Libreville hosts the Central Africa regional caucus of UCLG Africa (PRESS RELEASE)

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From 25 to 26 October 2021, the Pan-African Organization United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is holding its regional caucus for the Central Africa region at the Radisson Blu hotel in Libreville (Gabon).

The Gabonese capital is home to the first of a series of regional caucuses organized in preparation for the 9th Africities Summit from 17 to 21 May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya, within the framework of which the elective general assembly of UCLG Africa will take place on 20 May 2022. Other regional caucuses are planned in Luxor, Egypt, on 01 and 02 November 2021, for North Africa; in Nairobi, Kenya, on 30 November and 01 December 2021 for East Africa; in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on 13 and 14 December 2021 for West Africa; and in Pretoria, South Africa (dates to be defined) for Southern Africa.

The Libreville meeting will allow the local authorities of the Central Africa region to nominate their candidates to the various political bodies of UCLG Africa. Each region must nominate: 9 candidates among the 45 members of the Pan-African Council elected by the general assembly ; 3 candidates among the 15 members of the Executive Committee, 1 candidate among the 5 members of the Financial Management Commission, and 1 Vice President among the 5 members of the Presidency, all elected by the Pan-African Council, and possibly 1 candidate for the position of President of UCLG Africa elected by the Pan-African Council from among the members of the Presidency.

The caucus also involves the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and the Network of Locally Elected Youth of Africa (YELO) whose general assemblies will also take place during the Africities Summit in Kisumu, Kenya.

The official opening of the meeting will be chaired by His Excellency the Minister of State, Minister of the Interior of Gabon, in the presence of:

· Mr. Mathias Otounga Ossibadjouo , Minister of Local Governance, Development, and Territorial Planning of Gabon,

· Ms. Rosario BENTO PAIS , Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Gabon, São Tome and Príncipe and of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

· Mrs. Christine Mba Ndutume, Vice-President of the Region, President of UCLG Africa

· Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi , Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

The meeting will be held in the presence of the presidents of national associations of local authorities, of leaders of the Network of Local Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), of young local elected officials, of and permanent secretaries of national associations of local authorities.

Press contact:

Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: +212 06 10 56 71 45 email: gyomi@uclga.org www.uclga.org

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”./.

Libreville confirmed as President of UCLG Africa, and Ms. Christine MBA NDUTUME, Mayor of Libreville, chosen by her peers as President of UCLG Africa until May 20, 2022 (PRESS RELEASE)

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Libreville September 28-29, 2021

From September 27 to October 01, 2021, a delegation of the General Secretariat of UCLG Africa led by Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi visited Libreville in Gabon to establish contact with the Mayor of Libreville, Christine NDUTUME MBA who has just been confirmed as President of UCLG Africa until May 2022, after the acceptance of her electoral program by her peers from the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa.

In her electoral program, the Mayor of Libreville undertook to chair the organization with dedication and determination so that UCLG Africa contributes to the achievement of the vision defined by the members of the organization, namely, “to contribute to the unity of the continent and promote the development of Africa from its territories”.

During the mission of the UCLG Africa delegation, working sessions were organized with members of the Association of Mayors of Gabon (AMG), with the Network of Locally Elected Women (REFELA) of Gabon, and with the teams of the Municipality of Libreville. These working sessions enabled Gabon’s local and subnational governments to take stock of their responsibilities in consolidating the decentralization policy in Gabon, and to ensure massive participation of local Gabonese elected officials in the next Africities Summit scheduled to take place in Kisumu, Kenya, in May 2022. The delegation of UCLG Africa’s General Secretariat was informed of the reorganization of REFELA-Gabon and insisted that the Gabon chapter of the network of Young Local Elected representatives (YELO-Gabon) be set up, which will bring together local elected representatives aged 35 and under. The delegation finally informed the President of UCLG Africa of the international events in which her presence is highly desired, namely: COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, from November 01 to 12, 2021; the meeting of the Executive Board of UCLG-World in Barcelona, Spain, from 16 to 18 November 2021 ; the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on March 22-26, 2022 ; and the Africities Summit in Kisumu, Kenya, on May 17-21, 2022.

