The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), an international association leading sustainable development and inclusive digital transformation for cities worldwide, is holding its largest flagship event, the General Assembly (GA), in Latin America for the first time.

WeGO announced on the 10th that it will host its 7th General Assembly from November 26–27 (local time) at the Renaissance São Paulo Hotel in Brazil, under the theme "Smart Cities for People: The Future of Peaceful and Inclusive Cities."

Founded in 2010 under the leadership of its chair city, Seoul, WeGO has previously held its triennial General Assembly in cities such as Seoul (South Korea), Barcelona (Spain), Chengdu (China), and Ulyanovsk (Russia). This marks the first time the event is coming to South America.

As a WeGO vice-chair city, São Paulo is South America's largest metropolis—with a population of around 12 million—and the economic center of Brazil. The city has actively integrated ICT-based innovative policies across its urban management. In 2023, São Paulo received the bronze prize at the 1st Seoul Smart City Prize for its accessible service network mapping project for individuals with disabilities.

The upcoming General Assembly is expected to draw approximately 300 delegates from major cities and organizations worldwide, including Abu Dhabi, Madrid, Bogotá, and Jakarta.

"Digital trust" and "urban innovation," which have emerged as critical topics amid rapid urbanization, will be central themes across the general sessions, mayoral meetings, and specialized panel sessions.

Notably, a joint session hosted by the Seoul Women's Family Foundation and the city of São Paulo will focus on gender equality and digital women’s safety policies. Discussions will explore the future direction of human-centric smart city policies from the perspective of women's safety and gender equality in the wake of expanding digital technologies. Led by WeGO Secretary-General Kim Jung-gi and Seoul Women's Family Foundation President Park Jung-sook, policy officials from member cities such as São Paulo, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), and Abuja (Nigeria) will participate in presentations and debates.

Another highly anticipated session of the General Assembly is the unveiling of the "2026 City Readiness for the Future Index (CFRI)" on November 27.

Launched last year to serve as a digital transformation compass for global cities, the CFRI evaluates how successfully cities are driving human-centric innovation during their digital transitions. Co-developed by WeGO, the Descartes Centre, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the University of Geneva's Smart Sustainable Cities Excellence Centre (UNIGE), the 2026 index deeply analyzes around 100 cities globally.

Bruno Lanvin, Director of the Descartes Centre, will announce the evaluation methodology alongside the new global top 10 cities. In the following panel discussion, representatives from top-ranking cities will share smart city best practices and actionable policy insights.

The General Assembly is also expected to further expand WeGO's global network. Over the past three years since the last assembly, 23 cities, enterprises, and organizations from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America have joined. From South Korea, five entities have joined: Pohang, Busan, LG Electronics, K-coop, and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency. Currently, WeGO counts 201 members, comprising 157 cities, 22 corporations, and 22 institutions.

The General Assembly will also elect new leadership—including the chair city, vice-chair cities, and executive committee cities—to guide WeGO for the next three years until 2029.

Seoul has submitted a single bid for the chair city position, while Madrid (Spain) and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) have applied for vice-chair city roles, pending a vote by the General Assembly. Discussions regarding the host city for the 2027 Executive Committee (EXCOM) meeting will also take place.

Unlike the triennial General Assembly, the Executive Committee is an annual meeting addressing new member admissions, budget approvals, and business performance outcomes.

The establishment of a new regional office is also on the General Assembly agenda. Regional offices act as continental hubs, supporting global network expansion and region-specific customized projects. Discussions during the assembly are expected to center on opening a European regional office.

Currently, WeGO operates four regional offices: Almaty (Central Asia, Kazakhstan), Chengdu (East Asia, China), Abu Dhabi (Middle East, UAE), and Cuenca (Latin America, Ecuador).

"A smart city truly becomes a smart city when technology improves the lives of its citizens," said WeGO Secretary-General Kim Jung-gi. "We will open a human-centric, sustainable future where we jointly tackle challenges like the digital divide and ensure that the benefits of technological innovation are distributed evenly to all citizens."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]