GCA and United Cities and Local Governments of Africa sign Memorandum of Understanding to scale up locally-led adaptation in Africa

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To turn ideas into adaptation action in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions: Africa, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) against the backdrop of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.

The new agreement, signed on 9th November, will facilitate and strengthen collaboration between GCA and UCLG Africa, the leading umbrella organization for African local governments, to support the urgent scale-up of locally-led adaptation throughout a continent that has the fastest urbanization rate in the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa, about 40 percent of the population lives in urban areas, up from 22 percent in 1980.

The African continent is disproportionately threatened by heatwaves, flooding and drought, and low-lying coastal areas, where about half of African settlements with 1-5 million inhabitants are located, have specific climate risks due to sea level rise and increased flood frequency, as stated in GCA’s flagship report State and Trends in Adaptation 2021, focused on the African continent.

UCLG Africa President Christine Mba Ndutume Mihindou, GCA CEO Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen, and UCLG Africa Secretary-General Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi

The Africa-led Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), developed jointly by GCA and the African Development Bank (AfDB), aims to mobilize $25 billion for adaptation in Africa in the next five years to address the impacts of COVID-19, climate change and the economy.

In line with the AAAP, the new agreement with UCLG Africa will promote the development and implementation of plans and programs to strengthen adaptation and resilience in African cities and territories, which provide unique opportunities for adaptation action because of their early stages of urbanization, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, and post-pandemic recovery.

“Working jointly with UCLG Africa, an organization that channels the united voice of local African governments, will enable GCA to deliver the AAAP on the ground in this region where adaptation can no longer be delayed, and immediate action is required,” said Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA, who signed the MoU along with Secretary General of UCLG Africa Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi.

The MoU provides a framework for cooperation in three main areas: Programs and Action, Knowledge Acceleration and Advocacy and Agenda Setting.

GCA and UCLG Africa will jointly create platforms and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning for local governments and stakeholders, facilitate partnerships to bolster local government capacity and strengthen the gender approach in climate adaptation.

In terms of knowledge acceleration, the organizations aim to strengthen the framework for the acquisition and reporting of information and data related to resilience and adaptation by cities and local governments. They will also co-create knowledge products such as tool kits and knowledge-sharing platforms for local governments to assist them in identifying good adaptation practices.

Finally, the organizations will work jointly to advocate for early, strong and inclusive adaptation action by subnational and local governments, including through advocacy fora such as a Partnerships Market place for scaling up Locally-led Adaptation. They plan to explore options and barriers to accessing adaptation financing for urban and rural governments, where feasible, through GCA and UCLG Africa’s programs and initiatives and will promote African city leadership at regional and global fora, showcasing the challenges of climate adaptation across African countries and also the solutions ready to be scaled.

GCA will participate in UCLG Africa’s 9th Africities Summit, to be held from 17th to 21st May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya. The events’ theme is “The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the African Union Agenda 2063.”

About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to accelerate, innovate and scale adaptation action worldwide, in partnership with the public and private sector, to work together for a climate resilient future. Founded in 2018, the GCA is hosted by the Netherlands, working from its headquarters in Rotterdam with a knowledge and research hub based in Groningen. The GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Dhaka, Bangladesh and Beijing, China. Through this evolving network of offices and global and regional GCA teams, the organization engages in high-level policy activities, new research contributions, communications, and technical assistance to governments and the private sector.

For more information, visit www.gca.org.

About the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa
Founded in 2005 in Tshwane, South Africa, the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), is an international pan African organization that aims to spearhead the decentralization of local governance in Africa.

Founded through a constitution adopted by mayors of African cities, its primary goal is to actualize the establishment of local governments with distinct legal and political personalities and financial autonomy. UCLG Africa is governed by a constitution which states that it is mandated to serve as the unified voice of local governments on the African continent. It was formed through the unification of three continental groups serving the interests of local governments and represents almost 350 million African citizens.

UCLG Africa acts to strengthen the capacity of local governments to provide better services to their population, to support and train Local Government Associations, and represent local authorities at the pan-African and international level.

For more information, visit www.uclga.org.