Audience with the Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda

On September 29, 2021, under the leadership of the President of UCLG Africa and the Mayor of Libreville, the delegation was received in audience by the Prime Minister, Madam Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, in the presence of the Minister of State, Minister of Local Governments of Gabon, M. Mathias Otounga Ossibadjouo. This audience confirmed Gabon’s agreement to host the headquarters of the UCLG Africa Regional Office in Libreville and the upcoming signing of the corresponding headquarters agreement between the government of Gabon and UCLG Africa. The government’s approval was also obtained for the holding in Libreville on October 25 and 26, 2021, of the regional caucus meeting of mayors and local elected representatives of Central Africa, as a preparatory meeting for the Africities Summit and the elective General Assembly of UCLG Africa scheduled for May 20, 2022, in Kisumu. Madam Prime Minister gave her instructions for the immediate start of preparations for the regional caucus meeting.

Finally, the delegation recalled that Gabon was still not a signatory of the African Charter of the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development, adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, during their conference held in June 2014 in Malabo,Equatorial Guinea. Madam Prime Minister took good note of this fact and promised that the steps would be taken so that this signature takes place as soon as possible.

Working sessions

The delegation also had working sessions with the President and the team of the Economic Commission of Central African States (ECCAS). At the end of the fruitful discussions, it was agreed to establish a Memorandum of Understanding between ECCAS and UCLG Africa in order to promote the involvement of local authorities in the dynamics of regional integration in Central Africa.

The delegation also had working sessions with Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations du Gabon (CDC-Gabon). The sessions with this financial institution focused mainly on strengthening relations between local authorities and CDC-Gabon, in particular about the involvement of local and regional governments in Gabon in the implementation of climate action, also setting up and financing of projects. CDC-Gabon and UCLG Africa have agreed to cooperate to prepare a Readiness program for the benefit of local governments in Central African States to be submitted for financing by the Green Climate Fund. The two parties also agreed to set up a project incubation platform in order to significantly increase the place of Gabon’s local governments in the portfolio of projects co-financed by CDC-Gabon. It was also agreed to officially invite UCLG Africa to the meeting of the Forum des Caisses scheduled in Libreville, Gabon, on October 27, 2021.

The delegation finally had a meeting with the Ambassador of the European Union to Gabon, São-Tomé-and-Principe, and ECCAS. This meeting made it possible to verify that the European Union is still well disposed towards supporting Gabon’s local governments, and has for this purpose several lines of support that it can mobilize within the framework of the budget of the new cooperation cycle between the E.U. and Gabon (2021-2027) for the region. Madam Ambassador confirmed her availability to receive requests prepared by the Association of Mayors of Gabon and REFELA-Gabon and declared herself ready to hold working sessions with the heads of these associations to make headway in connection with these various issues.

The Secretary General of UCLG Africa renewed the thanks of the delegation to all the interlocutors who accepted to receive the delegation during its stay in Libreville.

He particularly thanked the Prime Minister for her care, her listening, her advice, and for confirming the hosting by Gabon of the headquarters of the UCLG Africa Regional Office in Libreville.

The Secretary General of UCLG Africa confirmed the commitment of the UCLG Africa General Secretariat team and his personal commitment to support and provide assistance to Madam President Christine Mba Ndutume for the success in her mission as leader of the organization.

On behalf of the delegation, the Secretary General wishes to thank the Mayor and her collaborators, as well as the Gabonese government authorities for all the attention and facilities granted to the members of the UCLG Africa delegation during their stay in Libreville.

Done in Libreville, on September 30, 2021

Press contact:
Gaelle Yomi :gyomi@uclga.org / +212 06 10 56 71 45 / www.uclga.org

Report on the Webinar on “The challenges of financing local climate action: what perspectives for CoM SSA signatory cities? CoM SSA Day at the Climate Chance Africa 2021 Summit

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15 September 2021 from 09:00 to 10:30 am UTC

CONTEXT

The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the need to reexamine the place of local authorities in the state's decision-making process and the urgency of a real paradigm shift in order to make communities and territories more resilient to future shocks. Indeed, local authorities, which by virtue of their strength, their anchorage and their proximity to the population, are called upon to play an essential role in the implementation of economic recovery plans that must be aligned with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as recommended by various bodies.

