On April 3, 2008 Moscow witnessed the International Forum entitled "Megapolis: XXI century" organized by the International Assembly of Capitals and Large Cities (MAG) and the Moscow City Government. The Forum received approval and support of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the CIS Executive Committee, the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia, the Euro-Asia Regional Section of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). The Forum gathered 96 CIS cities including a delegation from Ufa City Municipal District Administration headed by the Deputy Head of Ufa City Administration, Albina Yusupova.
The program of the Forum included a plenary session, the first CIS review competition «The best CIS city», international socially oriented exhibition "Megapolis: XXI century", numerous master-classes, conferences and round-tables.
The main issue of the Forum read "Large cities as a resource of social and economic development of countries".
The plenary session was opened by the President of MAG, Mayor of Moscow City, Yuriy Luzhkov. The attention of the participants was drawn to the consolidated report «Large cities as a resource of social and economic development of countries". The report reflected the align position of the MAG member cities on the discussed issue as well as recommendations on its effective solution. The report was aimed at substantiating the position of the MAG concerning the issue of the importance of capital cities, administrative centers and large CIS cities as a resource of developing these countries and regions and the necessity to use the advantages of unique concentration of social, economic, infrastructural, cultural, innovational and intellectual potential of the CIS in the mentioned cities more efficiently.
Results of the first review competition for the title of "The best CIS city" aimed at exposing best examples of administration experience in different areas of the city life for their further expansion were summarized at the Forum. The number of competing cities totaled 70.
Ufa City Municipal District became the winner of the competition in the following nominations:
- achievements in the area of organizing tutorship and curatorship;
- successful reformation of the general education system;
- creation of competitive environment in the system of managing municipal facilities;
- introduction of innovative technologies into public utilities.
The socially oriented exhibition under the title of "Megapolis: XXI century" has become one of the key events of the Forum where various achievements in social and economic development of large cities, practical results, solutions and best examples of solving priority tasks in education, health care, ecology, entrepreneurship and city administration were presented.
At the closing sitting of the Forum, A Resolution of the International Forum "Megapolis: XXI century" and Address of the Forum participants to heads of states and governments of participant CIS countries were adopted.
Following the results of the Forum and the review competition, topical series of methodical and training manuals will be published comprising examples of best administration experience encouraging steady development of cities, improvement of city administration and efficient solution of social problems.
