Mayor of The Hague to QNA: Close Cooperation between Qatari Cities and The Hague in Sustainable Development

Mayor of The Hague Jan van Zanen underlined that both Qatari cities and the Hague benefit from closer cooperation to global challenges that cities worldwide face in the field of sustainable development. In a statement to Qatar News Agency , the Mayor of The Hague said that local governments need cooperation to find innovative solutions that foster the Sustainable Development Goals, for example via international networks such as the world's biggest organization of local governments - United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). "In my capacity as Executive President of UCLG, I invite Qatari cities to join UCLG and its World Council that takes place in The Hague this October," he said. Zanen added that being Mayor of The Hague - the International City of Peace and Justice - is a big responsibility, as it is a host city to many international courts, tribunals and other organizations; noting the keenness on providing a healthy, safe, welcoming and favorable working environment for some 500 organizations and 20, 000 people working on peace and justice daily. This ecosystem of Peace and Justice is a strong economic driver in the city. Moreover, it has significant value and impact as we connect global challenges to local solutions and vice versa, he said. He noted that The Hague is largest city in the Netherlands facing the North Sea and the greenest city in Europe. It stands for space, green and a high-quality selection of art and culture, most notably the Mauritshuis which hosts Vermeer's famous "Girl with the Pearl Earring", the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Museum Voorlinden, Escher in the Palace, and the Prison Gate Museum. World known as the city of Peace and Justice, The Hague is the city, where talented people are working on innovations towards building a better, safer and more just world, the Mayor added. In conclusion of his statement to QNA, Mayor of The Hague Jan van Zanen noted that the city has the best value for companies in new energy, finance, legal and policy, IT and technology, impact economy and cyber se curity industries. Together with the Dutch government, academic society and many strong commercial partners are building the most nurturing ecosystem for start ups, scale-ups and corporates. Source: Qatar News Agency