In this perspective, the efforts undertaken in this sense within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), an initiative launched by the European Union in November 2015 to support and sustain the efforts made by local authorities in the implementation of sustainable energy and climate policies, has made it possible to accompany the signatory cities of the Covenant in the elaboration of their Climate Plan and to identify a set of projects requiring financing for their implementation

The year 2021 is a year of truth for the climate, insofar as it has been marked by several actions highlighting the Marrakech partnership for action, notably through the mobilisation of climate finance and the consideration of the efforts of local and regional authorities to contribute to increasing ambition and strengthening resilience.

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UCLG Africa in partnership with the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) organised, on 15 September 2021, in the margins of the Climate Chance Summit in the framework of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) day, a session under the theme « The challenges of financing local climate action: what perspectives for CoM SSA signatory cities ? ».

The webinar, moderated by Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa, was attended by representatives of regional and local institutions, financial organisations and mayors of municipalities.

In her opening speech, Ms Soham El Wardini, Mayor of Dakar, outlined that the urgent need today is to make territories more resilient to future shocks. The COVID 19 crisis has highlighted the need to reexamine the place of local authorities in the decision-making systems of States. Indeed, because of their strength, their anchorage and their proximity, they are called upon to play an essential role. Today the world is facing great hopes, in particular to put an end to the covid-19 pandemic. According to the Mayor, it is necessary to improve the mechanisms for accessing climate change financing. Without appropriate funding, local governments cannot develop large-scale projects and programmes and participate effectively in NDCs. To make local government contributions more effective, the challenges of accessing climate finance must be removed. Local governments are not so autonomous in accessing funding, quite often they have to go through the state and this makes it difficult for them. It is true that financing exists, but access to this financing for local authorities remains delicate.

According to the mayor, the cities must know the sources of financing, the access modalities, the eligibility criteria, the support of the State for the preparation of a good financing file, the understanding of the financing measures, the types of eligible projects, the anchoring structures but also the best way to fill in the forms. Therefore, the capacity of internal and external actors in cities on the opportunities offered by climate finance needs to be strengthened. In the framework of COM SSA, the city of Dakar has developed a territorial climate and energy plan with EU funding. This climate plan has enabled the city of Dakar to identify courses of action in the field of GHG mitigation, adaptation and reduction of the vulnerability of territories to climate change.

Ms Irène Mingasson, EU Ambassador to Senegal, underlined that the EU has put climate challenges at the heart of the partnership through the Green Pact for Europe in favour of climate, biodiversity and the environment, and it is widely observed that it is at the local level that people’s commitment is realised. This is why the European Union has been supporting the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) for the past 5 years, an initiative set up to support territories in the implementation of their territorial climate plans in order to encourage them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

European Union aims to stop GHG emissions by 2050, decouple economic growth from resource use. By 2027, the European Commission will devote at least 25% of its budget to climate and environment. This approach also guides the EU’s post-Covid strategy to be resilient, sustainable and equitable. Together with the European Investment Bank (EIB), 27 EU countries are also making strong commitments to reduce GHG emissions and preserve the environment. Since 2015, the EU has been running projects in Dakar and Pikine that have produced territorial climate and energy plans and a range of pilot projects, the common thread of which remains information and awareness-raising. In Dakar, more than 50 discussion groups bringing together more than 500 community actors from 19 communes of the city, i.e. 1 million people from Dakar, have been made aware of climate issues. In the city of Pikine, more than 20 local committees were set up in each of the twenty communes of the agglomeration, mobilising more than 1,000 community actors who took local action. These projects have made it possible to prepare for future large-scale investments, which are very convincing for the donors. Two projects have been launched in this sense, one financed by the Spanish cooperation and the other by the European Union. Other investments are also envisaged on the basis of the plans developed under COM SSA, in particular for the implementation of NDCs at local level. “The European Union will continue to provide support to local authorities,” concluded the EU Ambassador to Senegal.

