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.

 

Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé: Always on the move! 

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The mayors of large cities are characterized by the fact that they manage multiple challenges related to the complexity of their city.  Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, is no exception to this reality. At the helm of the city ​​since June 18, 2016 for a 5-year term, Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé shows proactiveness and initiative to make the Burkinabe capital ” the most welcoming, the most charming, and most prosperous city there is”, as mentioned in his inaugural speech.

 

 

Among the projects launched by the local councilor and his team is the “Grand Ouaga” project. This is an inter-municipal project that aims to create the conditions for socio-economic development for the benefit of the citizens of the eight (8) municipalities involved. The project also aims to improve agricultural productivity by promoting the green economy and strengthening urban economic growth by promoting cotton in the territories of Grand Ouaga, as well as governance and urban planning. The project is supported by international partners including the European Union and UN Habitat. Last March, during the visit to Burkina of the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Maimounah Moh Sharif, the mayor of Ouagadougou seized the opportunity  to highlight the issues of urbanization of spontaneous settlements, the problems of urban security, land, management of household waste, and the role of women in urban development, especially at the level of IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) sites.

All these themes are in line with his 2016-2021 mandate program “Ouaga21, living together, free together”. This program is based on three priority areas: urban mobility, urban safety, and urban environment.

Another initiative implemented by the municipality of Ouaga is the computerization of the tax collection system. The process was launched in October 2020 to allow the city to broaden its tax base. “Ouagadougou is a large open-air market. Shops are located on every street corner. It is manually difficult to identify all these traders. This leads to significant discrepancies between budget forecasts and actuals. The potential of the city of Ouagadougou is about 50 billion per year. Today, we are not even able to collect a billion, for the simple reason that we do not control the number of taxpayers, or the spaces occupied“, explains Armand Pierre Béouindé.

The 23rd mayor of the capital since 1956 and the 6th elected since the country gained independence in 1960 is also president of the Association of Municipalities of Burkina Faso (AMBF). The advocacy mission with the central government is a major focus of the association. On June 23, 2021, the president of the AMBF, Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé led a delegation of the AMBF to an audience with the President of the Republic of Faso around the question of the sustainability of the Competition for Excellence in Local Governance (COPEGOL).

This is an initiative promoted by the government of Burkina Faso with the support of the World Bank with the aim of creating emulation between municipalities (rural and urban) and especially of promoting good innovative practices of local governance that can be duplicated in all municipalities.

In his process of managing the city of Ouaga and the AMBF, Mr. Béouindé is involved on a regular basis in the work of the international organizations of local elected officials. He is notably a member of the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa, a member of the board of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) and vice-president for the Africa region of the world organization UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments). Being very active in the various meetings of bodies and other activities organized in favor of local authorities, Mayor Béouindé gives pride of place to communication in order to keep his fellow citizens as informed as possible.

In order to not miss out on the initiatives led by the municipality of Ouagadougou and the AMBF, consult their Facebook pages here  and here .  

Express Bio

Family Name: BÉOUINDÉ

First names: Armand Roland Pierre

Date of birth: November 10, 1962

Location: KAYA

Nationality: Burkinabe

Family status: Married, father of 4 children.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Armand Roland Pierre BÉOUINDÉ is a manager by training and has acquired twenty years of experience in the management and administration of companies (IT Services Company, Graphic Industries, Consulting and Communication). Shareholder and Director of several companies and member of several associations, clubs, trade unions, and other organizations. Mr. BÉOUINDÉ is Knight of the National Order. Mr. BÉOUINDÉ is the Managing Director of the GRAPHI IMPRIM SARL company.

Political career

 1983-1987: Active participation in the advent of the revolution of August 4, 1983 as a member of the ULC / R

2010: Joined the CDP

2012: Election to the Political Bureau of the CDP

4 January 2014: Resignation from the CDP with 75 other senior executives, including Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Salif Diallo, and Simon Compaoré.