Contact
Alexandra Gee
Head of Communications, Global Center on Adaptation
alex.gee@gca.org

Source

Join us at Africities 9 Summit in Kisumu (Kenya)

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United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), the Pan-African Organization of Local and Regional Governments, is organizing from 17 to 21 May 2022, in Kisumu (Kenya) the 9th edition of the Africities Summit (Africities 9). The Summit is organized, under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic of Kenya, by UCLG Africa, in close collaboration and partnership with the National Authorities of Kenya, the Council of Governors and the County of Kisumu.

As a flagship event of UCLG Africa, the Africities Summit is considered to be the most important platform for dialogue organized in Africa on Decentralization, Local Governance, and Local Development, as well as on the contribution of Local and Regional Governments to the unity, the development and the integration of Africa.

The Africities 9 Summit will welcome more than 5,000 participants representing the whole eco-system of Decentralization, Local Governance, and Local and Territorial Development. The theme chosen for the 9th edition of the Summit is: “THE ROLE OF AFRICAN INTERMEDIARY CITIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS AGENDA 2030 AND OF THE AFRICAN UNION AGENDA 2063“.

The Africities Summit will take place over 5 days and normally includes on the one hand, a series of conferences, sessions and workshops; and on the other hand, an international exhibition offering a market place where public and private suppliers of goods and services to Local Government meet decision-makers from Local and Regional Governments, with the possibility of organizing a series of B2B meetings.

This flagship event of UCLG Africa offers you the opportunity:

– to meet the various actors and stakeholders involved in the process of Decentralization, Local Governance, and Local and Territorial Development in Africa, and learn from them;
– to organize thematic sessions and workshops related to the general theme of the Summit;
– to rent a booth at the Africities9 International Exhibition to give visibility to your organization, achievements, projects and good practices, and to highlight and share your experiences, partnerships and networks. We encourage you to be party of the Country Pavillon ;
– to further consolidate the management of territories and strengthen the contribution of African  local authorities to African integration and unity.

The Summit is also the moment when UCLG Africa holds its ordinary General Assembly during which the members of the bureaus of the organization’s statutory bodies are elected and renewed.
The 9th Edition of the Africities Summit will be held for the first time in an Intermediary City, in this case at Kisumu in Kenya.

The Summit is divided into the following main segments:

I- An opening speech after the official opening ceremony of the Summit;

II-Parallel thematic sessions during the first day of the Summit. Thus, Five (5) thematic sessions    will take place, supported by respective reference documents on:
* The state and dynamics of intermediary cities in the urbanization of Africa;
* The role of intermediary cities in the creation of wealth and the economic development of Africa;
* African intermediary cities facing the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate and biodiversity crisis;
* The challenge of financial and human resources in the management of intermediary cities in Africa;

* African intermediary cities in the urban social and cultural fabric.
III- Sessions on Local Policies and Strategies
These Sessions are aiming to explore the different ways of thinking and managing the five basic functions of local and subnational governments in the context of intermediary cities, namely 1) feeding the city and its hinterland, which involves organizing and planning food systems; 2) building the city, which implies taking care of town planning, land use, access to housing; 3) providing the city with basic services, which involves planning and developing equipment and infrastructure for access to services such as water, drainage and sanitation, energy, transport, waste management, as well as education and health; 4) maintaining the city, which implies ensuring the maintenance of basic infrastructure and services and their proper functioning; and 5) managing the city through appropriate platforms and governance arrangements that ensure citizen participation and mutual accountability.

During the Africities Summit in Kisumu, the sessions on Local Policies will focus on:

– Planning and programming policies for intermediary cities;
– The human resources policies of the administrations of intermediary cities;
– Environmental policies in intermediary cities;
– Social inclusion and gender equality policies in intermediary cities;
– The contribution of the digital economy and information systems in intermediary cities.

Whenever possible, these sessions will also address the Strategies that need to be defined and designed to implement Local Policies, namely:

1) Public health strategies;
2) Strategies for employment and income generation;
3) Strategies for mobilizing financial resources;
4) Strategies for sustainable food systems;
5) Strategies for access to water and sanitation;
6) Strategies for universal access to waste management services;
7) Strategies for access to mobility and transport for all;
8) Land management strategies;
9) Strategies for citizen mobilization and engagement.

