Africities 2018: Find out the climate day program !

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Cities and territories members of UCLG Africa committed to the fight againstt Climate Change

Cities and territories of Africa represent a significant share of the continent’s GHG emissions (about 70 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa) and they host millions of people in areas that are sometimes very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. They also concentrate the bulk of economic activity in Africa and the bulk of investment (infrastructure, business buildings, equipment, etc.). These realities reinforce the importance of the cities and territories of Africa in the implementation of the policies of fight against climate change.

UCLG Africa intends to make of the 8th edition of the Africities Summit a strong political moment in the service of the achievement of a common goal of the cities and local governments in response to the major challenges of climate change and of the transition towards sustainable development.

This general objectives aims specifically to strengthen the actions of the cities and territories in support of states for the implementation of their Nationally Determined Planned Contributions (NDPCs) or their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

This moment should lead to the adoption of a joint Declaration on the commitment to a broader partnership between national governments and local and regional governments in Africa for the implementation of the NDCs.

Goals and objectives of the Africities Climate Day

The Africities Climate Day is held five years earlier to the deadline of 2023 for elevating the ambitions of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This Climate Day Aims to bring together all the stakeholders mobilized for the fighr against global warming and the effects of Climate change. For its first edition, the Africities Climate Day will focus its reflections on the creation of the NDCs of the African countries concerning the seven key components of the Paris Agreement, namely :

  1. Adaptation ;
  2. Mitigation ;
  3. South-South cooperation ;
  4. Territorialization of the NDCs ;
  5. Financing ;
  6. Capacity building ;
  7. The transparency framework

The Africities “Climate Day” sets five strategic & operational goals :

  1. Identifying best practices ;
  2. Setting the priorities and goals to be achieved by 2023, starting date of the binding period of the Paris Agreement ;
  3. Developing the 2030 Agenda of the cities and territories of Africa for Climate ;
  4. Evaluating the Declaration the Africities “Climate Day” to be presented at COP 24 in Poland in December.

This Desclaration aims to have UNFC recognize the centrality of cities and territories of African in the resilience to Climate Change and the need for these cities and territories, to receive more attention and involvement in implementation of the NDCs, on the one hand, and to be represented in the international climate proceedings, on the other hand.

The program is available here 

Call for Application: Project Officer – Central InfoPoint and Assistance to Cities (Accra, Ghana) for Covenant of Mayors Office for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoMO SSA)

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After the adoption, in 2008, of the 2020 EU Climate and Energy Package, the European Commission launched the Covenant of Mayors to endorse and support the efforts deployed by local authorities in the implementation of sustainable energy policies.

The Covenant of Mayors is a unique bottom-up movement that succeeded in mobilising a great number of local and regional authorities to develop action plans and direct investments towards climate change mitigation measures.

The Project Officer – InfoPoint and Assistance to cities will be based at the UCLG premises in Accra, Ghana. The person will be selected by UCLG Africa to work on the Covenant of Mayors Office for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoMO SSA). She/he is expected to travel in the region and sometimes to Europe (Brussels project coordination office).

For all the needed information to apply to this position, click on the Application Pack here: Job Ad – Project officer Helpdesk October 2018_rev (003) ang.

Interested candidates are invited to send us the following documents, one written in French and the other written in English

1) A cover letter of maximum two pages, explaining why you would like to work as Project Officer on the CoMO SSA project and why you are the ideal candidate for this position, and
2) A curriculum vitae, including employment history (with salary), education, professional qualifications, language skills and the contact details of two references.
These should be addressed to uclgawestafrica@yahoo.com by 30/11/2018 midnight GMT time, clearly indicating “Project Officer – InfoPoint and Assistance to cities in Accra” in the subject line.
Selected candidates will be asked to come in for an interview in Rabat, Morocco.
The successful candidate should ideally be available to start working in January 2019.

 

Discover the 9 nominated for the 2018 Climate Initiative Awards at Africities Summit

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On Friday, 2 November 2018, the members of the jury of the Climate Initiatives Awards held a meeting at UCLG Africa headquarters in Rabat. The 2018 edition is organized by UCLG Africa and the Climate Initiatives association in the framework of the Africities 8 summit, scheduled for 20-24 November 2018 in Marrakech, on the theme: “The transition to sustainable cities and territories: The role of Local and Sub- national governments of Africa.”.

The jury designed 9 nominees in the 3 categories of African Local and Sub- national governments in competition : Small cities : less than 20,000 inhabitants, Intermediary Cities From 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants and Big Cities : More than 100,000 inhabitants.

