TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini was unanimously elected the President of the United Cities Local Government (UCLG) of Asia Pacific for 2018-2020 at the UCLG Congress held in Surabaya, East Java, from September 13 to 15. Risma was surprised as she had never campaign.

"But this is a tough task and must be carried out in a trustworthy manner," Risma said at the closing of the UCLG Congress at Dyandra Convention Hall, on Friday.

The first female mayor in Surabaya City pointed out that she has in mind several programs related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"Not all programs (SDGs) can be carried out because it takes a long time, while this position is only for two years. In Surabaya, I have only been able to work on the programs for eight years," he said.

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Some of the programs that Risma will focus on include those related to children and education. In addition, there is also poverty, clean governance and global warming.

"We want to make the experiences we have in Surabaya useful for the global community," she said.

The first agenda that she will carry out as the President of the UCLG ASPAC is to hold the inaugural meeting in North Korea in October 2018. Before that, Risma will conduct a number of visits abroad including being a speaker at the UN meetings in Vienna, Austria, and Nairobi, Kenya.

Even though the trips abroad will be hectic, Risma will not forget her obligations as the Mayor of Surabaya.

"I use electronics to monitor all the work in the Surabaya City Administration. I have a lot of cameras. Even service areas have cameras," Tri Rismaharini said.

ANTARA