Official invitation to visit the 3rd General Assembly by Mr. Gunso Kim

Friday, April 25, 2014

The 3^rd WeGO General Assembly from November 3 – 6, 2014 in Chengdu, China

Spring greetings from the WeGO Secretariat!

We are pleased to inform you that the 3^rd WeGO General Assembly will take place from November 3 to 6, 2014 in Chengdu, China on the theme of “Engaging Citizens: Open, Sharing, and Collaborative Cities.” Following the 2^nd General Assembly held in Barcelona, Spain in 2012, we are excited that the next General Assembly will be hosted by Chengdu, China, which also hosts the WeGO Asia Regional Office, Chengdu.

The start of the year 2014 has brought fresh changes for the WeGO Secretariat including its office relocation and recruitment of new officers.  With the strengthened Secretariat, we are looking forward to the active development and implementation of WeGO programs and activities.  In this regard, as the Secretary General of WeGO, I recently met with World Bank and UN officials in the United States, and reached agreements to strengthen the cooperative partnership between WeGO and these organizations.  The Secretariat is planning a host of activities for 2014, including an updated WeGO website, e-Government training programs in Seoul as well as the WeGO Europe and Asia Regional Offices in the Ulyanovsk Region and Chengdu, respectively, and the 3^rd WeGO General Assembly.

Mayors, chief information officers, and public officers of cities and local governments, as well as international organizations/agencies, research institutes and IT companies will gather from all over the world to participate in the 3^rd WeGO General Assembly.  This major four-day event will consist of General Assembly sessions that will cover key WeGO agenda; the Mayors’ Roundtable Meeting; workshops on e-Government issues with a focus on the theme of “Engaging Citizens”; matchmaking meetings to connect participants; exhibitions; and gala dinners and tours.

The Mayors’ Roundtable Meeting

The Mayors’ Roundtable Meeting is a special closed event designed for Mayors and Vice-Mayors of cities and local governments participating in the 3rd WeGO General Assembly.  This is a unique platform for top city decision-makers to exchange their experiences and thoughts on e-Government issues and challenges, and to network with their counterparts from other cities.

The WeGO Awards

Furthermore, WeGO will hold the 2^nd WeGO Awards Ceremony at the General Assembly and recognize excellence in e-Government in the following five categories: Services, Urban Management, Open City, Efficiency and Digital Divide.  This is a unique opportunity for a city to gain recognition for its achievements in e-Government on an international scale.  Application for the 2nd WeGO Awards is open to all cities, local governments, public organizations and agencies around the world.  I strongly encourage your city to apply to the WeGO Awards at http://awards.we-gov.org/how-to-apply/guidelines/.  The deadline for submitting an application is July 31, 2014.

Please find enclosed a draft program of the General Assembly and more details on the WeGO Awards.  You will shortly receive an official invitation to the WeGO 3^rd General Assembly co-signed by the Mayor of Seoul, the President City of WeGO, and the Mayor of Chengdu, the host city of the General Assembly.

I warmly invite you and your city to mark the dates November 3 – 6, 2014 in your calendar and to join us at the 3^rd WeGO General Assembly in Chengdu.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Yours truly,

Gunso Kim
Secretary General of WeGO