Vietnam attends Global Cities Summit in UAE

Deputy Minister of Public Security Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Thanh (Credit: VNA)

As a founder of the World Council on City Data (WCCD), Deputy Minister Thanh highlighted the organisation’s efforts in building the ISO standards of cities around the world. These standards have been used as references for city leaders to design growth and sustainable development policies as well as plans for standardised living conditions meeting security, safety and social welfare requirements, he said.

The deputy minister affirmed that the event was a chance for city authorities and policymakers to exchange views on ideas and solutions on management and to expand connectivity and cooperation for sustainable, prosperous and inclusive growth in the midst of the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution and the development of the Internet.

Deputy Minister Thanh also presented his ideas on building security, safety and social welfare indexes for a smart city as well as the application in Vietnam.

He said the development of cities from eco-cities to economic, green and smart cities is an inevitable trend in the world, adding that urban managers need to share information to ensure the indicators and sustainable progress in developing smart cities.

Meanwhile, Abdulla Abdul Rahman Al Shaibani, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai and Canadian Senator Art Eggleton, Chair of the WCCD’s Global City Leaders Advisory Board, both underscored that standardised data is an important tool in building and developing cities.

The use of the database will help city leaders get an overview of various issues, working out sustainable development plans for their cities, they added.

Themed “Cities on the Global Stage—Data as the Universal Language,” the summit has focused discussions on the importance of standardised city data as well as leadership solutions and measures to apply the standardised indexes to build sustainable cities and reduce risks.