31 initiatives were received from 16 countries, the jury select the 9 most innovative initiatives in climate change adaptation and mitigation. There are:

-Category 1 (Small Cities, less than 20,000 inhabitants):

* Commune Rurale Ambohimanambola (Madagascar): Development of a waste processing station

* Commune of Ndiob (Senegal): A green and resilient commune

–Category 2 (Intermediary Cities, from 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants)

* Commune of Yoko (Cameroon): Integral protection of a communal forest

* Chefchaouen (Morocco): Energy Info Center

* Goz Beida (Chad): Reconstitution of plant cover and fight against soil erosion

– Category 3 (Large communities, more than 100,000 inhabitants)

* Quelimane (Mozambique):   Quelimane Mangrove Restoration

* EThekwini Municipality (South Africa): Buffelsdraai Reforestation Project

* Departmental Council of Tivaouane (Senegal): Preservation of a sustainable agricultural environment

* Yaoundé City Council (Cameroon): Yaoundé Sanitation Project

These nine initiatives will be put to the vote of the 5000 delegates expected at Africities 2018 Summit, to nominate the winner of each category. The votes will be made via the application of Africities Summit.

The nine nominees are fully supported by UCLG Africa (one person per municipality) to attend the Africities Summit from 20 to 24 November 2018. A trophy will be awarded to all winners at the Africities summit gala dinner on 24 November 2018.

 

Publication: UCLG Africa Regional Strategic Meetings Reports 2018

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UCLG Africa has organized 4 regional strategic meetings during the year 2018.

The main objectives of these meetings were:

-Take stock of the state of decentralization in the different regions and address the priorities of the decentralization agenda in the regions

-Deliberate on the priority actions required to support local governments to become reliable partners for national governments; the regional economic communities; other development partners and stakeholders.

The reports of the 2018 Regional Strategic Meetings are now available via the links below:

-East Africa (Nairobi, Kenya, 10 – 11 April 2018)

-Central Africa  (Libreville, Gabon, 16-17 April 2018) ( Avialable in French)

-Southern Africa (Walvis Bay, Namibia, 7-8 May 2018)

-West Africa (Accra, Ghana, 28-29 May 2018)

 

Africities Summit 2018: 20 years of Pan-Africanism of Cities and Regions Celebrated in Morocco

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“For an  Africa of all Transitions, for Cities and Regions as Drivers of Changes  Strategies”

Press Release 

Rabat, on 24 October 2018,

The flagship pan-African event of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA Africa) will celebrate its 20th anniversary. It will bring together the 5,000 expected participants for creating a shared vision of the «Africa We Want».

By hosting the Summit for the second time in 10 years, the Kingdom of Morocco and all the Moroccan stakeholders, mobilized under the aegis of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Communal Councils (AMPCC), support this event which amplifies «the Voice of Territorial Africa».

Press Notice 

Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco hosts the Africities Summit for the second time, addressing the theme: «The Transition to Sustainable Cities and Territories: the Role of Territorial Communities of Africa.»

Indeed, it is a decisive role, as more than 60% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations fall within the competence of territorial communities, as recognized by decentralization laws. The actual achievement of these objectives depends thus on the strong involvement of elected representatives, local public administrations, and territorial actors (communities, businesses, artists, women, young people, banking institutions, etc.).

The future of Africa and its evolution are increasingly played out at the level of the Continent’s cities and territories. Globalization and rapid urbanization are the two powerful trends that mark this evolution. These two trends have a significant impact on the development of African societies. They raise questions about the effectiveness of the current growth and development models pursued in the African context, and even prompt one to consider a paradigm shift in the way people think about the Continent’s sustainable development.

In choosing the theme of «the Transition to Sustainable Cities and Territories» for the Africities 2018 Summit, the territorial authorities of  Africa have opted for a break proposal that justifies the urgency for a farreaching change in the growth and development patterns, and a paradigm shift in the Continent’s development in order to achieve the structural transformation sought by the African Union Agenda 2063. The Summit will discuss the various dimensions of transition, without disregarding the interactions they maintain among themselves: demographic, ecological, democratic and political, economic and social, geopolitical, as well as culture and communication.

It is further recognized that it is rather in cities and territories that the fight against climate change and poverty would be won or lost. This is why cities and territories of Africa are now key actors in the process of implementing the international agendas adopted by the United Nations in 2015 and 2016, and more particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG), the Paris Agreement that builds on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the implementation of the said Agreement, and the New Urban Agenda adopted in Quito, Ecuador. It is for the sake of raising awareness of the new responsibilities incumbent upon them and exploring the ways and means for fully assuming these responsibilities that the leaders of territorial communities of Africa invite all relevant stakeholders to explore with them at the Africities Summit, to be held from 20 to 24 November 2018 in Marrakech, the strategies to be defined and the paths to move along in order to start now the transition towards sustainable cities and territories in Africa.

This eighth edition is therefore a not-to-be-missed event for the territorial communities of Africa, and a significant anniversary date, as it marks the 20 years of existence and organization of the Africities Summits !

