Cali Participates in Singapore in One of the Most Important Summits on Urban Planning
Cali, one of the cities affected by multiple forms of violence and which at times appears besieged by illegal armed groups without an effective response from the national government, seems to be viewed more favorably from abroad. By invitation of Singapore, the capital of Valle del Cauca will participate, starting June 14, in the World Cities Summit 2026, considered one of the most important global forums for discussing the future of cities.
The government of Singapore invited Cali because it recognizes it as an international reference in urban renewal processes, biodiversity, and territorial transformation. In this setting, the city will share experiences, strengthen strategic alliances, and explore opportunities for cooperation and investment with key actors in the global ecosystem.
The summit will bring together leaders from more than 250 cities, as well as multilateral organizations, companies, investors, and knowledge centers from around the world. It will be an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation, attract investment, and position the capital of Valle del Cauca as a Latin American benchmark in urban renewal, biodiversity, innovation, and sustainable development.
A City with the Capacity to Coordinate Efforts
Precisely because it is a golden opportunity, Cali arrives in Singapore with a delegation made up of public entities, universities, companies, and innovation organizations. All of this reflects a shared vision of the city around internationalization, competitiveness, and sustainable development.
With this purpose, the Cali delegation is composed of the Office of International Relations of the Mayor’s Office of Cali and the Municipal Public Utilities Companies of Cali (Emcali), led by its general manager Roger Mina, along with strategic actors from the regional business, academic, and innovation ecosystem such as Invest Pacific, Universidad Icesi, the Antonio José Camacho University Institution, the National Sports School, Zonamerica, and the Yawa Center for Science, Art, and Technology, as well as companies from Cali and Valle del Cauca interested in strengthening international connections and generating new opportunities for the region.
“The joint participation of all these actors reflects a shared vision of the city and demonstrates Cali’s capacity to coordinate efforts around a common purpose: projecting itself to the world as a city that promotes sustainable urban renewal, knowledge, technology, biodiversity, and competitiveness,” explained Lina Ramirez, Director of International Cooperation at the Mayor’s Office of Santiago de Cali, quoted in a statement.
At the summit, Cali will present to international leaders how it is transforming historically strategic areas of the city through initiatives such as the renewal of the Obrero neighborhood, the recovery of the Expanded Downtown of Cali —which includes projects such as San Pascual, El Calvario, El Hoyo, Ciudad Paraiso, and the future Ciudadela de la Justicia— as well as the Jarillon Plan and experiences related to the sustainable management of water resources.
A New Stage of Global Engagement
Participation in Singapore will also bring Cali closer to one of the world’s most dynamic ecosystems of innovation, technology, and urban development, strengthening the city’s strategy of connecting with Asian markets through bilateral meetings.
The mission also includes a city promotion forum in which Cali and Valle del Cauca’s competitive advantages will be presented to Singaporean business leaders, investors, and institutional leaders, supported by ProColombia, the Cali Chamber of Commerce, Propacifico, and Invest Pacific.
“The event will take place on June 17 and, together with the Cali delegation, we will present the main investment projects of both the city and the Valle. We have generated considerable interest, especially among companies related to biomass, biofuels, artificial intelligence, and health services, sectors that are aligned with the competitive advantages of our territory,” said Juan Carlos Castro, executive director of Invest Pacific.
Cali will also have a promotional stand at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, the epicenter of the World Cities Summit 2026, where it will showcase its commitment to biodiversity, urban renewal, innovation, and investment opportunities under the city promotion campaign “Cali is where you should be.”
With this mission, Cali consolidates its internationalization strategy led by Mayor Alejandro Eder, strengthens its presence in Asia, and opens a new stage of global engagement to attract investment, knowledge, and opportunities that contribute to the transformation of the city and the region.