International Association of Peace Messenger Cities has successfully completed its 25th General Assembly in Kumanovo (Macedonia, FYR)
Over twenty delegates from Peace Messenger Cities, BRIGHTON AND HOVE (UK), KOTOR (MONTENEGRO), KRAGUJEVAC (SERBIA), KUMANOVO (MACEDONIA, FYR), MORPHOU (CYPRUS), PLONSK (POLAND), SLOVENJ GRADEC (SLOVENIA), STRUMICA (MACEDONIA, FYR), WIELUN (POLAND) and ZURRIEQ (MALTA), members of this international organization, have visited the city of Kumanovo in Macedonia (FYR) from October 29 - 31. The main topics of the 30th General Assembly was the migrants' crisis which most of the involved cities are facing in the last few months. Members of the Executive Board of IAPMC met on their meeting prior to the General Assembly, to discuss the agenda and other logistical information. Several important decisions were made: from reactivating the member cities to establishing the new channels of communication between the IAPMC and its member cities, also to expand the International Day of Peace web streaming project. During the General Assembly, two important resolutions were unanimously adopted: »The Kumanovo Appeal« and »Resolution on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)«. The General Assembly, which was chaired by Andrzej Pietrasik, President of the IAPMC and Mayor of Plonsk (Poland), expressed support to the city of Kumanovo, which faced the terrorist activities in May 2015 with devastating consequences both in human lives and material damage to the citizens' property. During the meeting, H.E. Ambassador Louisa Vinton, United Nations resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative, addressed the General Assembly and shared some insights on migration policy of the UN and also commented on the reports which were given by several cities' delegates. Hosts, the Municipality of Kumanovo, also organized a visit to a refugee camp of Tabanovce, near MK-SRB border. During the General Assembly of the IAPMC, a new member city was accepted: the city of Strumica in Macedonia (FYR) thus became the 110th member of this international organization. During the meeting, the city of Kragujevac has presented the exhibition of Antiwar Cartoons, which is biannualy organized by Kragujevac Memorial Museum under hospices of the City of Kragujevac and the IAPMC. The exhibition was displayed at the Kumanovo Municipal Art Gallery.
IAPMC is hereby expressing its gratitude to the City Administration of Kumanovo, to Mayor Zoran Damjanovski in particular and to his staff, for hosting the 30th General Assembly and providing the venue place and excellent support to the Secretariat of the IAPMC. All the delegates were united in their opinion that the Assembly was a remarkable experience and expressed their gratitude to the hosts after the conclusion of the conference.
Andrej Čas, Mayor of Slovenj Gradec (Slovenia)
Secretary-General of the IAPMC
Dušan Stojanovič, Slovenj Gradec (Slovenia)
Deputy Secretary-General of the IAPMC