From June 18th to June 20th, Zhan Decun, Director General of the Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office, led a working group to visit Cape Town, South Africa, and São Paulo, Brazil, attending the Metropolis World Congress 2023 and ICLEI World Congress 2024 in São Paulo. During the congress, Zhan and ICLEI Secretary-General Gino Van Begin witnessed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation (GIUI) and ICLEI. This MoU aims to deepen knowledge and professional exchanges in the field of urban innovation and sustainability, implement projects and initiatives aligned with mutual goals, and jointly promote urban innovation and sustainable development.

ICLEI is the world's largest network of local sustainability partners working to achieve sustainable development through its projects, actions and local initiatives. It is a non-profit, non-political membership organization of more than 1,750 cities and regions from more than 120 countries. In recent years, ICLEI and GIUI has cooperated in varies areas such as the running of the Guangzhou Award and achieving notable results.

In May of this year, Nicholas You, Executive Director of GIUI, visited ICLEI Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, to communicate and share urban innovation insights. The signing of this MoU is a reflection of shared commitment between the two parties to deepen collaboration in promoting sustainable urban development and advancing global agendas. Within this framework, GIUI and ICLEI will further enhance cooperation and knowledge sharing to continue advancing urban innovation's crucial role in achieving sustainable urban development.