Date: 2008-05-12
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Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg have today announced a new partnership between the two leading cities. At a successful meeting between the Mayors, an agreement was made to establish an exchange programme designed to share best practices in government innovation.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg have today announced a new partnership between the two leading cities.
At a successful meeting between the Mayors, an agreement was made to establish an exchange programme designed to share best practices in government innovation.
Mayor Bloomberg travelled to London on Friday to meet with Boris Johnson to discuss how leading officials could work together to explore lessons learned by both administrations and help in the implementation of key initiatives.
The Innovation Exchange Programme will focus on designing practical, efficient, and effective policies, overcoming implementation challenges, and evaluating success in making government more transparent, accountable, accessible and efficient, with an emphasis on public safety and emergency management.
As well as a formal exchange of ideas the programme will include personnel exchanges to ensure ideas and policy proposals are developed in partnership.
Areas likely to be included in the transatlantic exchange:
Transparency and Accountability
Efficiency
Transport
Policing
Education and skills
Environmental policy
Commenting on the transatlantic partnership and launch of the Innovation Exchange Programme, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said:
“Mayor Bloomberg has shown inspirational leadership and I am delighted we are establishing this new era of co-operation. I have been particularly impressed by Mayor Bloomberg’s achievements in expanding educational opportunities, providing more accountable government and delivering taxpayer value. With new Mayoral responsibilities for skills in the capital this exchange programme will be of enormous value to Londoners. I am looking forward to working closely with Mayor Bloomberg in the future.”
Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg said:
“New York and London have a special relationship as two of the world’s greatest cities: we not only compete with one another, we learn from each other. No matter where in the world you’re Mayor, the goals are always the same: clean streets; strong schools; thriving businesses; and, most important, safe neighborhoods. In New York, we’ve worked extremely hard in each of these areas, and now our citizens are living longer and healthier lives, our schools are turning around, crime has fallen to historic lows, and tourists continue to visit in record numbers. Mayor Johnson and I had a productive discussion about these and other issues this morning, and I look forward to working with him on the challenges we share.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
The initial agreement of an exchange programme was made at a meeting of the two Mayors at City Hall on Friday 9 May.
Each side will bear their own costs of any travel involved in the exchange programme.
Mayor Bloomberg has been Mayor of New York since 2001 and was re-elected in 2005. His role, in a post which has been directly elected by New Yorkers since 1834, puts him in charge of all city services such as rubbish collection, social services, policing, fire and schools in the city of eight million people.