These sessions should be organized mainly around the presentation of concrete projects, the exchange of experiences and lessons learned from these projects as they are implemented on the ground.

IV- Open sessions proposed by local actors and coalitions, the various programs of UCLG Africa,   as well as the Local and Regional Governments of the Host Country and City of the Summit.
V-The organization of thematic days on the priority axes of UCLG Africa and its Members, such as Climate, women, youth, migration, town and country planning, culture and communication, as well as the Diaspora.
VI- The organization for the first time of the African Investment Forum which will be a space      dedicated to the world of African businesses and companies.

VII-The participation and animation of the International Exhibition, also called Africités 9 Salon.

The Africities Salon 9 is held in the same venue as the Summit and is an integral part of it. It allows institutions, organizations and companies to present what they do and what they offer, which can contribute to improving the living conditions of the population and the governance of intermediary cities. More specifically, the Salon Africities9 makes it possible to organize “B2B” meetings between mayors, including decision-makers from Local and sub-national governments, and businesses, supplyers and other institutions that offer their support and services to local and sub-national governments to fulfill their mandates. The 9th edition of the Africities Summit in Kisumu plans to offer the possibility of hosting up to 500 exhibitors for 4 days at the Salon Africities, and of organizing more than 100 “B2B” meetings. The Salon Africities is developing a separate program, although it is an integral part of the Africities Summit.


Based on your successful participation and involvement in the previous editions of Africities Summit, and especially during the 8th Edition of this Summit, held in Marrakech in the Kingdom of Morocco, in 2018 and having seen the participation of more than 8,000 people and institutions, UCLG Africa has the honor to send you this general invitation to ask you to kindly engage again with this Organization and its Partners, in order to contribute to the creation of the conditions for the success of the 9th Edition of this event.

UCLG Africa therefore has the honor to request your commitment again as well as your support and mobilization in order to:

– Inform your Network of members and partners about this Summit to encourage them to participate in its work;

– Propose the organization of Sessions/Workshops in connection with the General Theme of the Summit and in accordance with the different segments of its Agenda;

– Participate in the Africities Salon 9, by renting a Booth to exhibit your vision and projects, to discuss with a multitude of actors and Stakeholders, to strengthen your partner networks. We encourage all of you to be part of Country Pavilion.

– Mobilize your Partners, your Development Partners and your Donors to sponsor your participation.

For all information on the Africities 9 Summit, we invite you to consult regularly the UCLG Africa Portal : www.uclga.org.

We also provide you with a Mobilization Kit including the following documents:

1. UCLG Africa at a Glance;
2. Africities Summit at a Glance;
3. The Concept Note on the Africities 9 Summit;

4. Breifing note -Organizers Open Sessions & Green_Actors; 

5. A call for expressions of interest for the organization of Sessions ;
6. Template presentation of sessions
7. A Technical Sheet on the International Africities 9 Salon.

“Looking forward to welcome many of you in Kisumu, Kenya, to build together the African Intermediary Cities We Want”./.

PSI and UCLG Africa sign cooperation agreement to boost quality local public services in Africa and Arab Countries

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United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and the Africa and Arab Countries Region of Public Service International (PSI) signed today 24 September 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for structured dialogue and cooperation between their respective constituencies. The Partners are the most representative membership-based organisations namely of local and regional government (LRG) managers and staff in the African continent.

Building on the longstanding dialogue and continued partnership between their international secretariats, the Partners sealed in a virtual launch their joint commitment to “bring their cooperation down to the subregions and territories where they operate and close to their respective memberships” their MoU reads.

The challenges local and regional governments face in the African continent are vast and public services inequalities stark. According to the UN, only 20 percent of the African urban population (excluding North Africa) has access to safely managed sanitation services, while 23 percent of slum dwellers are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, through the Covid crisis, many African local authorities have rapidly put in place innovative emergency solutions and adaptation measures to ensure continued public service delivery. Their losses are now of up to 60 percent of average own sourced revenues.

