• Emphasize the extended possibilities provided through progressive expansion of e-governance in favor of downsizing central governments and enhancing effective urban management resulting in promotion of good governance at local and national levels.
• Encourage all Members to further engage in bilateral as well as multilateral city-to-city cooperation with a view to expanding the scope of sharing their best practices and competitive innovations in urban management.
• Call Upon all Members to further contribute and collaborate on initiating an information portal on the Internet linking all Asian Cities with a view to facilitating the sharing of experiences and best practices in urban management.
• Request the Secretary-General to continue his communication with all Members in pursuing the materialization of the AMF information portal and enhancing the efficiency of the AMF website.
• Request the Secretary-General to prepare a report on modalities required for establishing AMF Awards to be granted on competitive and expert evaluation bases to the most successful accomplishments by member cities within the scope of activities of the three AMF Standing Commissions, and submit it to the next meeting of the Executive Board for consideration.
• Welcome the proposal by Tehran Municipality to establish an ad hoc working group comprising all volunteer members to identify ways and means for developing a data bank on urban traffic and transportation with a human-oriented perspective and call upon Members to share their knowledge and experiences with this working group.
• Confirm the decision by the Executive Board on the Secretariat’s annual budget and call upon AMF members to provide their respective membership fees, as well as voluntary contributions, in due time.
• Decide to authorize the AMF Secretary-General to utilize resources available through members’ contributions in fulfillment of his tasks within the AMF annual budget. The Secretariat’s expenses will be duly reported to the Financial Committee for its consideration and auditing.
• Welcome the generous proposition by Honorable Mr. Farez Al-Dihani, the Head of Delegation from Kuwait city to host the next AMF General Assembly and decide to convene the Fourth AMF General Assembly in 2014 in Kuwait City, and request the Secretary-General to provide all necessary services and coordination required for the successful organization of the said meeting.
• Welcome further the valuable propositions made by Honorables Mrs. Savita Gupta, distinguished Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation; Honorable Mr. Namdar Sedaghat, Director General for Public and International Relations of the Municipality of Tehran; Honorable Mr. Jasim Redha, the Secretary General of Manama Municipality Council; and Honorable Mr. Asim Guzelbey, the distinguished Mayor of Gaziantep for undertaking to host the AMF Executive Board meetings in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and request the Secretary-General to provide all necessary services and coordination required for the successful organization of the meetings aforementioned.
• This Declaration was adopted on 29 November 2012 in Bangkok by the plenary session of the AMF General Assembly.