Signature of a Framework Partnership Agreement between UCLG Africa and the International Institute of Governance (IIG)

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As part of the extension of its Network of Partners, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi and the President of the IIG, Mr. Saad Ansari Bouaachrine proceeded, on Tuesday 20 July 2021, to the signing of a Framework Partnership Agreement. This signing ceremony was preceded by presentations of both UCLG Africa and the IIG, including their mandate, vision and activities.

The IIG is a private institution of higher education, research, training, studies, consulting and development project design and implementation, specializing in good practices in the field of governance, whose headquarters is in Rabat, 06, Rue Mehdia Apt 2 Hassan Rabat Morocco.

As a reminder, the IIG has supported the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Prefectural and Provincial Councils (AMPCPP) and the ALGA Academy of UCLG Africa in the preparation and implementation of a dozen projects that have been presented to the African Support Fund for International Decentralized Cooperation of the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior.

Theme – African Decentralization and Local Development Day 2021: “The contribution of arts, culture, and heritage to the sustainable development of African cities and territories”

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The African Union (AU) has announced the theme for the 2021 edition of the  African Decentralization and Local Development Day (ADD), celebrated on 10 August of each year.

It is entitled: “The contribution of arts, culture and heritage in the sustainable development of African cities and territories”.

The African Charter of Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development, adopted in June 2014 by the Heads of State and Government meeting at their Summit in Malabo, in its Article 20 paragraph 4, institutes the commemoration of the African Decentralization and Local Development Day (ADD) on 10 August each year. The celebration of the ADD by all AU Member States is organized under the authority of the Sub-Committee on Decentralization and Local Development of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee No. 8 (AU-STC Nb 8) including the African ministers of public service, urban development and local governments and decentralization.

The theme chosen for the celebration of the ADD is based on the theme of the year defined by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union. The Heads of State and Government of the African Union have defined 2021 as the Year of arts, culture and heritage in Africa. It is in line with this choice that the theme for the celebration of the African Day of Decentralization and Local Development 2021 has been chosen, specified the concept note produced by the AU.

Three sub-themes have been defined, inviting African cities and territories to reflect on them:

Subtheme 1: Using art and culture as levers for social inclusion and for the promotion of the sense of belonging and oneness in African cities and territories

Subtheme 2: Mobilizing the energy of youth to boost the contribution of cultural and creative industries in job creation and sustainable development of African cities and territories

Subtheme 3: Developing activities around cultural heritage as a way to build city identity and to promote city branding and territorial marketing

The celebration aims to:

– sensitize and inform the general public;

– share positive experiences and good practices among Member States; but also

– recognize and encourage cities and territories that excel in the implementation of remarkable actions in the area of arts, culture and heritage.

Read the concept note here.

Tribute to Geoff Makhubo

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Geoff my Friend, my Brother

So you went away,

Without warning, on tiptoe,

And you chose to do so at a moment when your city, Johannesburg, your country, South Africa, and your continent, Africa, were such in need of your kind of leadership, deeply rooted in the human value of Ubuntu and oriented at the service of  the people,  a message for true Africanity of which you were an intimate bearer.

Praises, you will have, amply deserved.

But will they be able to fill the immense void that you leave in us from now on?

 

We, who witnessed your personal investment in the success of the Africities Summit, the flagship event of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, hosted in the City of Johannesburg in November 2015.

We, who counted on your optimism for this Continent, which you suffered from the fact that it despaired so much of its youth when it is so immensely endowed.

We, for whom you have so often played your role of watchman, in any situation, without fear, with the great and the small.

I was the lucky beneficiary of this flame that burned in you, sporadic moments, even fleeting, but of an intense luminosity.

I benefited from this appetite for analysis and measurement, which is the mark of great minds.

