Mission Report 31 October - 4 November 2016
On 24 August 2016, during his first visit to Europe, Mr Phyo Min Thein, Chief Minister of Yangon, signed a friendship and cooperation agreement with the Mayor of Paris, Mrs Anne Hidalgo. This agreement aims to develop exchanges between the two cities with the emphasis on urban development and civic participation. It is linked to the Franco-Burmese strategic partnership and the desire expressed by Aung San Suu Kyi to base Yangon’s development on the Paris model, in terms of the preservation of heritage, links between the city and the river and the design and management of public spaces.
An initial delegation from the City of Paris and Apur, consisting of Éric Jean-Baptiste (DU : Urban Planning Department), Christiane Blancot (Apur : Paris Urban Planning Agency), Olivier RICHARD (Apur) and Élodie CUENCA (DGRI : General Delegation for International Relations), visited Yangon from 30 October to 4 November 2016. In order to identify the expectations of local teams and align Paris’cooperation with French initiatives, the visit was organised around technical meetings and the organisation of a first urban workshop on three themes: urban landscape and skyline issues, regulatory instruments, and project management.
Confronted with increasing and rapid urbanization, and with the country opening itself up, the city of Rangoon is facing challenges in urban planning and management. The authorities and technical services of the city are waiting for models, tools and feedback to frame and guide the sustainable development of their city. In this regard, the cooperation between Paris and Yangon is remarkable for being a unique partnership between two local authorities, based on the sharing of experience and dialogue between peers.
On the basis of this mission, a programme of urban cooperation is currently being drawn up for the 2017-2019 period which will draw on the expertise of the City of Paris and Apur.