 January 25, 2014: Founding member of the MPP, elected to the National Executive Board, 2nd Secretary for Information and Communication. He fiercely opposed the law aimed at amending Article 37 of the Constitution of Burkina Faso with the sole objective of allowing President Blaise Compaoré to remove the presidential term limit. Mr. Béouindé actively participated in all CFOP demonstrations on the front line, always alongside President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and other opposition leaders.

May 22, 2016: Elected municipal councilor for sector 54 of district 12 of Ouagadougou.

 June 18, 2016: Elected Central Mayor of the municipality of Ouagadougou

Sources: 

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The Extended Consultation Workshop on the Local Authorities Charter for Gender Equality in Africa

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On 14 and 15 July 2021, a broad consultation workshop was held via the Zoom platform in the framework of the drafting of the “Local Authorities Charter for Gender Equality in Africa”.

Open to the public, the two day workshop aroused the interest of many.

A total of seventy three participants were registered, of which 42.5% were men and 57.5% were women, they came from about twenty African countries, and also Belgium, Spain, France, and Canada.

The Workshop aimed at providing a platform for dialogue, allowing local and regional government representatives, gender experts and civil societies organisations from Africa and Europe to exchange on the Charter in order to have a more inclusive final document, which will reflect the diversity of the African realities and therefore facilitate its application. This was also a first step towards ownership.

In accordance with the established programme, the two-day Workshop was held under the moderation of Mrs. Jacqueline MOUSTACHE-BELLE, Director of the Gender and Youth Department of UCLG Africa.

The opening speeches for the Workshop, were made by Mrs. Macoura DAO COULIBALY, President of REFELA, (Reseau des Femmes Elues Afrique), Mrs. Emilia SAIZ, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments – World and Mr. Jean Pierre ELONG MBASSI, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments  of Africa.

Mrs. DAO COULIBALY, recalled the history of the process of elaboration of the Charter and noted its importance as a political instrument aiming at truly engaging Local Authorities on the path of equality between women and men. She affirmed REFELA’s conviction that this Charter will be the starting point of a new era for gender equality in Africa and expressed her confidence that the final version of the Charter will be adopted as planned during the 9th edition of the AFRICITES summit in Kisumu, Kenya, which will be held from 26 to 29 April 2022.

The Secretary General of UCLG  World, Ms. Emilia SAIZ, noted the importance of the Charter and the involvement of Local Authorities in the battle for equality between women and men, especially that women

represent more than 50% of the world’s population, and yet remain the most exposed to violence and discrimination. She expressed the wish that the consultation be open to actors from other continents.

The Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr Jean Pierre ELONG MBASSI, recalling the history of the birth of REFELA in 2009. He emphasized on the importance of the Charter to guarantee the presence and participation of women at the local level to become concrete.

He praised the cooperation and collaboration with UCLG World and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), which allowed the idea of this Charter to emerge and become a reality. He also acknowledged that by involving the other branches of UCLG at global level, the dynamics aiming at addressing the issue of gender equality would be more effective and sustainable.

Finally, Mr MBASSI thanked the teams of UCLG, CEMR and UCLG Africa for their excellent work, the fruits of which are visible today. The Consultant, Ms Silvie SIYAM was also commended for her remarkable work. The consultant then presented the Charter to the participants following which they went into three groups work for deliberations of the draft.

Dr. Najat ZARROUK, Director of the African Academy of Local Authorities of UCLG Africa, headed the Arab speaking, Mr. Brygo GAUTIER, Director of the Department of Territorial Coaching of UCLG Africa was with the francophone and Mr. Charles PATSIKA, Adviser on Decentralisation and Local Governance of UCLG Africa was the moderator for the English speaking participants.

The day concluded with a plenary debriefing session of observations and suggestions from the groups.

On the second day the Consultant presented the newly amended draft which had taken into consideration the comments proposals and suggestions the participants had made the day before.