Acknowledging these challenges, the Partners will prioritize joint initiatives towards:

  • enabling equitable access to quality local public services for all;
  • making cities, communities, and territories inclusive and fair;
  • realizing sustainable, just local socio-economic development;
  • building LRG staff’s capacity and skills, while ensuring their decent working conditions

UCLG Africa and PSI Africa and the Arab Countries will also cooperate to develop joint advocacy and actions – including in regional policy forums such as the African Union (AU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) – on shared strategic priorities including effective decentralization; investment in LRG human capital through institutional and staff capacity enhancement and empowerment; funding for quality local public services; social dialogue; good and effective local governance; the localisation of regional and UN global agendas, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement to address climate change in African cities and territories, the Decent Work Agenda, and the Africa Agenda 2063.

Quotes:

Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, UCLG Africa General Secretary said: «Recalling that decentralisation means the transfer of power relationship, responsibilities, capacities and resources from national to all sub-national levels of government with the aim of strengthening the ability of the latter to both foster people’s participation and deliver quality services as defined by the 2014 African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development, UCLG Africa’s membership is happy to cooperate from now on with PSI as a strategic partner, to invest in human capital and quality public services at sub-national level, and make sure to leave no one and no place behind».

 

Sani Baba, PSI Regional Secretary for Africa and the Arab Countries said: «Addressing the dire needs of the African and Arab Countries’ people for equitable access to quality local public services such as safe water and sanitation, heath care, energy, proper waste disposal, effective public transport, and decent housing is a major challenge for both our organisations. But working together we can unleash the unique potential of our local government constituencies to co-create and bring about concrete, progressive change to African cities and territories, to the benefit of local communities, as well as of local government institutions and their workers”.

 

Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary said: «PSI and UCLG are stronger together when their respective memberships cooperate to confront the multiple, concurrent challenges they increasingly face, including pandemic, climate, unemployment and informality, migration, public service funding, gender equality and the respect of human rights. This first regional commitment brings the spirit of the global dialogue and cooperation built over the years between PSI and UCLG down to the ground of African cities and territories and I am confident it will translate into concrete actions at a local level”.

 

 

Document:

Memorandum of Understanding between United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and Public Service International (PSI) Africa and the Arab Countries (+).

About the Partners:

United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is the Pan-African Organization composed of 54 National Associations of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) from all regions of Africa, as well as 2000 cities and territories with more than 100,000 inhabitants, representing through its memberships nearly 350 million African citizen.

Public Service International (PSI) Africa and the Arab Countries is composed of 157 affiliated trade union organisations in 45 countries representing a combined membership of around 1.5 million women and men working at all levels of governments, including LRGs, to deliver quality public services to communities and territories. PSI Africa and the Arab Countries is a Region of Public Services International (PSI), a Global Union Federation of more than 700 trade unions representing 30 million workers in 154 countries. PSI brings the voice of public service workers to the UN, ILO, WHO and other regional and global organisations, defends trade union and workers’ rights and fights for universal access to quality public services.

Registration are open for the 5th edition of its African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting Local Governments(FAMI)

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The digital revolution over the past decade has created a real dynamic in the way we live, lead, govern, work, manage, and deliver. All over the world, we are fully immersed in the Knowledge, Digital and Artificial Intelligence Society. Cities around the world are moving and changing, imbalances are increasing, and problems are becoming more complex, especially in terms of Local Governance, Local Management, and Delivery of Local Public Services to meet the expectations, concerns, and needs of the populations. For Africa, the changes are profound, the stakes are high; and the territorial challenges are to be taken into consideration and urgently. The time to act is now.

Now, countries and cities are insisting in their strategic vision on e-Governance, digitization, and the development of smart cities, making this choice a strategic direction to ensure the dynamics of sustainable development at local and territorial level, within the framework of the implementation of the global 2030 Agendas and the African Agenda 2063.

Despite the existence of important African initiatives, sometimes leading to awards delivered by regional or international institutions, digital transformation is not yet a priority project for decentralization, for Local Governance, and for Local and Territorial Development.

It is in this context and to answer these questions that United Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) through its two Development clusters, namely the African Local Government Academy  (ALGA) and the Operations and Technical Assistance, decided to dedicate the 5th edition of its African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting Local Governments(FAMI), in hybrid mode (both in person and online), to the following general theme:

“LOCAL AFRICA  GOES DIGITAL & SMART: TIME TO ACT IS NOW !!!”.