I saw in you a great mind that accepted to be submitted to the test of the reality of deep Africa, far from the palaces, the plateaus, and the theater of representation that we confuse with a successful life,

On the bumpy paths of our dear Continent, in search of hopefuls to present to the youth of Africa and the world,

You served your city, your country, your continent with dedication and devotion,

You were convinced that it was necessary to change the rumor about Africa, to install in people’s minds and hearts the image of an Africa that is proud of its past and sure of its capacity to finally be master of its future,

Over the last few years, as all of us, you have observed the slow but inexorable maturation of this rise of Africa on the world agenda,

Not only in terms of mobilization of human charity in favor of and I quote “this poor continent which would not have entered the history” end of quote, the history written of course by the sword bearers and the cannon sellers,

But now as the new frontier of the world, the cradle of humanity belatedly recognized, as well as the largest reservoir of natural resources and soon of population of the world, thus closing the loop that makes Africa the alpha and omega of the human species on planet Earth,

As a local government leader, you told us how important it is to present this perspective to African youth so that they become aware of the noble lineage to which they belong, and of the global responsibility which they are now invested with, to define the paths towards a higher order of humanity, where solidarity and sharing will have taken precedence over sterile competition of all against all and every man for himself that fuel xenophobia, racism, inequalities and systematic injustice.

You told us that time has come when the recent history of Africa as drawn on a map in a Tea Party held in Berlin, Germany, in 1885, and reflected in the post-colonial African states, must give way to a dynamic coming from within, carried by an irresistible rise of the Africa of the Peoples, the one that finally settles the accounts with the tears and mutilations of the colonial order, and rebuilds the future by overcoming factitious borders,

Some people smiled sympathetically at such naivety and sweet dreams,

But don’t the events and decisions of the recent history of our continent prove you right, when we see the recent adoption by the Members States of the African Union of the Agreement of the Continental Free Trade Area, which constitutes the cornerstone of the Africa We Want, an Africa that masters her destiny and is custodian of the building of a better and fairer world, because concerned with the equal dignity of all human beings?

I would have liked to continue this conversation with you, and explore how local and regional governments should concretely initiate this shift towards building solid foundations for a finally united Africa. Remember. This was precisely the topic of the Africities Summit in Johannesburg: the contribution of African local and regional governments to the implementation of the African Union Agenda 2063. But your breath has stopped, and this stop makes us legatee of a great testament: to pursue your dream of building the Africa of the Peoples from Cape to Cairo.

Be assured, from where you are watching us now, that we will make sure that thousands, hundreds of thousands of young people on this Continent are aware to turn the page of the colonial legacy, to send back to the rebus of history the micro-states of the division of Africa, and to make rise an immense wave carried by this Ubuntu that Africa is proud to offer to the world.

Then, as the tale has it, the Elder Son will have played his part, so that the world will finally become a better place to live in for everyone.

Geoff, my Friend, my Brother,

Rest in peace. You were taken away too early to the affection of your family, your city, your continent that you loved so deeply. You were taken away too soon from our affection.

African wisdom says that the dead are not dead. They are in the sun that shines, in the stars that glisten, in the wind that rustles.

The dead are not dead

Geoff in us, you remain more alive than ever, in us you will never die

Rest in peace my Dear Friend, My Dear Borther

May the African land of our Ancestors be light to you

 

Jean Pierre ELONG MBASSI

UCLG Africa  Secretary General

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

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Read the message here.

Call for applications – Consultant for the development and implementation of an Accreditation and Quality Assurance Unit for Training Institutes and Programmes Targeting African Local Governments

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UCLG Africa launch the call for applications for the recruitment of a consultant to develop and implement an Accreditation and Quality Assurance Unit for Training Institutes and Programmes Targeting African Local Governments at its African Local Government Academy (ALGA).

The terms of reference are available here.

Submission

This call for consultation is open to consultancy firms or groups of consultants.

Interested bidders are invited to send their submission file to the following addresses: Address:

By post : Address: General Secretariat of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-Africa), N ° 22 Rue Essaadiyine, Quartier Hassan, Zip Code 10020, Rabat, Morocco,

– By email: nzarrouk@uclga.org  and Fchabi@uclga.org

 

Deadline: 15 September 2021 at 16:30pm (U.T.C. + 1)

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

 

The Didier Drogba Foundation and 01Talent Africa are committed in partnership with UCLG Africa to support the growth of the digital economy through the development of exceptional entrepreneurial skills

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Partnership between the Didier Drogba Foundation and 01Talent Africa to identify, train and support new African digital talent

  • The Didier Drogba Foundation and 01Talent Africa signed in Abidjan, a strategic partnership to address the challenges of the digital transformation of the continent through an inclusive and sustainable approach to human capital development
  • The Didier Drogba Foundation reaffirms its mission to promote the fundamental right to education for all without distinction and more specifically for the most vulnerable populations (unemployed youth, women and girls, migrants, …)
  • 01Talent Africa, co-founded by Nicolas Sadirac and Deror Sultan, is committed to the identification, development and provision of professional support to more than 1 million digital talents in Africa through the establishment of inclusive business schools (“Zone01”) without any financial or academic barriers, true catalysts and accelerators of opportunities for youth and innovation.
  • Didier Drogba and his foundation become international ambassadors for 01Talent.
  • From autumn 2021, an ambitious pan-African campaign will be launched to identify and reveal the digital talents and entrepreneurs of tomorrow, driving the continental tech ecosystem.