The concluding remarks was made by Mr Frédéric VALLIER, Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) said he was impressed by the challenge undertaken since 2018 to make the

Charter for Equality for women in Africa a reality, whereby he referred to the similar work carried out in Europe more than 15 years ago. Mr Vallier congratulated the dynamic that, through REFELA, has allowed African women to be involved in the elaboration of this Charter, thus ensuring that the particularities of the African continent are taken into account. Finally, he reaffirmed the support that CEMR will continue to give to the elaboration of the Charter.

As for the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr MBASSI wished for a strong commitment from all in the implementation of the Charter which, once adopted, will be the subject of a call for voluntary adhesion in the direction of African Local Authorities. UCLG Africa, CEMR and UCLG will need to be ready to support local and regional governments in the implementation of the Charter, in particular through decentralised cooperation with certain European local authorities.

It was on this note that the moderator, Mrs. MOUSTACHE-BELLE, ended the Workshop by thanking the secretary generals of UCLG Africa, UCLG World and CEMR, the team of focal points, the facilitators of the working groups, the consultant and especially the participants.

Death of the Mayor of Joburg, Mr. Geoff Makhubo: UCLG Africa Message of condolences and compassion

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Read the message here.

Luc Atrokpo: Pragmatic Leadership

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At the head of the National Association of Communes of Benin (ANCB) since 2015, Mr. Luc Sètondji Atrokpo has positioned himself over the years as a key player in the country’s local governance. Mayor of the capital city Cotonou, since his election on 6 June 2020, Mr. Atrokpo began his duties in 2003 as first Deputy Mayor of Bohicon. Five years later,  he took the reins of the municipality of Bohicon  and rose through the ranks by occupying the position of President of the Union of Communes of Zou and of the National Association of Communes of Benin in 2015.

Reelected in December 2020, for five years at the head of the ANCB.  Under his authority, the Association made headway and succeeded in asserting its role as the voice of local authorities and interface,  in terms of advocacy with the national authorities. Particular emphasis was placed on decentralized cooperation. It was under the leadership of Luc Atrokpo, that the umbrella organization of the seventy seven  Beninese municipalities carried out a number of actions to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

These include “training campaigns for local elected officials and executives of territorial administrations, the implementation of several studies including: the Lexicon of themes and common expressions on the SDGs, identification of the needs of Municipalities; the implementation of the toolbox for the financing of the SDGs, the production of advocacy documents to increase the transfer of resources by the national Government to the Municipalities; participation in various national and international fora; the documentation of experience and best practices related to the SDGs in the Municipalities; the study on the specialization of the SDGs in collaboration with the DGCSODD; strengthening the partnership for the implementation of the SDGs and decentralized cooperation; and the signing of numerous Agreements between the Government and the Municipalities for interventions for the benefit of sustainable development “, indicated the local councilor in his foreword in the report on the localization of the SDGs in Benin, produced in 2020 with UCLG World.

Amongst  the members of UCLG Africa, ANCB is deemed  one of its most seasoned and  experienced members. In February 2020, in partnership with UCLG Africa, ANCB organized the Cotonou forum on: “Territorialization as a lever to accelerate the implementation of NDCs in Africa: The contribution of the Associations of African Local Authorities in the mobilization of African cities in favor of climate action”. In March 2020, the new ANCB headquarters was inaugurated in Abomey-Calavi.

During the month of June 2021, ANCB held a series of training activities for its members on climate, gender, and participatory local democracy. The major meeting was without any doubt the seminar for the reactivation of decentralized cooperation between Benin and France, held on  22 June. “Our main goal at ANCB is that Beninese municipalities should take advantage of partnerships to not only strengthen themselves, improve their technical capacities and their know-how, but also to constitute with their counterparts in France a force of proposals in order to mobilize resources around concrete projects in favor of the populations”, declared Luc Sètondji ATROKPO.

