Seferihisar Mayor Tunç Soyer was the only major invited to the meeting hosted by Prince of Wales in London.
Prince Charles hosted a meeting on Sustainable Urbanisation, which took place in Lancaster House of The Buckingham Palace in the capital London on 24th February 2016. Seferihisar Mayor Tunç Soyer, among valuable international speakers recommended by ICLEI as speaker, was the only major throughout the world invited to this meeting on urban-rural linkage.
The representatives of Royal City Planning Institute, UN Habitat, BM Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Comunitas, Adelphi Foundation and OECD addressed solutions on local production, food security and urban and rural problems to ensure global development. Mayor Tunç Soyer interchanged his ideas on global development with the participants.
IT WAS EXCITING
Upon the return from London, Mayor Soyer informed the media about the presentation he made during this event: “It has been exciting to be among the distinguished spokesperson all around the world. I gave them examples of the practices we made in Seferihisar. I am happy to know that foreign delegates are aware of our agricultural policies and want to learn them in detail. So I explained our agricultural practices we have in Seferihisar and the outcomes. I told the participants that the prosperity of the urban population shall not be based upon the destruction of the rural population. ” Mayor Soyer also stated that ICLEI is among the most important NGO’s internationally and it’s following the international agenda closely and added that he is sincerely appreciated ICLEI’s attention to Seferihisar.
PRINCE’S I.S.U. REACHED US$5 BILLION OF FINANCING
Mayor Soyer also shared some information about Prince Charles’ International Sustainability Unit as follows: "Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit was formed in 2010 to address critical challenges to development and the environment. The I.S.U. builds on the success of The Prince’s Rainforests Project, established to find a solution to tropical deforestation, which resulted in international commitments of US$5 billion for immediate financing. The I.S.U. has since implemented programmes focusing on natural capital and resilience, with strands covering food, water and energy security; resource scarcity and depletion as potential conflict multipliers; preventing and reversing deforestation; responsible agricultural investment; and the Illegal Trade in Wildlife. Further programmes address finance for sustainable development, to deliver the outcomes of the international negotiations on development goals and climate change due in 2015; and also sustainable marine fisheries. Work has recently commenced on Sustainable Urbanisation. Considerable success has been achieved in these areas and the I.S.U. has built an international reputation for credible, trusted and neutral convening that is underpinned by well researched and rigorous analysis, and broad consultation with key actors from governments, the private sector and civil society. On behalf of Seferihisar, Izmir and Turkey, we are very proud of attending to an event of this context.”