Read More.

25th session of the Executive committee of UCLG Africa : signing of the Headquarters agreement and inauguration of the Regional Office for north Africa (FINAL PRESS RELEASE)

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On 17 and 18 June 2021, the city of Cairo (Egypt) hosted the 25th ordinary session of the Executive Committee of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).

The opening ceremony took place on 17 June 2021, under the effective chairmanship of His Excellency Mahmoud Shaarawy, Minister of Local Development of Egypt. The ceremony was punctuated by the speeches of Dr. Mohamed Boudra, Vice-President of UCLG Africa for the North Africa region and President of UCLG World, General Khaled Abdel Al Aal, Governor of Cairo, the Honorable Peter Anyang Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu (Kenya) and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa. Also present were high officials of the Egyptian authority and the members of the Executive Committee.

In his opening speech, the Minister of Local Development, His Excellency Mahmoud Shaarawy, underlined the growing interest of his country “for the continent since 2014, within the framework of the implementation of the directives of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Based on the vision of the Egyptian state and its political leadership regarding the need to share our experience in the field of infrastructure development, I would like to highlight a set of inspiring facts in this regard and the achievements that have been made over the past seven years, including an unprecedented level of urbanization and urban development, where 20 new cities have been built, which is equivalent to about 90% of the number of cities built in the past 50 years. The national government is working to eradicate slums and provide safe alternative housing for 23 million citizens. Egypt is witnessing an improvement in the quality of local, regional, and international roads. Egypt’s pioneering experience in the development of infrastructure projects is an example that we are happy to share with our African brothers”.

Dr. Mohamed Boudra said he was “satisfied with the efforts made by UCLG Africa to improve the situation of cities and local authorities in African countries, efforts that reflect a responsible commitment to meet the challenges of sustainable local development and to demand a better reality for the cities of the continent. The Cairo meeting is a positive step to enrich the public debate concerning the areas of sustainable development and local democracy on the continent, as well as to support all causes relating to economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights.”.

For his part, General Khaled Abdel Aal, Governor of Cairo, stressed that the selection of the Egyptian capital by UCLG Africa to host the headquarters of its regional office for North Africa is a mark of recognition of the important role that plays Egypt in solving the continent’s problems. The UCLG Africa Office for North Africa (NARO) is called to become “a beacon in terms of knowledge and a mechanism to support and strengthen our common African work, as well as a center to address the challenges facing our African cities”.

The Governor of Kisumu, in his speech, assured that his city is ready to host the 9th edition of the Africities Summit scheduled for April 26 to 30, 2022. “This session of the Executive Committee comes at a time when our continent is fighting against the pandemic of Covid-19. The coronavirus has had a huge impact on our local communities in Kenya. However, I am happy to report that preparations for the next Africities Summit to be held in Kisumu are progressing well. The Government of Kenya has mobilized considerable resources to ensure that we organize a memorable event. Since then, the infrastructure has been improved and the construction of the roads to reach the event venue has started and we hope to complete them by the end of this year 2021. The construction of the Africities Convention Center will start in the coming days for delivery within 6 months”, reassured the Honorable Anyang’ Nyong’o

