Implementation Status of Local Economic Development (LED) in Benin

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Video Interview with Ms. Georgette Djenontin Bada , Officer in charge of Local economic development and resource mobilization within the National Association of Municipalities of Benin (ANCB). Find transcription below .

In Benin, what is the implementation status of Local economic development? 

In In Benin, it is true that several activities have been carried out in terms of Local economic development. Several strategies have been developed, in particular the ECOLOC approach, formerly steered by the PDM (Partnership for municipal development), the players of which are today at the level of the continental umbrella organization, UCLG Africa. It is a program which had  designed a local economic development strategy in certain municipalities in Benin. I admit that after the Partnership for Municipal Development (PDM) there have been other partners who have also initiated some actions in the sector but I must recognize that the little that I fundamentally know in Benin concerns the ECOLOC studies. As regards  the issue of LED, there is a problem that remains: we do not have a national policy for local economic development. There are attempts at strategies.

In 2012, UCLG Africa was willing to support Benin, which has started to draw up such a strategy, and UCLG Africa has implemented PADEL, the Support Program for local economic development, which has gained ground between 2012 and 2014. What did we have to do? There was talk of developing a national strategy for local economic development. Over time we have identified a certain demand for legislation that needed to be revisited. It was a question of seeing local economic development taken into account in that legislation . We were able to do this thanks to the technical and financial support of UCLG Africa.

We have continued the process up to a given level: for the moment things are a bit in a standby mode. The ECOLOC studies had been implemented in the department of Borgou. We started in a commune of the Donga area called Djougou. The process has been implemented up to a certain level. Unfortunately after these studies carried out at great cost with the help of the PDM over time and recently with the help of UCLG Africa, the municipalities have not been able to implement the projects initiated. However, the purpose of the ECOLOC studies is to identify a certain number of projects to be implemented at the level of local authorities to promote youth employment, income sharing, etc.

How long ago has the implementation of LED been really started in Benin ? 

I can tell you that there is a first period from 2000 until around 2008 when the first ECOLOC studies were carried out in Benin and there is another period from 2012 in 2014. These are the 2 main stages of ECOLOC studies in Benin.

How can you define Local Economic Development (LED) in a simplified way ? 

Before answering your question, I would like to say that local economic development is a very broad and multi-thematic concept that brings together all sectors. When someone talks about transport, economic development is part of the equation  because farmers who are in their field and who cultivate, harvest, and who do not have enjoy infrastructure to transport products from the field to the market  are facing a problem. So people say that everyone must be able to feel concerned by Local Economic Development:  people in the agricultural sector, in fisheries, in transport, and other sectors. For me, local economic development is a whole-government approach that brings together all the sectoral ministries. Even when one talks about health, local economic development is there.

In summary what is it all about ? 

It is about actions. One must think, see for example within a territory for example what the economic potential is ? What value should be added to this potential to generate income ? And when one talks about income, one means jobs and when one talks about jobs, it is also about paying taxes. It is a whole chain. Local economic development is not like an object that you have to touch to say this is local economic development, but it is a whole process.

In The Press: African Local Governments in Action in the Fight Against Coronavirus

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The coronavirus pandemic currently affecting the world places cities and local authorities at the heart of the fight against the spread of COVID19. In Africa ,  mayors are stepping up awareness raising actions among the populations.

Find below a brief overview of the media reporting on the actions carried out by local authorities on the continent in March 2020.

Press review (12  -17 April 2020): Here 

Press review (30 March -03 April 2020) : Here .

Press review (23-27 March 2020):  Here .

Press review (16-20 March 2020):  Here.

Survey on SDG Localization: LRG Report to the HLPF 2020

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Acknowledging the new difficult situation created by the COVID19, we would like to kindly invite our regional sections, the national associations of local and regional governments and all our members, local governments and regions to answer the Survey on SDG Localization before April 20, 2020.

The survey aims to assist the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments in the realization of the report on local and regional governments’ role in the localization of the SDGs. This information will be shared at the forthcoming High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) – i.e. the United Nations central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – in July 2020, in New York.

Specially this year, we would like to underline innovative actions or integrated initiatives developed by our members to contribute to accelerate the localization of the SDGs (including actions to face the COVID19 crisis). We need your support to share and include in your answers cases studies or information about these experiences that could be included in our report to show the implementation efforts of our constituency.

We remind you that you may download  the survey and send it back to the following address: gold@uclg.org or complete it online.

This call is especially important for the local governments, and their national associations, from the 51 countries that have committed to submit their national reviews to the 2020 HLPF.