According to Mr. Frédéric Vallier, Secretary General of CEMR, everyone recognises today that the commitment of cities and territories is a key condition to fight climate change. However, the capacity given to cities to invest for the climate, to find financing, to have access to climate finance remains insufficient. He stressed the EU’s commitment to supporting cities in their fight against climate change for many years. For Mr Vallier, successful pilot projects must be generalised, but he called for the invention of a new development model led by all stakeholders, which would guarantee prosperity for citizens and be more sober than the model used in the past, whether in Europe, America or Asia. Mr Vallier added that “if we manage to mobilise as much money as possible to fight against covid 19 and its economic consequences in climate action, we will be able to take a big step in the fight against climate change. That life on the planet can only be preserved if we all act now”.

Ms Yaou Méry, representing the Togolese Ministry of the Environment, highlighted the problem of local authorities’ inaccessibility to funding. She then spoke about the regional Readiness programme which focuses on the implementation of climate action. The primary objective of Readiness, which focuses on strengthening the institutional capacities of local authorities in the UEMOA region, is to help UEMOA member states mobilise resources from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to finance adaptation and mitigation measures by local authorities and also to contribute to the territorialisation of NDCs. This objective is broken down into 3 specific objectives:

– Build the capacity of local institutions in the UEMOA zone to better understand the issue of climate change through technical assistance and training workshops,

– Promote access to climate finance at the local level,

– Strengthen local cooperation in the fight against climate change.

According to Mr. Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Ba, Managing Director of CDC Senegal, his institution has, through the legislative mechanism, invested in actions of general interest such as the financing of territorial development, the financing of payment, housing and strategic projects defined by the State, it is a companion of public policies, the CDC finances public policy projects, especially for local authorities. The CDC in Senegal is currently finalising a strategy to support local authorities in their expertise and financing.

According to Mr Seyni Nafo, “Climate finance is the engine, it is important at all levels, national and local. By 2030 we need 3,000 billion dollars for all actions to be carried out at all levels in Africa” that it has taken a long time for the international level to take into account that successful projects can only be implemented at the local and territorial level. The challenges to be taken up for the granting of financing are: the alignment and integration of territorial climate plans in the NDCs; the mutualisation of the climate plans of the local authorities to reach a critical volume and the identification of financial institutions capable of supporting these plans.

Ms. Kobie Brand, recalled that funding for climate action at the local level is not enough, that much more support and a common agenda are needed to achieve resilience and align climate change targets. The hazards of climate change are felt at the city level, and must be addressed at the city level. Ms Brand added that good practice must be capitalised on. She informed about ICLEI Africa’s support to local governments to fight climate change. “260 municipalities are supported in project conceptualisation and feasibility studies before moving on to the next steps”.

To conclude, Mr Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG-Africa « calls for the voice of local authorities to be heard in Glasgow at COP26 and for decentralised cooperation to be better financed, in particular through a better pooling of efforts between local authorities. »

Thérèse Faye Diouf: An active young woman 

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First woman at the head of the municipality of Diarrère in the region of Fatick (Senegal) since 2014, Thérèse Faye Diouf is a young mayor who does not leave indifferent the populations of his locality. 

18 September 2021, was an opportunity for the mayor to share with the youth of his town around the sport, the ultimate unifying element for young people.  It was during the inauguration of the municipal stadium. It was a moment of community effervescence. 

The municipal council of Diarrère focuses its interventions primarily on the youth who constitute the majority of the 3500 souls of this commune. Thus, the town council in partnership with the Centre de Formation et de Perfectionnement des Travaux Publics (CFPTP) and the Fonds d’Entretien Routier Autonome (FERA), proceeded on 16 and 17 August 16 2021, to the recruitment and training of 40 young people in the maintenance of rural roads, including 38 laborers and two (2) supervisors. A community radio was also launched in September 2021 (Diarrere FM). 

On the international scene, Ms. Thérèse Faye Diouf, does not fail to carry the voice of young elected officials, particularly in her capacity as vice-president of the Network of Young Locally Elected Officials of Africa (YELO) of UCLG Africa.  “We need a paradigm shift to meet the aspirations of young people. In Senegal there are about thirty young people running municipalities. Youth must be involved at the level of local and regional governments because they can make things happen. It is necessary to promote youth councils in localities, youth clubs in schools and universities. These are platforms that prepare young people to be leaders,” pleads the mayor.   