The Secretary General of UCLG Africa, for his part, stressed that “Egypt has always been a place of new beginnings for our organization. I would like to remind you that it is in this city of Cairo that we organized for the first time a meeting of the Pan-African Council of Local Authorities: it was in 2010, as part of Africa’s participation in the second congress of the world organization of local governments (UCLG) held in Mexico in October 2010. It is also here in Egypt that we formulated the common position of Africa which was to lead to the election of Mr. Kadir Topas mayor of Istanbul, as the second president of the world organization UCLG. It is also here that in June 2019 we held a meeting which decided on Africa’s candidacy for the presidency of the world organization UCLG and this candidacy that was chosen here in Cairo, under the auspices of the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people, appointed Dr. Mohamed Boudra as the candidate of Africa for the position of world President of UCLG, during the general assembly held in November 2019 in Durban, South Africa. The Egyptian Minister of Local Development accompanied us in this election; we won this election, and Dr. Boudra became the president of UCLG at the global level. This testifies to the central place of Egypt in our organization. Egypt has also offered to host the regional office for North Africa. For us, Egypt is the starting point for the renewal of our movement. What we ask Egypt to do is to continue to be the defender of local and regional governments because we are convinced that the unity and development of Africa will be achieved from the local level. Development is either local or it does not exist at all”, pleaded Mr. Mbassi.

Signing of the NARO headquarters agreement

After the opening ceremony, a delegation of the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa was received in audience by the Egyptian Prime Minister S.EM. Mostafa Madbouly, following which the Agreement was signed between the government of Egypt and UCLG Africa for the hosting of the Headquarters of the UCLG Africa Regional Office for North Africa (NARO), in Cairo. The delegation received by the Prime Minister included: the Honorable Eugene Wamalwa, Minister of Devolution of Kenya, Dr. Mohamed Boudra, President of UCLG world, Mr. Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé, Vice-president of UCLG World for Africa, Mr. Innocent Uwimana, Vice-President of UCLG Africa for the East Africa Region, Mrs. Macoura Dao, President of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), Mr. Augustin Tamba, President of the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon (UCCC), Mr. Dieudonné Bantsimba, President of the Association of Mayors of Congo (AMC), the Honorable Anyang ‘Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu, Mr. Waleed Ali Bouheesah, Vice-President of the National Union of Municipal Councils of Libya, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa, and Mr. Mohamed Cherkaoui, Chief of Protocol of UCLG Africa.


The Prime Minister underlined that “the choice of Cairo to host the 25th session of the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa is a source of pride” for his country. Mr. Madbouly expressed the total support of Egypt to Kenya for the organization of the next edition of the Africities Summit in Kisumu, and confirmed the interest of Egypt to host the next Africities Summit in 2024.

Following the meeting with the Prime Minister, the delegation joined the other participants to visit the NARO headquarters in Heliopolis. On this occasion, the participants were informed of the appointment of Ambassador Mohamed Hegazy, as Director of the UCLG Africa regional office for the North Africa region (NARO).





Proceedings of the 25th session of the Executive Committee

The second day, June 18, was marked by the proceedings of the 25th session of the Executive Committee devoted mainly to the approval of the accounts for the financial year 2020; the launch of the preparation process for the elective general assembly of UCLG Africa which will take place on April 29, 2022; the review of the state of preparations for the 9th edition of the Africities Summit scheduled for Kisumu, Kenya from April 26 to 30, 2022; and the evaluation of the participation of associations of local governments in Africa in the programming of the new cooperation cycle of the European Union with partner countries (2021-2027).
The proceedings were led by Dr. Mohamed Boudra, Vice-President of UCLG Africa for the North Africa region, in the presence of 12 of the 16 members of the Executive Committee (i.e. 09 in person and 3 online). The city of Libreville and the Association of Local Authorities of Zambia were excused.

The Executive Committee adopted the report of the Financial Management Commission which met on the morning of June 17, 2021 and gave discharge to the Secretary General for the management of UCLG Africa for the financial year 2020.

The Executive Committee has been informed of the eligibility conditions to take part in the next elective general assembly scheduled for April 29, 2022 in Kisumu, as part of the 9th edition of the Africities Summit. In the direction of this General Assembly, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa and the Vice-Presidents of UCLG Africa of the five regions are mandated by the Executive Committee to organize the regional caucuses by December 2021. During these caucuses, each region will designate its candidates for the various positions for the renewal of the bodies of the organization: Pan-African Council, Financial Management Commission, Executive Committee, Presidency of UCLG Africa, and designation of the representative of the region to the electoral commission set up to supervise the conduct of the electoral operations.

The Executive Committee received from the Kenyan delegation led by the Minister of Devolution of Kenya, His Excellency Mr. Eugene Wamalwa, and the Honorable Peter Anyang Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County. A communication was made on the state of play of preparations for the 9th edition of the Africities Summit scheduled for April 26-30, 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya. The official launch of the Summit website corresponding to the registration website for the Summit is scheduled for late June-early July 2021 at the latest.