Express Bio

Luc Atrokpo whose  full name is Luc Sètondji Atrokpo is a Beninese politician born in Bohicon, Benin, won at several  elections  as member of parliament at the National Assembly, as well as in the post of mayor of the commune of Bohicon.  During the municipal elections of 2020 he was elected mayor of the commune of Cotonou on the list of the Progressive Union party.

On the international scene, he was first vice-president of the Council of Local Authorities of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Francophone Regions, and member of the Networks of the International Association of Francophone Mayors.

In his capacity as mayor, Luc S. Atrokpo was the recipient of several trophies:

  • Prize for the “best municipality” from the German cooperation in 2009,
  • Prize for “best actor in decentralized cooperation in Benin” at the Djembe Awards Ceremony in 201011.

During COP21, Luc S. Atrokpo presented an impressive plan to fight against floods linked to runoff in the Zou basin. An outstanding  project carried out with the support of the French inter-municipal Associations and the study of which,  will be partly financed by France. In this regard, he said: “The city of Bohicon is located in a valley. Water is a nuisance there, we want to make it an asset “12,2.

Stay informed about ANCB actions via their website here . 

Visit the ANCB Facebook page here . 

Sources:

Signing of an agreement between the ANCB and the Association of French Elected Representatives of Beninese Origin

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Africa – Europe Partnership: Connecting young local leaders!

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On 23 and 24 June 2021, CEMR, Platforma, and UCLG Africa held the first Africa-Europe meeting of young local elected officials, since the Africities Summit of 2018 in Marrakech, Morocco.

This meeting, aimed at finding new avenues of reflection and action, to bring the continents closer through the action of young local leaders. The participants of this seminar were mostly young mayors, entrepreneurs and other representatives of youth Organisations.

Together, the young leaders analyzed the weaknesses, strengths, and opportunities of the Africa-Europe partnership in light of the lessons of the COVID-19 crisis. This 2-day meeting had 3 main highlights, including the opening of the proceedings with contributions from Mr. Frédéric Vallier, Secretary General of CEMR, who called on young African and European elected representatives to bring the partnership between the 2 continents to a higher level. Ms. Jacqueline Mustache-Belle, Director of the Gender and Youth Department at UCLG Africa, for her part, invited young people to build a collaborative partnership. The contributions that followed the opening of the proceedings emphasized the essentiality of young people for the development of territories on the 2 continents and the need for their inclusion in the decision-making process both on the political level and from the economic and sanitary standpoint.

Ladies Annica Floren, Fiorella Perotto, and Betania Lulu Berhanu from the European Commission mentioned many European Union programs dedicated to youth and especially the place of cooperation of education in what will be the new partnership desired by the young elected officials. It became clear in their message that young people are at the heart of the partnership between Africa and Europe. Ms. Adelaide Hirwe, Secretary General of the African Union’s Diaspora Youth Initiative and Mr. Daniel Ajudeonu of Génération Action Afrique (GAA), for their part insisted on capacity building for young people and its importance for the future of the 2 continents.

The political voice was expressed by 3 local elected officials, Mr. Cemal Bas, Municipal Councilor at the municipality of Keçiören (Ankara), Ms. Thérèse Faye Diouf, Mayor of the municipality of Diarrere (Senegal), Mr. Nektarios Kalantzis, Municipal Councilor of the Municipality of Pallini (Greece), and Ms. Ibticem Atitallah, Deputy Mayor of Sfax (Tunisia). Based on their political experience, the elected officials discussed the means of engaging young people at the political level and highlighted the challenges awaiting young leaders in this new approach to the Africa-Europe partnership.

Thanks to the use of technological tools during this virtual meeting, the participants were called upon in particular to answer the following questions: in a word, how do they see the future of this partnership desired by the young leaders, and what would be the priorities for which the platform of young African and European leaders should initiate discussions and concrete actions?