Bio Express 

Originally from Diarrère (Fatick region), Thérèse Faye Diouf holds a Master II in Sociology from Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD). She worked as an agent at the National Assembly. She has   responsibilities since the early days with the Movement of Students and Republican Students (Meer) of which she was the national coordinator. In April 2012, Thérèse Faye Diouf was appointed to head the National Agency for Early Childhood and the Case des Tout- Petits (ANPECTP) to ensure a better policy for early childhood care. In November 2020, she was appointed General Administrator of the Guarantee Fund for Priority Investments (FONGIP). 

 

Sources : 1, 2 , 3, 4 , 5  

 

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. 

Partnership between UCLG Africa and 01Talent Africa: For the involvement of African local and regional authorities in speeding up the digital transformation process (PRESS RELEASE)

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Rabat, Morocco, September 22nd, 2021

The socio-economic development of the continent will be local, or it will not be.
It will also be digital, or it will not be.

If this double conviction was still the prerogative of a few players 18 months ago, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world that local governments and the digital transition are now a necessary condition for development, cohesion, and social peace.

To permanently anchor African local governments and the continent as a whole in the digital world and reduce the digital divide that has widened over the years, the pan-African organization of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and 01Talent Africa signed on May 30, 2021 an innovative and ambitious strategic cooperation and partnership agreement, based on both the power of digital education and the extraordinary potential of the talents of African youth.

The UCLG Africa – 01Talent partnership aims to train more than 500,000 talents on the continent free of charge and according to the best global standards over the next 10 years. It provides a clear response to Africa’s most precious resource, an ever-growing, creative, and dynamic youth and offers a promise of social and economic integration through the creation of 01Talent Africa / UCLG Africa collective intelligence zones: the Zones01.

The continent’s first Zone01 will be inaugurated in Praia in Cabo Verde in early 2022 and will host 300 young talents from Cabo Verde and 26 other African partner countries. These talents will be selected solely on the basis of their potential and motivation without any form of discrimination at entry. They will follow an innovative curriculum based on a “peer to peer” and gamified pedagogy that relies on 01Edu, the learning platform developed by Nicolas Sadirac and his team. Training in digital programming and coding professions will take place over 24 months. At the end of this period, the selected talents will be employed and paid by Zone01 Cabo Verde, in partnership with the leading companies of the local and international networks of 01 Talent.
Within the next 18 months, the UCLG Africa / 01Talent Africa partnership aims to set up the first 5 regional collective intelligence zones on the continent: North Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa. The choice of their location will be made on a voluntary basis according to the “first come, first served” principle.

Statements

Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Government of Africa (UCLG Africa):

“Young people are Africa’s strength. They have to be its luck too. This has proven to be true in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also true for the conversion of institutions and organizations to digital that the pandemic has helped popularize. This conversion gives young people new employment opportunity and the space to exercise their creativity. The partnership between UCLG Africa and 01 Talent offers a unique chance to African local authorities to contribute to the training of young people in the digital field and to speed up their entry into digital culture as well as that of companies operating in their territories.”


Deror Sultan, CEO and cofounder of 01 Talent:

“Youth is a priority for Africa, its most precious human capital. People aged under 25 will represent more than half of the African population in 2050. By committing ourselves to this partnership with UCLG Africa, we wish to give them hope and release their creative potential so that they contribute to innovative and digital transformation of the African continent.”