The Executive Committee welcomed the progress observed in the preparation of the Africities Summit in Kisumu, and renewed its recommendation to the Kenyan delegation to travel to Morocco to benefit from the experience in organizing the last Africities Summit. in Marrakech in November 2018. The Kenyan delegation has resolved to go on mission to Morocco from July 10, 2021 if travel is authorized.

Regarding the support provided by UCLG Africa to members for their participation in the programming process of the new cooperation cycle of the European Union with partner countries (2021-2027), the Executive Committee was informed that 48 national associations have been supported in producing the roadmap for local authorities and negotiating their inclusion in the new European cooperation program. The Delegations of the E.U. must submit the cooperation programs of each country to the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels no later than June 30, 2021. This is why the Executive Committee calls on each national association of local and regional authorities to get in touch immediately with the Delegation of the E.U. in their respective countries and with the national administration of their country in charge of European cooperation to ensure that the roadmap of local and regional governments is taken into account in the new 2021-2027 program of the European cooperation.

Concerning the miscellaneous items of the agenda, the members of the Executive Committee were informed of the progress of the celebration of RABAT, African Capital of Culture, the official launch of which should take place on January 24, 2022, date of the celebration of the World Day of African and Afro-descendant Culture.

The Executive Committee validated the proposal to sign 5 partnerships between:

  • UCLG Africa and CitiIQ. CitiIQ provides the platform where meaningful, human-scale data integration is made available. CitiIQ is a comprehensive system that objectively measures the overall health and well-being of a city. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, CitiIQ offers a convenient way for a city to mark progress towards achieving the SDGs.
  • UCLG Africa and the 01 Talent initiative for training young people in coding. Cities and local authorities have a key role to play in the digital transformation to promote sustainable and inclusive growth in productivity and prosperity for the benefit of all Africans. The joint initiative proposed by UCLG Africa and 01Talent Africa is part of the agenda for the digitization of administrations and businesses for which the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need. The UCLG Africa – 01 Talent partnership aims to train and deploy more than 500,000 coders over the next 10 years in Africa and to support African local governments and businesses in the process of digitizing their operations and interventions. The goal is to ensure the development of an African technological ecosystem to meet the challenges of the continent’s digital transformation by creating a fluid network of talents who can be mobilized and ready for action.
  • UCLG Africa and Ideo for the development of an online training platform called “UCLG Africa e-Academy”. A presentation of “UCLG Africa e-Academy” was made to the members of the Executive Committee who welcomed this digitalization initiative of UCLG Africa’s African Local Government Academy (ALGA).
  • UCLG Africa and Africa Verify. This is an initiative aimed at ensuring that the operations and interventions of UCLG Africa comply with the standards of transparency and integrity necessary for the recognition of the fiduciary capacity of UCLG Africa in order to enable it to manage in all security funds on behalf of third parties (development partners, financial institutions, foundations, bi- or multilateral cooperation agencies, etc.).
  • UCLG Africa and Trombino for the development of portfolios for associations of local authorities and the development of key information materials on national associations of local governments in Africa.

    • In her talk by videoconference, the Honorable Thembisile Nkadimeng, Mayor of Polokwane and President of South African Local Government Association (SALGA), requested that a minute of silence be observed in memory of His Excellency Mr. Kenneth Kaunda, former President of the Republic of Zambia, whose work in favor of the freedom fighters in South Africa, Angola, Namibia, and Mozambique was so decisive for the successful outcome of the liberation struggle of the peoples of these countries.

    In his closing remarks for the 25th session of the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa, Dr. Boudra asked the members of UCLG Africa to show their solidarity with their colleagues from the Association of Municipalities of Burkina Faso (AMBF) and to its President, Mr. Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé, Mayor of Ouagadougou, as well as to the brotherly people of Burkina Faso, following the Solhan massacre, where 132 people were killed by terrorists on the night of June 4 to June 5, 2021. Dr Boudra asked the President of the Association of Municipalities of Burkina Faso (AMBF) to be the spokesperson for the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa to present to the families affected the sincere condolences of the community of local governments of Africa, and to express the fraternal solidarity of the cities and local governments of Africa towards their colleagues in Burkina Faso.

    For further information, please contact:

    Gaëlle Yomi : Phone : + 212 610 56 71 45
    E-mail :     gyomi@uclga.org

    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