As this has been the case since 2017, the FAMI forum is intended to be a meeting that leaves no one behind, certainly dedicated to Local Authorities and Training Institutes in Africa, but also to all the other actors and stakeholders concerned by the dynamics of the transformation of Local Africa.

GENERAL GOAL

The Forum will be an opportunity to inform and exchange views and ideas on the dynamics of digital and smart transformation at the level of African Local and Regional Governments, especially in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, with a focus on the commitments made, the progress achieved, the innovations relevant to Governance and Development at the local and territorial level, the challenges and obstacles faced, as well as the most relevant means to overcome them.

Due to the persistence of the Covid-19 pandemic, FAMI V will be organized in hybrid mode, mixing face-to-face and virtual meetings.

REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION  FEES FOR FAMI V-2021

  • For UCLG Africa Members and Networks: 300 Euros.
  • For non-members of UCLG Africa: 400 Euros.
  • Spouses/accompanying persons: 100 Euros.
  • For Delegations/Groups with more than 5 participants: 20% discount.

Register here.

Read  the concept note here. 

Call for contributions for issue N°5 of the Voice of the African Local Manager

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The African Local Manager Voice is a periodical publication produced by the African Local Government Academy (ALGA) of UCLG-Africa, the Network of HR Managers of African Local Governments, and the Observatory of Human Resources of Local Governments of UCLG Africa, within the framework of the enhancement, motivation and development of Human Resources of Local and Subnational Governments in Africa, as well as within the framework of regional and local initiatives.

It is a forum offered to Territorial Managers as a space for exchange, communication, debate and networking, making it possible to give visibility to Territorial Managers, to hear their voices, opinions and concerns, to exchange their experiences. success stories, and best practices. It is also a window where they can present and promote their missions, their jobs, their challenges, their innovations, and their creativity. Finally, it is an opportunity for them to discuss the various issues related to Human Resources Management at the local level. Taking due account of the cultural diversity which characterizes our continent, the Bulletin can welcome contributions in the different languages used at UCLG Africa, in particular English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic.

This 5th Issue of the “The Voice of the African Local Manager” bulletin will be a Special Issue dedicated to the following general theme: “Digital Transformation at African Local Level in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond: Benchmark of regional and local experiences”.

The choice of theme is not accidental. The Covid-19 crisis has radically changed the forecasts, the order of priorities, public policies, the action plans, as well as the strategies and prospects at all levels of governance. ICTs have proven to be a strategic lever to allow people to stay connected, to continue to govern, manage and produce, and to meet the expectations and concerns of populations. The pandemic has also been an accelerator of digitization according to the Twilio Report 2020, Covid-19 Digital Engagement Report.
The contribution must consist of four (4) pages maximum, i.e. 1,500 words, up to a maximum of 2,000 words; Font Type: Times New Roman, and Font Size 12; Any quotation from another author must be put in brackets and include its source, namely the author of the quotation or the document from which it is extracted, the exact title of the document, the date of publication, and the place of publication, by respect for intellectual property rights. You must provide your photo and a short biography (100 words maximum), mentioning the name of your Local Authority / Institution, as well as your contact information (Mobile phone, home or office phone, Fax, e- mail or Website of the Local Government / Institution to which you belong).

Deadline for submitting contributions: November 15, 2021.

Read  the full call here. 

Macoura Dao: Marching forward !

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Since her arrival in 2013 at the head of the municipality of Foumbolo (Côte d’Ivoire), Ms. Macoura Dao Coulibaly has climbed the ranks within the sphere of local governments of Côte d’Ivoire but also on the continental level. Being the current vice-president of the Union of Cities and municipalities of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI), Ms. Dao who has been president of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) since 2019, first joined the executive board of the Network in 2015 during the general assembly of the 7th edition of the Africities summit (November 29 to December 3, 2015 in Johannesburg).

The flagship actions carried out for the benefit of her municipality (Foumbolo) include the creation of road communication channels and support for women’s associations to contribute to their empowerment.

During her re-election at the end of the municipal elections in April 2018, Ms. Dao confided that she had placed her second term in office under the sign of bringing the daughters and sons of Foumbolo together for social harmony, a guarantee of real development.

