IURC Steps Up in Singapore: From Talk to Action at World Cities Summit 2026

At the World Cities Summit 2026 (WCS) in Singapore, the European Union's International Urban and Regional Cooperation programme, known as IURC, presented a clear message: cities and regions are no longer just exchanging ideas - they are starting to build solutions together.

The WCS brought together government leaders, experts and academics to discuss the future of cities in a world. In that setting, IURC Asia & Australasia (regional chapter of IURC), an EU project managed by the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) and Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy stood out as a practical example of EU action on how international cooperation can move from discussion to delivery.

From networking to concrete results

IURC Asia & Australasia (AA) has advanced significantly over the past year. The programme has moved beyond early matchmaking and general thematic exchanges into a more structured, implementation-oriented phase. As of today, IURC AA has organised 21 Communities of Practice across ten major themes, including mobility, circular economy, climate adaptation, digital governance, agrifood systems, clean energy and industrial modernisation. The launch of the IURC AA Competitive Fund marks another important shift of gear. For the first time, these Communities of Practice can move towards jointly developed pilot actions supported by dedicated funding leading to a more tangible edge and visible results.

Cities and regions at the heart of the global agenda

IURC's focus closely reflects the wider agenda of the World Cities Summit and of urban policy worldwide including the new EU Agenda for Cities: sustainable development, resilience, inclusion, and the green and digital transitions. The programme currently operating in Asia, Australasia as well as in Latin America matters because cities and regions are increasingly on the front line of global challenges. They must cut emissions, improve mobility, support affordable and liveable communities, strengthen social cohesion and use digital tools in ways that benefit citizens. IURC supports them in doing so not in isolation, but through international partnerships that allow local solutions to travel across borders by creating scalable pilot projects that can attract future investment in each major theme.

Innovation with a human face

Showcasing collaboration and innovation at World Cities Summit , IURC convened 100 City and Regional Leaders to exchange experiences and explore new ideas for sustainable urban and regional development. The workshop was opened by Errol Levy, Chargé d'Affaires of the EU Delegation to Singapore, who highlighted the importance of city-to-city and region-to-region cooperation in addressing increasingly complex global challenges. An opening address was delivered by Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary at Singapore's Ministry of National Development, who emphasised the critical role of international partnerships, innovation and knowledge exchange in building resilient, liveable and sustainable cities. The opening session concluded with a presentation by Andreas Roettger, FPI Regional Team, who provided an overview of the current state of implementation of the IURC programme.

A highlight of the workshop was the Leadership Dialogue on the Future of Cities and Regions. The discussion focused on the tangible benefits generated through IURC cooperation and how international partnerships are helping cities and regions transform shared challenges into opportunities for innovation, resilience and sustainable development.

A growing role for subnational diplomacy and Singapore's message: learn, share, act

One of the strongest messages from the IURC presence in Singapore is that cities and regions have become serious international actors in their own right. The IURC programme now connects more than 140 cities and regions across Europe, Asia, Australasia, Latin America and North America (now, via EU Cities Gateway Programme). More than 40 EU, Asian and Australasian cities and regions took part in the IURC AA annual networking event, underlining the scale of that effort.

Communities of Practice

On the sidelines of the summit, several study visits have taken place to further deepen city-to-city and region-to-region cooperation, and to identify specific pilot actions, under various Communities of Practice.

In Singapore, a study visit was dedicated to affordable housing and social cohesion . While, in Malaysia, delegates discussed cooperation on circular economy (Smart Circular Cities - Wastewater, Waste and Sustainable Development) . More work is underway in other cities and regions across Asia and Australasia and Europe, with specific pilot actions to be developed in the course of the next year. For more information of the thematic clusters/communities of practice, please refer to the overview .