U.S. and Arab Mayors and Municipal Leaders Convene in Chicago for Historic Conference

U.S. and Arab Mayors and Municipal Leaders Convene in Chicago for Historic
Conference
Three-day Forum Will Highlight Economic Development, Education, Environment
Issues

CHICAGO, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley today
welcomes municipal leaders from throughout the United States, Canada and Arab
world for the first-ever U.S.-Arab Cities Forum, aimed at sharing information
and implementing strategies to build local economies that are competitive in
the global society.
The Forum, whose working sessions will be held at the University of
Illinois-Chicago's Conference Center April 28-30, is co-hosted by Mayor Daley
and Chicago's Sister City partners, Mayor Omar Maani of Amman, Jordan, and
Mayor Mohamed Sajid of Casablanca, Morocco.
More than 50 municipal leaders from the U.S., Canada and the Arab world
are attending the meeting including leaders from Algeria, Iraq, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar and Yemen.
"As mayors and leaders of municipal government, we share the same
challenges. And as technology continues to advance, we all are faced with the
challenge and opportunity of living and working in a global economy," said
Mayor Daley. "We are also on the front lines when it comes to dealing with
issues like transportation, education, crime and the environment on behalf of
our residents."
"That's why a meeting such as this one is important. The information we
exchange here and the relationships we build will pay great benefits to all
our cities and our residents in the time to come," Daley said.
In addition, Mayor Maani pointed out the importance of this forum by
saying, "we are looking forward to share experiences and best practices with
our colleagues from the U.S. and Arab cities. The municipal challenges are
relatively the same among all cities and our gathering during this forum will
give us the opportunity to learn and share best practices to better serve our
citizens."
"By organizing this significant event, the City of Chicago is contributing
to the strengthening of the relationship between local governments in the
United States and Arab countries," said Mayor Sajid. "The objectives of our
meetings are a dialogue and the exchange of good practices, a requirement for
the promotion of durable and prosperous cities."
The conference agenda focuses on three major topics: Economic Development
and Improved Quality of Life, Education and Youth and the Environment and
Sustainability.
SOURCE City of Chicago

Mayor's Press Office, +1-312-744-3334