Candidate for UCLG President 2019-2022 Manifesto from Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan Dear colleagues,
I have served as mayor for over twenty years of my life. Taking active part in the work of UCLG since its foundation, I have witnessed many events, initiatives and achievements. Much has been done over the 15 years of UCLG’s existence. Thanks to the effective work of UCLG’s leadership and support of its members, this organization has grown and expanded its geography. We have succeeded in achieving recognition of UCLG as the world’s key actor in engagement with local governments. Now UCLG is a global network supported by hundreds of authoritative partners worldwide. This means that we are ready to take concrete actions that will benefit concrete cities and concrete people. I am truly honored to declare my candidacy for UCLG Presidency for the period of 2019-2022. I hope I will receive your most precious support in this dignified pursuit, in order to serve you for the next three years.
With my deepest regards, Ilsur Metshin
3 About Me and My Work
I was born in Nizhnekamsk on April 24, 1969 to a working class family. My father was an engineer and my mother worked as a nurse in a local hospital. As a schoolboy, I at first wanted to become a surgeon, then a pilot. But when the time came to make a decision about my future, I chose to practise law. In 1992, I graduated from the law department of the Kazan Kazan was a winner of the prestigious Kazan Universiade 2013 WAS RECOGNIZED AS ONE State University. UN-HABITAT AWARD and served as the venue OF THE BRIGHTEST in the history of the Student for the world habitat day. Games. Kazan earned the title of SPORTS CAPITAL I met my wife when I was in the sixth of Russia. grade. She was a head taller than me at the time. She was my first love, and as it turned out, the love of my life. I have four children – three sons and one daughter. I am very attached to my family. We have breakfast and dinner and spend weekends together. It’s our rule.
Since 2005, TOURIST FLOWS HAVE INCREASED Kazan ranks third in the list of Russian cities with the by 6 times and now there are more than 3 million BEST QUALITY OF LIFE. tourists a year visiting Kazan.
The BIRTH RATE HAS INCREASED more than twice, Kazan ranks among the TOP “GREENEST CITIES in the natural growth rate of the POPULATION HAS Russia”. GONE UP BY 9 TIMES. The average life expectancy has improved by 9 years.
In 2018, Kazan hosted the FIFA WORLD CUP. In August 2019 Kazan will host the WORLDSKILLS COMPETITION.
“As a child I went to my grandmother for the whole summer. She lived in a village. The toilet there was outside and the water had to be collected from a well. My brothers and I always tried to outdo each other in terms of who would bring the most water. At the same time, I thought that in winter my poor old grandmother had to walk on slippery ice carrying heavy buckets. At that time, I promised myself 11 metro stations have been opened and a new Only in the last 5 years, more than 250 km of new train station constructed. The Kazan airport was roads have been built in the city, as well as 11 that when I grew up I would install a completely renovated, after which IT HAS BEEN flyovers along with a large number of bus lanes and water pipeline for my grandmother and NAMED THE BEST regional airport in Russia and cycle paths, which has SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF Kazan is a multinational and tolerant city. for other grandmothers, too.” CIS countries FOUR TIMES. TRAFFIC CONGESTION. 115 NATIONALITIES live in peace here. 4 5 Career and Initiatives
My key priority is to benefit the city and I highly appreciate that Kazan has the honor its people. UCLG provides a unique to be the headquarters of UCLG-Eurasia. opportunity to benefit humanity. The secretariat of UCLG-Eurasia has been successfully functioning for more than 15 years constantly involving new cities.