Category: News from IURC

New Zealand Launches Phase 2 of the EU’s International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme

The EU Delegation to New Zealand hosted the official launch of Phase 2 of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme, welcoming the participation of Christchurch, Taranaki, and Manawatū in this new phase of collaboration. EU Ambassador H E Lawrence Meredith The event began on 10 September with a welcome dinner at Dockside Restaurant on Wellington’s waterfront, where EU Ambassador to New Zealand H.E. Lawrence...

Mobility and Transport Deep Dive: Cities Share Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development

On Monday, 15 September 2025, the IURC AA Thematic Network Webinar Series hosted its second deep dive session on Mobility and Transport, gathering 43 participants from cities around the world. The session highlighted groundbreaking urban development strategies, digital city management, and collaborative efforts to create smarter, more sustainable transportation systems. Key Presentations and InsightsNew Taipei City: Optimizing Public Transportation and Community Engagement Chen Chuan...

IURC Kickstarts Online Thematic Cluster Series with Cities in the EU, Asia and Australasia

The first two online thematic cluster sessions on mobility and transport were held this week, featuring presentations from 6 cities. The sessions counted over 100 participants from IURC pilot cities in the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and India. The initial phase of the IURC thematic clustering approach (September-October 2025) helps pilot cities and regions...

Launching a New Era of Cooperation: IURC Latin America & the Caribbean 2025–2027

We were excited to take part in the official launch event of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) EU–Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC) 2025–2027 program. This initiative brings together cities and regions from Europe partnering with countries and regions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and selected Caribbean cities to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and long-term partnerships.Event Highlights:Welcome Address: Lutz Köppen,...

EU–Taiwan Launch of IURC II Project Strengthens City-to-City Cooperation

Taipei, 5 September 2025 – The International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme (IURC) officially launched its Taiwan component today at the Taipei World Trade Center International Trade Building. The event marked a significant step in fostering collaboration between European and Taiwanese cities.Mr. Lutz Güllner, Head of Office of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) in Taiwan, opened the event...

Launch of Second Phase in Australia with Six Australian Cities and Regions Joining the IURC Programme

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme officially launched its second phase at Melbourne Town Hall on August 27, 2025. The event brought together the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, EU Ambassador to Australia Gabriel Visentin, and the European Union Centre of Excellence at RMIT University, alongside leaders from six selected Australian cities and regions. The IURC...

IURC Asia & Australasia Announces Selection of 30 Cities and 16 Regions from the EU

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme has entered a new and ambitious phase of cooperation with the launch of its introductory thematic clustering sessions. The process brings together 30 EU cities, 16 EU regions, and a similar number of partners from Asia and Australasia (AA), creating a diverse and balanced platform for multilateral collaboration. The geographic spread among...

IURC Asia & Australasia Launches Thematic Cooperation Phase with Global Online Event

The EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation Asia & Australasia (IURC AA) programme officially launched its 2025 thematic clusters with an Online Launch Event held on Wednesday, 3 September 2025, gathering cities and regions across Asia, Australasia, and Europe with 197 participants. This event marked the beginning of a new phase of cooperation focused on thematic clustering and pilot project development aligned with EU...

IURC Malaysia and Singapore Officials Engage ASEAN Forums 2025: ASUF, AGMF, MGMAC in Kuala Lumpur

The EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation for Asia–Australasia extends its sincere thanks to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s Centre of Excellence – Urbanice Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (an IURC non-pilot city), and UCLG-ASPAC for establishing strategic engagement platforms for our IURC cities during the ASEAN Sustainable Urbanization Forum (ASUF), held alongside the ASEAN Governors and Mayors...

EU-Singapore Urban and Regional Cooperation: Kick-off Meeting with Pilot Cities

The IURC Asia-Australasia programme held its fifth kick-off meeting in the Asia-Australasia region with the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), Ministry of National Development, Singapore. Objectives of the kick-off meeting: The meeting served as a platform for EUD Singapore, CLC, and IURC To meet and share their aspirations, and potential areas CLC would like to strengthen in relation to urban...