Taoyuan and Taipei mayors sign Pact of Free Cities in support of democracy and freedom

According to the [Secretariat, Taoyuan City Government], Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan

 and Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je have signed the Pact of Free Cities and joined ranks with like-minded mayors to advocate democracy, freedom, and inclusion.

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Taipei and Taoyuan signed the “Pact of Free Cities”. (Photo / Provided by the Taipei City Government)

The Pact of Free Cities, a city network founded by the mayors of the Visegrad Four capitals (Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, and Warsaw), advocates the values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, and seeks to tackle challenges including climate change and social injustice. More than 20 cities from 13 countries have signed the expanded version of the pact.

Taipei City Mayor Ko and Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng are representatives in the Asia-Pacific regions. Mayor Cheng is scheduled to take part in an online session of the Budapest Forum entitled “The Future of Healthcare in a Post-Pandemic World” on September 17, where he will share Taoyuan’s experience fighting the pandemic on social, economic, medical, and technological fronts, and Taoyuan’s future healthcare policies.

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The aim of the pact is to connect democratic cities around the world. (Photo / Provided by the Taipei City Government)

According to the [Secretariat, Taoyuan City Government], the signing of the pact took place at a global mayor’s summit at the Budapest Forum in Hungary, which ran from September 16 to 17. The forum brought together city mayors, civic leaders, and representatives from businesses and academia. Issues under discussion included democratic participation, sustainable development, and medical and technological advancement. It is hoped that discussion at the forum will help stimulate innovation in various fields and lead to solutions to problems plaguing cities around the world.