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WORLD MAYOR 2018
Profiles |
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FRONT PAGE About World Mayor City Mayors Foundation    WORLD MAYOR 2018 • Results 2018 • Project 2018 • Shortlist 2018 • Longlist 2018 • Raison d'être • World Mayor history • World Mayor Prize • Code of Ethics • Criteria • Meet the Press INTERVIEWS WITH • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Zamboanga ESSAYS BY • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Cologne • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Fort Worth • Mayor of Lille • Mayor of Paris • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Saarbrücken • Mayor of Trbovlje • Mayor of Tunis • Mayor of Zamboanga TESTIMONIALS • Mayor of Alphen / Rijn • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Baden-Baden • Mayor of Calais • Mayor of Chemnitz • Mayor of Cologne • Mayor of Cozumel • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Fort Worth • Mayor of Grand Rapids • Mayor of Lille • Mayor of Lodz • Mayor of Molenbeek • Mayor of Narayanganj • Mayor of Oakland • Mayor of Omaha • Mayor of Paris • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Reutlingen • Mayor of Saarbrücken • Mayor of San Juan • Mayor of Trbovlje • Mayor of Tunis • Mayor of Zamboanga • Mayor of Zurich PROFILES OF • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Cologne • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Fort Worth • Mayor of Lille • Mayor of Paris • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Saarbrücken • Mayor of Trbovlje • Mayor of Tunis • Mayor of Zamboanga WORLD MAYOR 2016 WORLD MAYOR 2014 WORLD MAYOR 2012 WORLD MAYOR 2010 WORLD MAYOR 2008 WORLD MAYOR 2006 WORLD MAYOR 2005 WORLD MAYOR 2004 |
 Henriette RekerMayor of Cologne (Köln) Germany World Mayor 2018: Mayor of Distinction 12 February 2019: Henriette Reker has been Lord Mayor of Cologne (population 1.1 million), North Rhine Westphalia, since October 2015. Between 2010 and her election as Mayor, she was the city’s Commissioner for Social Affairs, which included responsibility for refugees. On the eve to her election as Mayor, she was the victim of a knife attack, motivated by her welcoming attitude towards refugees. Despite the attack, Henriette Reker, as mayor, continued her support for refugees and their integration into Cologne’s civic society. In her World Mayor essay she writes “We are providing support to refugees, enabling them to become committed members of our democratic society.” Henriette Reker has been in local government since 2000 when she was elected to the city council in nearby Gelsenkirchen. She became a member of Cologne’s city council in 2010. As a Deputy Mayor responsible for integration, she pressed the German government for more resources to enable cities to properly support refugees and other migrants and sustain social cohesion. After recovering from her injuries in late 2015, Mayor Reker continued to work to make the city one that provides a welcome to people in desperate need. In her essay she writes that, whilst challenging, the issue of integration of refugees also presents cities, especially larger ones, with opportunities. Mayor Reker says “we cannot and will not be able to afford to have individuals, families or whole city quarters (districts) being left behind.” Whilst emphasising the city’s commitment to integration and social cohesion, she warns that it should not be taken for granted that even in a city like Colonge the “ice cold wind of extremism will not blow in our face.” Prior to her career in local government, Henriette Reker worked as a lawyer and legal advisor to several professional bodies and social organisations. The priorities she has pursued as mayor have included the provision of adequate and affordable housing, the extension of sustainable mobility infrastructure, access to finance for everyone and changes to the education system to provide a more equal service to all residents. In her World Mayor essay, Mayor Reker writes about the overarching challenge posed by climate change and says “cities are not only the source of major problems such as the emission of greenhouse gases. They are also essential in coming up with solutions by managing the consumption of resources with the help of planning and regulatory measures. “In a marker of that Cologne has adopted the United Nation’s Agenda 2030.” Extract from Mayor Reker’s essay: Over one million people live in Cologne today. They are faced with numerous issues: A strong population growth as well as shifting age structures, climate change and climate protection measures, new mobility demands, digitalisation and skills for a transforming economy to name but a few. The related enormous challenges that need to be addressed are in particular the provision of adequate and affordable housing, the extension of a sustainable mobility infrastructure, the creation of equal education opportunities and access to equitable financing for all generations. This will only be successful if it is based on a strong social cohesion, a common political culture and an efficient administration. Furthermore, it will depend on every single individual, regardless if they were born here or elsewhere, young or old, seeking refuge or settled down in their new home country. Entrepreneur or worker – we cannot and will not be able to afford to have our children and families and even complete city quarters being left behind. All of them matter to me when it comes to the development of our growing city. MORE Typical tribute: I think Henriette Reker should win the World Mayor Prize because she has had to deal with so many diverse political and social problems in her short time as Mayor. She has had to endure several serious threats to her life and her term of office commenced with an attack from a right wing extremist that almost killed her, the day prior to her election. She is the first woman to be elected mayor of Cologne, the first independent candidate to be elected Mayor and the first person to win an election in a coma! If that doesn’t qualify her for the Mayor of the year, I don’t know what would. MORE Further reading ESSAY | TRIBUTES |