For the first question, the majority of participants mentioned collaboration, reciprocity, and innovation.

For the second question, the participants overwhelmingly chose: gender equality, migration, climate change, and political and democratic inclusion.

 

You can see and review the proceedings of the first day and of the second day by clicking on the following links:

Day 1

Day 2

 

EDD 2021- Lab Debate: “Unite efforts and cooperate around Innovative and Sustainable Cities”

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As part of the 2021 edition of the European Development  Days (EDD), UCLG Africa organized a Lab Debate on 15 June 2021 on the theme of “Unite efforts and cooperate around Innovative and Sustainable Cities”.

Organized in partnership with UCLG, UN-Habitat and Cities Alliance, the session made it possible to share experiences and approaches on innovative and smart sustainable urbanization, with a view to raising awareness of the centrality of partnerships at all levels. The following took part in the debate: Mrs. Thembisile Nkadimeng, President of the South Africa Local Governments Association  (SALGA), Mr. Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Vice-president of the Climate Task Force of UCLG Africa, Mr. Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Mr Ishaku Maitumbi , Senior Advisor to the Regional Office for Africa , UN-Habitat , Mr. Andries Gryffroy, Member of the Flemish Parliament (Belgium), Mr. Greg Munro, Director of Cities Alliance , and Ms. Sherine Omondo, Young Leader (Kenya). The introduction of the exchanges was made by Ms. Carla Montesi, Director of the Green Deal and Digital Strategy, at the European Commission, and moderation was provided by Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

In her introduction, Ms. Montesi said that “cities will play a central role in achieving green transformation. There is no one-size-fits-all solution: experimentation and knowledge sharing are essential to scale up”. SALGA President Mrs. Thembisile Nkadimeng stressed that “a green recovery is essential to strengthen local public services, especially so that they reach the people who need them most.” For her, “cities and regions have taken the initiative to show that it is possible and appropriate to continue climate action in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic“.

Sharing his experience, the Mayor of Chefchaouen, Mr. Mohamed Sefiani, explained that his city has relied on strategic planning to implement the vision of a sustainable ecological city. This has resulted in the replacement of conventional lamps by energy-saving lamps for public lighting and in the promotion of local products. Mr. Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, initiated the concept of “Green Friday” in his city. People are invited to walk at least 15 minutes and use public transport. “As mayors, we must think green, digital and resilience,” said Emil Boc.

UN-Habitat called for mobilizing investments for Africa, and Cities Alliance called on actors to activate access to data and basic services in African cities. In his speech, Mr. Andries Gryffroy endorsed the theme of the meeting by affirming that “the transition to sustainable cities will only be possible by uniting efforts and cooperating“.

The European Development Days also offered space for the “Global Village” virtual stands. The five major international networks of local and regional governments active in development cooperation (AIMF, CLGF, PLATFORMA / CEMR, UCLG, and UCLG Africa) hosted a common booth to showcase the actions of cities and regions in favor of sustainable and ecological transformation.

As a reminder, AIMF, CLGF, PLATFORMA / CEMR, UCLG and UCLG Africa signed a framework partnership agreement with the Commission of the European Union in 2015. Thanks to this partnership, the EU has recognized the role of cities and regions as state actors to address global challenges and implement shared global agendas at the local level.

 

Watch the videos intervention of the session 

 

 

 

Regional Forum – WAEMU area: Local governments call for their integration into climate finance

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On 10 and 11 June 2021, the Regional Forum on  “Strengthening the Resilience and Increasing Climate Ambitions of Local Governments in Africa” was held at the Hôtel 2 Février in Lomé (Togo).

Placed under the High Patronage of His Excellency M. Faure Gnassingbé , President of the Republic of Togo, the meeting for local and regional governments of the WAEMU area was organized by United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa),  in collaboration with the Government of Togo, the Economic Union and West African Monetary (WAEMU), the West African Development Bank (BOAD), UNDP, and Expertise France.