Faced with the resurgence of motorcycle accidents recorded in his locality, in particular during the Monday weekly market, the local councilor has promoted the creation of separate roads in the city to curb accidents. Statistics showed around ten motorcycle accidents every Monday, the weekly market day.

As part of the support for women’s associations in the field of social and solidarity economy, a “partnership was forged with women from Burkina Faso to allow the association of women producers of attieké from Foumbolo to sell their products in this brotherly country. This enabled these women to increase their turnover, “Ms. Dao told the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP).

Last May, the REFELA Côte d’Ivoire country chapter, of which she is also the president, organized the second edition of the gala evening called “The Mother’s Day”. It was an opportunity to celebrate the locally elected women of Côte d’Ivoire as mothers, but also as major actors in the development of Côte d’Ivoire, working effectively to improve the living conditions of their fellow citizens at the local level.

Promoter of continental female leadership

At the head of REFELA, Ms. Dao advocates for the promotion of female leadership in cities and local authorities on the continent. This requires the setting up of the national Chapters of the network. Thus, she does not hesitate to provide assistance to the new national REFELA chapters in their deployment. This was particularly the case in April and June 2021 for REFELA Togo which benefited from a capacity building workshop for a draft roadmap to be submitted to Delegation of the European Union in Togo as part of the Programming of the European Cooperation Process in Africa for the 2021-2027 period.

The Raising awareness and inviting the various REFELA country chapters to implement the 3 campaigns launched by the network is also its main battle horse. These are the Campaign of African Cities without Street Children (launched in 2018 and which is supported so far by 54 members), the Campaign of African Cities with Zero Tolerance in the Face of Violence Against Women (launched in 2019 and which has 22 memberships), and the Campaign of African Cities for the Economic Empowerment of Women (launched in 2020 and which is supported by more than 80 members).

EXPRESS BIOGRAPHY

Sources : Source 1 , Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5, Source 6

New Dates for the Africities Summit in Kisumu , Kenya 

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Following consultations with the Government of Kenya, the Council of Governors of Kenya and the lead partners in the organization of the Summit, namely UCLG World, UN Habitat, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA),  the Executive Committee of the ninth edition of the Africities Summit to be held in Kisumu, Kenya, informs the public and interested institutions, organizations, associations, and stakeholders, that the ninth edition of the Africities  Summit initially scheduled on 26 to 30 April 2022, will be held on 17th to 21st May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya.

As a reminder, the theme of the 9th Africities Summit is: “The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the African Union Agenda 2063”.

These two Agendas call for the urgent need to develop resilient and sustainable urbanization in Africa, cognizant of the fact that by 2050 the bulk of African population will be living in cities, and that the majority of city dwellers will settle in intermediary cities. The improvement of the living conditions of the African people and the economic and social structural transformation of the African continent is therefore closely linked to the way the realization of these agendas will be addressed in African intermediary cities, which are for sure the places where Africa will be inventing her own approach and trajectory to sustainable human development based on her realities but also taking stock of the knowledge and experiences accrued across the world. As much as possible, the development models to be implemented in Africa should be more energy efficient, low carbon, more inclusive, and more resilient.

Do join us in Kisumu on 17 to 21 May 2022 at the Africities Summit, to be part of this endeavor in a place where Africa will be defining her new development trajectory based on African intermediary cities.

 

Download press release here. 

For further information, please contact:

Gaëlle Yomi : Tel : + 212 610 56 71 45

e-mail : gyomi@uclga.org

Visit the UCLG Africa website : www.uclga.org

Young local officials facing the effects of Covid-19

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On 27 July 2021, UCLG Africa held the first virtual meeting of the Network of Young Elected Officials of Africa,  on the theme of « Young local elected officials facing the effects of Covid -19 ».

This meeting was attended by about fifty participants, which included elected youth, researchers and entrepreneurs, who assembled to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on young people,  and the initiatives and role of the youth in the context of the ongoing health crisis.

Two panels structured these exchanges. The first, on the theme “Youth and responsibility“, addressed the political dimension of youth engagements at the height of the crisis, which was handled  by Mrs. Thérèse Faye Diouf, Mayor of Diarrere; the impact of digital on the security dimension of our territories, was taken care of  by M. Tom Marten.