International Women’s Day 2020: Message from the President of the Network of Local Elected Women of Africa (REFELA)

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Read the message transcribed here. 

 

Postponement of the Official Launch of the celebration of Rabat, African Capital of Culture

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The Organizing Committee of the African Capitals of Culture informs the public and interested institutions that the official launch of the celebration of Rabat, African Capital of Culture, initially scheduled for March 26, 2020, is postponed to a later date in accordance with Order No. 4917 of the Ministry of the Interior dated March 4, 2020, on the measures taken as part of the fight against the risk of propagation of the Coronavirus – COVID19.

 

For the Organizing Committee,

The President

Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi

The Secretary General of UCLG Africa

Download The Release here. 

Read the press release relating to the designation of Rabat, African Capital of Culture 2020-2021.

We are Hiring : Staff for the Academy of Local Governments of Africa (ALGA)

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UCLG Africa is launching a call for applications to join the staff of its ‘African Local Government Academy  (ALGA).

Two posts are open:

– Officer in charge of Accreditation, Labeling and Quality Assurance

-Officer in charge of the African Local Human Resources Observatory

To have all the necessary information to apply for one of the proposed positions: the requested profile, missions, tasks, required skills, … interested candidates are invited to click on the document here and read it carefully.

Please note that interested candidates for each position MUST include:

1- A cover letter, specifying salary expectations;
2- A detailed CV;
3- Certified copies of degrees and work certificates;
4- Professional references;
5- And a photo ID.

A candidate can apply to only one of the three positions.

Applications should be submitted to The Secretary General of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-Africa) before March 31, 2020 at the following e-mail addresses: info@uclga.org and najat_zarrouk@yahoo.fr or to: The United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-Africa), 22, Essaadyine Street, Hassan District, Zip Code 10020, Rabat- Morocco, with the mention in the object “ALGA RECRUITEMENT STAFF”.

CULTURE – AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

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During the World Urban Forum 10 in Abu Dhabi, 8-13 February, the theme Connecting Culture and Innovation was the focus of UCLG Africa’s sessions that took stock of the emerging innovative approaches and practices that harness culture and innovation as drivers for sustainable development.  Culture provides the connections between urbanisation, innovation and pride as a basis for achieving inclusive, safe, and resilient cities and to this end, UCLG Africa’s side events were organised to explore how Africa’s Rich Cultural Heritage specifically lends itself to the sustainable development of Africa’s cities.

What Culture means to Africa’s Sustainable Development.

One of UCLG Africa’s newest projects, the “African Capitals of Culture,” consolidates culture as the fourth pillar of the sustainable development for African cities and territories. “Culture is at the beginning and end of all development,” said poet-president Leopold Sedar Senghor. From the cities of Rabat in North Africa to Maputo in Southern Africa, rapid urbanization is impacting on city development creating many challenges, but also emerging opportunities. The programme will bring together African cities, home to immeasurable cultural richness and diversity, to share best practice on how this cultural wealth and expression can contribute to the development of cities and its populations.

Read more here. 

African Territorial Agency: What is expected in 2020

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In this year 2020, the implementation process of the Africa Territorial Agency, which is a financial cooperative institution to facilitate the access of African cities and local authorities to the financial market, is following its course. After the meeting of the members of the Agency’s founding club held in November 2019 in Durban (South Africa), the roadmap foresees for this year the holding of two general assemblies.

The first on “Approval of the economic model and risk assessment framework”. The second on “Approval of the institutional structure and internal rules”.

In view of these deadlines, two studies will be launched on the economic model and risk management.  The results of these studies will make it possible to adopt the best model adapted to the realities of African cities and local authorities, taking into account the specificities of each region.

While waiting for these two deadlines, the ATA is being popularized among local authorities and UCLG Africa’s partners. This was the case in Abu Dhabi during the WUF. A working session was held with the African Development Bank (ADB), with whom collaboration on this issue has been underway since the beginning of the process. Notably, during the definition in 2019 of the “Readiness” program which was done with the support of the AfDB to prepare the first candidate communities for the loan, to strengthen their institutional capacities, improve the mobilization of own resources, ensure sound financial management and improve the quality of local public expenditure.

The working session was held in the presence of :   Mr. Léandre Nzué, President of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre ELong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Amadou Oumarou, AfDB Director of Transport and ICT, Mr. Stephan Atchia, Manager of the AfDB Urban Division and Mr. François Paul Yatta, Director of Programmes of UCLG Africa.

As a reminder, the roadmap extends over the period 2019-2022, to reach the first issue and the first loan in 2022. Three key factors support this approach:

– To have cities and territories invested to convince the international financial community;

– Have a sequenced process to guarantee the solidity of the institutional and financial set-up;

– Have States and institutions to sponsor an innovative and ambitious approach.