As part of the activities of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), the Forum registered the participation in a hybrid format of more than two hundred delegates.

The proceedings were opened by His Excellency Mr. Payadowa Boukpessi, Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Territory Development of Togo, representative of the President of the Republic of Togo, and included the participation of  HE Mr. Joaquín Tasso Vilallonga, Head of Delegation of the European Union in Togo, Mr. Mohamed Yassine Daoudi, representative of the President of UCLG World, Mr. François Amichia, President of the CCT of WAEMU, Mr. Serge Ekué, President of  West African Development Bank (BOAD), Mr. Aymeric Lorthiois, First Counselor of the Embassy of France in Togo, representative of the Ambassador of France, Mr. Markus Wagner, Director General of GIZ Togo, Mr. MacDonald S. GOANUE, Director of the Research and Strategic Planning Department of EBID, representative of the President, Mr. Kossi Dzinyefa Atabuh, Prefect of the Golfe district (in Lomé), and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

 

 

Call for greater involvement of local authorities

The various speeches highlighted the essential role that local authorities must play in the fight against climate change. This requires in particular a paradigm shift as underlined by the President of BOAD, Mr. Serge Ekué. “The WAEMU countries are among the 50 countries most exposed to global warming. We will not be able to cope with climate change without a real paradigm shift in the financing of African economies. It would be wise to involve local authorities as key players to understand and deal with the difficulties encountered by municipalities. It is crucial to include them in the process of planning, preparing, and budgeting for investment plans. Access to financial resources by local authorities should be improved. We stand ready to support local authorities in the context of robust, transparent issues allowing investors to gain the confidence of investors around the world “, he pleaded.

The Togolese government is of the same opinion. “Our local governments must become vanguard actors in the fight against climate change and the acceleration of the continent’s climate ambition. The holding of this forum represents for us an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and convergence of the territories of the WAEMU countries in terms of operational solutions and the search for the necessary financial resources in support of low-carbon growth, in a quality environment”, declared Mr. Payadowa BOUKPESSI, Minister of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Territorial Development of Togo.

For the EU, “the regional forum marks the start of the implementation of the national approach of the CoM SSA in Togo, through which the EU intends to support inclusion, an environmental, energy and climate dimension in the decentralization process. We appreciate the efforts of the CoM SSA and of UCLG Africa to rightly promote the action of local governments with other donors, so as to give them the means to access climate finance alongside their national governments”, said HE Mr. Joaquín Tasso Vilallonga, Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Togo.

 

WAEMU welcomes the opportunities presented to local and regional governments. “This forum rightly reminds us that the territories are partners in the new agenda of resilience and of the fight against climate change. This is an opportunity for us to salute and congratulate the community of technical and financial partners for the many initiatives and projects undertaken in this area by relying on local governments through UCLG Africa. Among these initiatives, we note with great interest the preparation of a climate – energy portfolio and the mobilization of climate finance through the Readiness program, for the benefit of local and regional governments in the WAEMU area with the Green Climate Fund”.

“Local governments must be our active partners to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement“, said in her video intervention Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC

 

Sessions

The two days of the Forum made it possible to address issues such as carbon neutrality and the resilience of African cities and territories, the implementation of the territorialization of Nationally Determined Contributions at the center of post-Covid 19 economic recovery plans, the role of dialogue between the national government and local authorities for improving the territorialization of NDCs, the planning for the implementation of territorial climate plans and capacity building of National Associations of Local Governments,  and the  mobilization of Climate Finance.