The second panel on “Youth as a workforce in the growth of the continent” focused on the role of young people in economic recovery. This slot was marked by the intervention, of Mr. Frederik Tchoungui, Founder of “Community of Global Leaders”.  Mr. Oliver Bastienne, President of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made an impressive presentation with explanation and examples of how young entrepreneurs  were faring the recovery of the effect of the pandemic.  Mrs. Jacqueline Moustache-Belle, Director of the Gender and Youth Department at the General Secretariat of UCLG Africa, moderated this meeting in the presence of the Secretary General, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi.

The first panel highlighted two important points; the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 crisis on young people, both politically and in terms of mobility of people, and the importance of involving young people in the stimulus strategies.

The closure of public places and restrictions of movements have completely changed the behaviour of the youth in African cities. The Mayor of Diarrere, emphasized on the importance of the involvement of young people in the economic recovery and in building the future of African cities. She encouraged young men and women to invest in municipal councils and to actively participate in decision-making processes and deliberations relating to budgets.

For his part, Mr. Marten emphasized the constraints of COVID-19 on international travelling particularly for tourism purposes. The tourism  industry  has been brought to its knees by the pandemic. The closure of frontiers worldwide indirectly accelerated the use of technology and innovation in the digital field.  The use of digital technologies by governments, for example Seychelles has been favored to revive and foster tourism, in and to create the conditions for a return to normalcy and equally ensuring the health security of citizens and tourists. During this panel, the questions were mainly focused on the political aspects of the contribution of young people to the revival of urban economies: how to mobilize young people? How to increase the participation of young people in political parties? It was proposed that UCLG Africa and the national associations of African local governments, should develop advocacy for national governments and political parties,  to facilitate the access to electoral lists and political affairs.

The second panel addressed the issue of economic recovery by highlighting the role of young people in the field of entrepreneurship. In this panel, it was first a question of promoting the initiatives of young people who aim to create and find sources of funding, despite the context of the health crisis. Mr. Tchoungui thus encouraged young entrepreneurs and elected officials to make digital technology one of the keys to the development of African cities. To achieve this, improving and upgrading telecommunications infrastructure is essential, hence the appeal to the public authorities for more investment in this sector.

Mr. Bastienne’s presentation showed how COVID-19 has impacted all areas of the private sector employing young people (drop in productivity, unemployment, etc.). The Seychelles Chamber of Commerce has supported young people by providing them with financing, technical support, and training, especially for entrepreneurs. The government, together with the private sector also designed  a recovery and prosperity plan in which the youth participated actively. The importance of Information and Communication Technologies was underlined to show the impact of young people in digital development as a provider for the jobs of the future.

The summary of the discussions highlighted the need to network and form coalitions because the many issues facing young local elected officials cannot be addressed without the participation of all stakeholders. Synergies is of utmost necessity towards  building the Africa we want.

The exchanges on this vital issues allowed the participants to realize that “one cannot build Africa without its driving force, namely the youth”, and that the COVID-19 crisis has brought changes that will be here to stay. We have to learn to adapt. It is only through solidarity that our African cities and the world will overcome this pandemic.

By way of closing this meeting, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa stressed on the importance that the national and local levels should work to produce youth policies and youth participation, and to include youth representation at decision making level,  in order to have credible and lasting responses.

Find the concept note of the meeting here.

Read the final report of the Lomé Forum on: “Strengthening the Resilience and Increasing Climate Ambitions of Local Governments in Africa”

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On the 10th and 11th June 2021, was held in Lome, Togo, under the patronage of His Excellency, M. Faure Gnassingbe, President of the Republic of Togo, the regional Forum on Local Authorities and the Role of Cities and Territories in Addressing Climate Change, under the theme “Strengthening the Resilience and Increasing Climate Ambitions of Local Governments in Africa”. This Forum was co-organized by UCLG Africa, the Government of Togo, the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa (COM SSA), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the West African Development Bank (WADB) and Expertise France.

The final report of the Forum is available here.

 

Happy ADD 2021

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On the occasion of the celebration of the African Decentralization and Local Development Day (ADD) on 10 August 2021, we have collected the wishes of some African mayors.