More information on the Africa Territorial Agency (ATA) : see LEDNA Newsletter here.

Preparation for Africitites 9 and future partnerships

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The World Urban Forum also provided a framework for UCLG Africa to hold working sessions and bilateral meetings.   Thus, an update was given on the preparations for the Africities 9 summit scheduled for 16-20 November 2021 in Kisumu, Kenya. Mr Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu, Mr Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa and Mr Mpho Moruakgomo, President of BALA, UCLG Africa Vice-President for the Southern African region, took part in the exchanges. It was agreed to start the mobilization of local and regional authorities as of now.  The proposed wording for the theme of the summit is: “Implementing Agenda 2063 for real: the role of African intermediate cities”.

The working session with the Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union (AU), Ms. Minata Samaté, focused on the upcoming organization of an African forum on urbanization by the AU. The collaboration of UCLG Africa was requested for this project. UCLG Africa agreed to participate and also proposed that the theme of one of the next AU Heads of State Summits should be “Managing urbanization in the transformation of the continent’s local and regional authorities“.  In this perspective, the African forum on urbanization would be a first step.  The Commissioner was also re-launched on the elaboration of the Charter on Urban Development by CTS No. 8. She gave the assurance of her committee that the latter charter would be drawn up by CTS No. 8 alongside the two existing charters: the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development and the African Charter on Housing and Urban Development.

During his audience on 10 February with General Mahmoud Shaarawy, Minister of Local Development of Egypt, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, proposed the organization in Cairo of an international conference on waste management as part of the celebration of World Cities Day followed by an exhibition fair showing good practices made on the continent.  The Minister took into account the proposal whose feasibility will be studied by his services with a view to a response in March.

The two parties will meet in March in Cairo for the signing of the headquarters agreement for the UCLG Africa office for the North Africa region.

A meeting was also held between UCLG Africa and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for future collaboration on sanitation issues.

At WUF, Africa is preparing for the Africa-France summit

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From 8 to 13 February 2020, UCLG Africa participated in the tenth edition of the World Urban Forum (#WUF 10) held in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. 540 sessions were held during the forum organized by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the General Secretariat of the Executive Council and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Participants from international organizations, national, local and regional governments, the private sector, civil society, universities and other actors discussed different aspects of the forum’s theme: “Cities of opportunity”: Connecting culture and innovation”.

During the six days of the forum, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, took part in 9 main sessions.

At the consultative meeting of African ministers of housing and urban development held on 11 February, participants started the consultation process to speak with one voice and reviewed the preparation of the Africa-France Summit in the first part, and the UN-Habitat Strategic Action Plan 2020-2023 and African perspectives, in the second part. The meeting held in the presence of Mrs. Minata Samaté, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union (AU) resulted in the following main recommendations:

– The African strategy that will be presented at the Africa-France summit in Bordeaux from 4 to 6 June 2020, will highlight the realities of the continent by identifying African priorities in terms of urbanization of cities;

-African solutions should be proposed at this meeting taking into account the specificities of cities in our different regions (conflict zones, migration, climate change, etc.);

– A final preparatory meeting should be held in March in order to harmonize the African position towards the Africa-France Summit.

Mrs. Minata Samaté took the opportunity to appeal to AU Member States to ratify the charters initiated by her department: The African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development (07 ratifications to date) and the African Charter on Housing and Urban Development.

During the meeting, UCLG Africa pleaded for local and regional governments not to be left on the sidelines during the Bordeaux summit (see the video here).

The session of UCLG Africa on the presentation of its programme “African Capitals of Culture”, organized on 12 February and the participation of UCLG Africa in the session on the location of SDGs with a focus on culture reiterated the place of culture as the fourth pillar of development in cities and local governments, according to UCLG’s Agenda 21.

This axis defended by local and regional governments at the WUF was indeed taken into account in the final declaration of the forum under point 3 . “We, the participants of WUF 10, are convinced that culture is an integral part of the solution to the challenges of urbanisation and achieving the New Urban Agenda. The urban environment, in turn, has an influence on culture. Culture is a core component of local identity including heritage, creativity and diversity and urbanisation need to be planned, designed and managed to enhance this. Culture is considered by some constituencies as the fourth pillar of sustainable development and must be a stronger strand of global solidarity….”.

Taking part in the session “Land use and regeneration policies” organized by Climate Chance, Mr. Mbassi stressed that in “Africa, sustainable development must go through intermediate cities. The speed of urbanization on the continent means that authorities generally do not have time to plan“.