These issues were the subject of in-depth debates during the 5 sessions that led to recommendations that are intended to be a contribution of the local authorities of the WAEMU space to the main events included in the climate agenda, namely, the Africa Climate Week scheduled for August 2021 in Kampala, Uganda; the Climate Chance conference scheduled for September 2021 in Dakar, Senegal; and the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, in November 2021 (COP 26), and the adoption of the Lomé Declaration by the participants representing: WAEMU member states; the focal points of the Green Climate Fund of the WAEMU member states; the WAEMU Commission, the Council of Territorial Communities (CCT-WAEMU) and the Presidents of the National Associations of Local Authorities that are members of the Council of Territorial Communities (CCT) of WAEMU; the local authorities adhering to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) and their partners; representatives of regional development banks and international cooperation partners.

In the recommendations, the participants in the Forum mainly undertake:

  • Integrate environmental and climate goals in the development plans of local authorities and in the post-COVID economic recovery plans in order to make our societies and our economies more resilient to foreseeable future shocks;
  • Encourage local authorities in the WAEMU area to adhere to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (CoM SSA) so that they can benefit from the support put in place within this framework for the development of climate and energy plans of their territories;
  • Establish a sub-regional version of the African Alliance of Ministers for Urban Affairs and Urban Development launched at the Abidjan Meetings to support African Sustainable Cities, in February 2020. This Alliance of WAEMU Ministers will work primarily under the aegis of the WAEMU CCT on the financing of the climate transition of the cities of the sub-region. The Alliance will engage in a strategic dialogue with the umbrella associations of local governments, the financing institutions of local governments, and the technical and financial partners on strengthening the financing of city climate plans and projects;
  • Subscribe to the establishment of a Regional Readiness program targeting the local and regional governments of the countries of the WAEMU area with a view to mobilizing climate finance and contributing to the transition towards inclusive, sustainable, and resilient territorial development;
  • Welcome the commitment of WAEMU, EBID, and BOAD to support the implementation of the regional Readiness program intended to support local authorities in the WAEMU space for the definition of portfolios of projects eligible for finance climate. In this regard, we call on these actors to work to make Lomé the hub of climate finance in West Africa;
  • Request that within the framework of the planned Readiness Program, with the support of the Climate Task Force of UCLG Africa in collaboration with WAEMU, a capacity building mechanism and a technical assistance tool for the benefit of associations be set up local authorities in the WAEMU area, including through the establishment of focal points for the climate within said associations, the development of awareness and training guides, and the provision of consultants for support technical structure of climate-energy projects integrated into territorial development plans;
  • Invite the local authorities of the WAEMU space to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach in the definition and implementation of climate action at the territorial level, and to work with the private sector, the research community, and the civil society to explore innovative solutions and participate in the collection of the data necessary to ensure the monitoring, reporting, and verification of the implementation of the climate agenda within our territories.

The full declaration is available here . 

The Summary report is available here.

Find the full forum content below:

Day 1

Day 2

 

The forum photo gallery is available here. 

Register to the Regional Forum on: “Strengthening the resilience and increasing the climate ambition of Local Governments in Africa”

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United Cities and Local Government of Africa (UCLG Africa), Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) and their Partners, are pleased to invite you to take part in the UEMOA Regional Forum on: “Strengthening the resilience and increasing the climate ambition of Local Governments in Africa”, that will be organised on June 10-11, 2021 in Lomé, Togo.

The conference will be held Under the High Patronage of His Excellency Mr. Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo.

Organized in a hybrid format (face-to-face and online), this meeting aims to examine the conditions to be fulfilled to increase climate investment within the local authorities of the WAEMU space.  It will specifically address the common problems faced by authorities in charge of managing local and regional governments in the field of Climate Action. It will explore concrete mechanisms to facilitate the access of these authorities to climate finance, in particular to the Green Climate Fund, within the framework of the Territorialisation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Africa.

The forum will also serve as a framework for the workshop to launch the national support process for the signatory cities of the CoM SSA in Togo.

It will be attended by WAEMU, WADB, EBID, UNDP, the European Union and National Associations of Local Authorities in West Africa.

Join us by registering here.

Translation will be available for all sessions in English and French, and the proceedings will be available online on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

UCLG Africa remains at your disposal for any further information.