For more information on the initiative, please contact:

UCLG Africa
Christophe Lumsden
Head of Strategy & Partnerships
clumsden@uclga.org
+212 661 082 281

01Talent Africa
David Sultan
Global COO
david@zone-01.com
+ 33 6 19 66 48 92

Press contact:

UCLG Africa
Gaelle Yomi
gyomi@uclga.org
+212 06 10 56 71 45
www.uclga.org

01Talent Africa
Adama Ba Gueye
adamabagueye@hotmail.com
+221 70 603 38 03
www.01-edu.org

About UCLG Africa
United Cities and Local Governments of Africa is the umbrella organization and the united voice ensuring the representation of local authorities from across the African continent. It was born from the merger of the three pre-existing associations of local governments: the African Union of Local Authorities (AULA), the Union of African Cities (UVA) and the African chapter of the Portuguese-speaking organization of local authorities, União das Cidades Capitais Luso-Afro-Américo-Asiáticas (UCCLA). The founding congress of the organization was held in May 2005 in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. UCLG Africa brings together 51 national associations of local authorities from all regions of Africa, as well as 2,000 cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. UCLG Africa represents more than 500 million African citizens. Its headquarters are based in Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, where it enjoys diplomatic status as a Pan-African International Organization. It also has regional offices on the continent. UCLG Africa’s vision is to build African unity and drive Africa’s development from the bottom up. www.uclga.org

About 01Talent Africa
01Talent Africa is the pan-African talent agency of the 01Talent International group which aims to identify, develop and connect to the professional world 1 million high-level developers in the world by 2035 thanks to the combination of a proven educational model in more than 40 countries and a sustainable and exponential economic model.
01Talent Africa is based on 01Edu, the ultimate upgrade of the “peer to peer” pedagogical approach (without a teacher) and gamified and developed by Nicolas Sadirac and his team, which is a learning platform intended to respond to the lack of growing number of IT developers.
This educational model which develops the entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and collective intelligence has already been deployed by our co-founder Nicolas Sadirac and his Alumni in more than 40 countries around the world, thus training more than 100,000 Talents in the last 10 years. www.01-edu.org

Message of condolences from UCLG Africa following the death of Mr. Yassine Daoudi, Mayor of Guisser & Member of the AMPCC  

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To

Mr. President of the

Moroccan Association of Presidents of

Communal Councils (AMPCC)

Kingdom of Morocco

Rabat

 

Subject: Condolences

It is with great sorrow and regret that we have learned of the death of our dear brother Mr. Yassine Daoudi, Mayor of the City of Guisser, Member of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Communal Councils (AMPCC) and Alternate Member of the Vice Executive Committee of UCLG Africa for North Africa.

In this painful circumstance, the community of local governments grouped within the organization United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) presents to all the Mayors and Elected Officials of the Territorial Communities of the Kingdom of Morocco its most sincere condolences.

Please extend our sympathy to his family, colleagues and loved ones.

We pray that God Almighty will give them the strength to overcome this painful ordeal.

In renewing our sincere condolences, please accept, Mr. President, the expression of our deep empathy.

 

For UCLG Africa

The Secretary General

Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi

 

PS:  The original message is available in french here. 

Order the book on : “Delegated Management of Public Services in Africa: A New Approach, Case of the Water Sector”

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What are the key elements that local authorities need to know when they decide to delegate the management of a public utility to public or private operators?

The book on “Delegated management of public services in Africa: A new approach, the case of the water sector” is an excellent practical guide to this effect.

Written by Mr. Mounir Zouggari, who worked for 35 years at the Moroccan National Water Office (ONEP), the book essentially addresses the theme from three angles:

– The upgrading of the performance of public operators and the quality of the public service they provide.

– The delegated management of public services to large international private groups as currently practiced.

– An unprecedented proposal to reform the mode of intervention of large international private operators so that this intervention is effectively and unconditionally part of a process of sustainable development of the sectors where the management of public services is delegated to them.

UCLG Africa was involved in the production of the book, whose preface was written by its Secretary General, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi. It raises the observation that most decentralization laws applied in Africa recognize a certain number of competences to local authorities, in particular the responsibility to organize the provision of basic network services to the populations (water, sanitation and drainage, waste, electricity, mobility and transport, telecommunications, etc.), but given their capital-intensive and technical nature, cities, local and regional governments are often led to delegate these services to public or private operators in order to ensure the regular and continuous supply of the said service at a price that the population can bear.

Read the rest of the preface here ( In French)

Order your copy of the book here (Unit price: 70 EUR). Available in French.

Discover the video presentation of the book by its author: Mr. Mounir Zouggari. Available in French.