If you need more information, please send us an email to one of the following addresses: nbennani@uclga.org, gyomi@uclga.org.
Register here for online participation

Pam Belcher Taylor: May in action 

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The municipality of Paynesville in Liberia is among those that do not hesitate to trust the fairer sex to ensure the leadership of the town hall. After Mrs. Cyvette M. Gibson, who served as mayor from 2012 to January 2018, it is Ms. Pam Belcher Taylor‘s turn to don the town hall’s scarf, following her appointment in February 2018.

Paynesville is a suburb East of Monrovia, Liberia. It is the largest city in Liberia with approximately 320,000 inhabitants. In taking charge of the city, Pam Belcher Taylor had to tackle the problems of waste collection as a priority. Three months after taking office, the municipal team set out to install garbage bins in strategic areas of the city as well as awareness nameplates. She also presented these main actions to her peers during the 3rd edition of the Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting Territorial Governments in Africa (FAMI), organized by the African Local Government Academy (ALGA) of UCLG Africa held from June 10-14, 2019 in Ifrane (Morocco).

The place of young people and women is also one of the key priorities of the Mayor. On May 21, 2021, one of the flagship projects of his term in office was launched with the construction of the bookstore in favor of youth (Liberian Learning Center). Begun in 2019 with fundraising, the launch of the construction works served as a framework for the municipal team to explain their wish to leave the structure as a legacy for future generations. The Liberian Learning Center is a collaborative project of the Canadian charity Empowerment Squared in partnership with the Rotary Club International, Paynesville City Corporation (PCC), Mc CallumSather, and the Hamilton Public Library. “As we all know, libraries help to develop students’ vocabulary, improve their comprehension and develop the habit of reading silently,” Pam Taylor already explained in 2019 when the project started.

During the month of May 2021, another action in the field of education was implemented by the mayor in partnership with the Orange Foundation and EDU Care Liberia, with the launch of the Orange Digital Schools initiative in the town of Paynesville. Seven schools has benefited from this project. Each school received a kit containing: 50 tablets, 50 tablet cases, 50 headsets, 10 multi-socket adapters, 2 dust-proof cases with padlock, 1 projector and 1 projector screen, 1 Bluetooth speaker, 1 solar energy system, and 2 Raspberry servers with thousands of free educational materials. The project offers children who have no books and no internet digital access to education for equal opportunities and digital inclusion. Speaking briefly at one of the beneficiary schools (Vine International Bilingual Christian School), Mayor Taylor encouraged the young people who are the future leaders to take advantage of this opportunity and learn to the maximum of their abilities.

Focusing on proximity to the people, Ms. Taylor kicked off the Muscat FC city team soccer match on May 7.

It should be noted that in 2019, Ms. Pam Belcher-Taylor made her city adhere to the ‘Campaign of African cities with zero tolerance to violence against women and girls‘, led by the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA). Paynesville was one of the first cities to join the campaign.

Express Bio

Mayor Pam Belcher-Taylor was born in 1963 in the Republic of Liberia, where she grew up and received her primary and secondary education. She continued her education in the United States, where she obtained a university degree in business administration and a professional degree in cosmetology. Ms. Taylor returned to school in 2010 and studied biology and obtained a professional degree in landscaping. She was appointed Mayor of the City of Paynesville in February 2018. In 1998, Mayor Taylor was recruited as the International Coordinator for the Office of the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia. That same year, she founded Elijah’s Hair Studio in Monrovia, Liberia. In 2006, she worked as Deputy Project Coordinator for the Aid to Africa Program in Monrovia, Liberia. Ms. Belcher-Taylor has served as President of the Liberia Water Producers Association, a member of the Liberia Copyright Board, a member of the ECOWAS Manufacturers Association, and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Mayor Belcher-Taylor is married to Boimah S. Taylor and together they have four children.

Follow the news of the Mayor on the Facebook page of the municipality here .

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