Read more… 

“Most often people say, ‘You are the future,’ but our future never arrives.” Jefferson Koijee, City Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia.

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In the drive to engage young people in the development of sustainable cities and territories in Africa, Monrovia’s young mayor and member of the Africities Youth Forum, speaks to the youth of Liberia to fight for the Africa they want through interaction with local government, the political process and policy makers.
Watch the video 

Re-defining AU-EU Partnership Perspectives of CSOs, Private Sector and Local Authorities

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  1. Preamble

From the 8th to 10th of October 2018, Gaborone, Botswana played host to the Africa Regional Meeting of the Policy Forum on Development (PFD). The Policy Forum on Development (PFD) is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Organized Private Sector and Local Authorities (LA) from around Africa to dialogue on critical development issues. The PFD recognises the European Commission’s 2012 communication on the “The roots of democracy and sustainable development” which clarifies the definition of CSOs in all their diversity and specificities. The PFD is supported by the European Commission and provides a platform where identified stakeholders’ together with EU Members States meet to debate on development matters. The regional PFD is organized on a rotational basis in addition to an annual global meeting.

The 2018 edition of the Africa PFD focused on the recommendations which emanated from the November 2017 African Union (AU) – European Union (EU) Summit of Heads of States and Governments; the vision for the proposed post-Cotonou framework, and further examined the AU theme of the year on Combatting Corruption.

  1. Observations

The Africa PFD witnessed extensive deliberations across critical development and governance issues. Subsequently, at the end of the three days, the PFD observed the following:

  1. A mutual and balanced relationship between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) is essential for both to play a leading role in world governance, now and the future. However, this relationship ought to be to be further cultivated and effectively harnessed for mutual benefit and to foster meaningful outcomes.
  2. The PFD as a multi-stakeholder platform should be a model that seeks to contribute to facilitating dialogue across crosscutting development issues and sustain critical platforms that promote knowledge and information sharing between the two continents.
  • Climate change is a real challenge to both continents and is already disrupting livelihoods.
  1. Rising inequalities on both continents is an issue of political and social concern for sustainable peace and development.
  2. Africa has a youthful population that can be a demographic dividend or a bulge. This youthful population is often lacking requisite skills and competences to express their ingenuity and play their rightful role in the overall development of their societies and continent at large.
  3. Existence and implementation of institutional frameworks and mechanisms that support effective governance systems are either lacking and/or not fully enforced in many countries. These countries also demonstrate very little corresponding political will to introduce and implement such systems.
  • Development at the national level has not been inclusive and has not reached the farthest behind in the spirit of the leave no one behind principle.
  • Leadership has a fundamental role in determining the development trajectory of States. The challenges in quality leadership can be directly attributed to slow development.
  1. Corruption and illicit financial flows hurt everyone as necessary resources that are meant for the general good of huge populations are diverted for personal gain. The overall attainment of both the Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) face existential and attainment threats due to pervasive corruption.
  2. The evolving global context of migration greatly impacts on socio-cultural dynamics. The EU Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and the upcoming UN Global Compact on Migration presents a great opportunity to reengage on these issues.
  3. The proposed European Investment Plan has the potential to contribute to Africa’s development. However, the involvement of the local private sector is so far limited.
  • The 20-year Cotonou Partnership Agreement comes to end in February 2020. The upcoming Post-Cotonou agreement negotiations provides a unique opportunity to re-define the AU-EU partnership.
  1. Recommendations

In the spirit of dialogue and partnership of the PFD, the following recommendations were thus put forward:

  1. Future AU-EU partnerships, including the bi-annual Summits of Head of States and Governments should embrace a multi-stakeholder approach that ensures the voice, contributions and priorities of all stakeholders are incorporated in all mechanisms. AU and EU should take steps to ensure that they are aligned in their future visions regarding the direction of the partnership, and the impact they will make.
  2. The AU and EU should deliberately initiate and sustain mutually beneficial development models which will directly translate into clear improvements in the political and socio-economic wellbeing of the respective populations. These models should include development frameworks that adhere to the SMART principle that demonstrate clear-cut linkages between the initiatives and their impact.
  • Multi-stakeholder and multi-level engagement that seek to promote wider ownership and deepen local stakeholder reach across all spheres of society should be initiated. Therefore, a PFD approach should also be implemented at the national level to ensure important voices and concerns that represent the critical mass of societies are adequately captured and taken on board.
  1. Given the persistent challenges of climate change, the partnership must adopt a sustainable approach to strengthen adaptation and mitigation interventions at all levels. The partnership should also support the implementation of the nationally determined contributions as prescribed by and agreed under the Paris Agreement.
  2. The AU-EU partnership should strive to deliberately target inclusion and justice at all levels as a priority agenda.
  3. The AU-EU partnership should give higher attention to making adequate investments in the continent’s youthful population, training them in requisite skills and competencies, providing opportunities and the enabling space which is essential to transform the continent to a digital age and a knowledge economy.
  • The AU-EU partnership should promote enabling environments that foster the contribution of all stakeholders to build effective institutional frameworks that are required for effective governance and development across the continent.
  • Strengthening local structures and fostering inclusive development initiatives should be at the heart of national efforts at implementing both the Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  1. The AU-EU partnership should promote the building of resilient institutions and capable leadership that is able to deliver on development outcomes.
  2. Anti-corruption efforts must go beyond lip-service. The AU-EU partnership should advance efforts to use existing mechanisms to curb corruption and illicit financial flows, and where necessary, push for the creation of new mechanisms.
  3. The AU-EU partnership should push towards a deeper understanding of migration issues and advance a common descriptive narrative that abolishes the innate contestation between the opposing views of migration being exclusively a security issue or it being a multi-dimensional human rights issue.
  • The implementation of the EIP should enhance an enabling business environment following a structured dialogue between all parties involved, including local private sector to ensure mutual benefits as well as inclusive economic development.
  • Negotiations for the Post-Cotonou Agreement should be undertaken in a timely manner and should take into adequate cognisance lessons learned from implementing the initial 20year Agreement, as well as changing dynamics and realities of the signing parties. African countries must anchor their negotiations within their commonly adopted visions and goals, especially Agenda 2063, Agenda 2030 and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and marshal the best strategy to realise these.
  1. Conclusion

The Africa PFD was a rallying point for advancing the development and governance dialogue amongst critical stakeholders. The Forum, like other previous editions saw the active participation of Regional Institutions, Trade Unions, Foundations, Diaspora, Civil Society Organizations, Organized Private Sector amongst other actors.

The Forum afforded the relevant partners a platform to reinforce commitments that promote mutually agreeable and beneficial African Union (AU) – Europe Union (EU) relations. In this regard, the Forum noted that identified gaps that exist within the current working frameworks as constituted, remain subject to further engagement with the relevant stakeholders as the debate remains an ongoing one for enhancing future relations and promoting safer, just and equitable societies for all.

PDF 

Practical information for your participation at the Africities 8 Summit (20-24 November 2018, Marrakech)

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In order to optimize the participation and the process of payment of registration fees for the Africities 8 Summit (20-24 November 2018, Marrakech), please note below the practical information for your participation or the participation of your delegation , we strongly recommend you to:

  1. Pre-register each member of your delegation by filling in the required fields on:https://www.africities.org/registration/ . Please copy the link to your browser and proceed to register the members of your delegation one by one. An automatic pre-registration message will be sent to you.
  2. Send to UCLG Africa (africities@uclga.org) the list of all delegation to calculate and edit a corresponding invoice that will be sent to you;
  3. Make the payment by bank transfer to the UCLG Africa account according to the details of the bank account attached and send us the payment document (transfer order / Debit Notice);
  4. Complete the registration confirmation process upon receipt of a second message to get the Bar-Code giving each participant access to the Africities Summit8
  • As far as hotels in Marrakech are concerned, we strongly recommend that you send your requests for hotel reservations in Marrakech to the Shems Travel Agency Booking Center, Mrs Salwa ENNAJRAOUI: s.ennajraoui@shemstravel.com

Please find below the first list of 4 * and 5 * hotels with negotiated rates pending a complementary list with all other categories to be communicated later on :

Hôtel Catégorie Prix Single en BB Prix Double en BB
Mogador Menara 5* 85 110
Essaadi HOTEL 5* 125 140
RIAD ENNAKHIL 5* 760 100
Atlas Asni 4* 95 120
Hôtel Labranda 4* 95 120
Meriem 4* 51 64
NASSIM 4* 56 70
Mogador Guéliz 4* 50 65
WAZO 4* 62 73
ZALAGH 4* 72 89
RAWABI 4* 67 75
PALMERAIE GOLF PALACE 5* 132 150

 

We strongly advise you to regularly check in the website: www.africities.org  for potential and frequent updates.

For any further information please contact : africities@uclga.org

Tanzania Mayors Award, call for applications for job vacancies

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VACANCY ADVERTISEMENT

The Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT) has, in conjunction with the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) secured a grant of 660,000EUR from the European Union (EU), to implement the third edition of Mayors Award Scheme in Tanzania (MAS).

The MAS aims to identify and acknowledge, every year, role models in local leadershipand the performance of local Councils in terms of promoting and practising effective service delivery, local economic development and good governance at subnational levels. The scheme is thus intended to promote and thereby contribute to the achievement of a performance-based, service delivery-oriented, and citizen-centred governance system that favours the emergence and consolidation of accountable, participatory and inclusive local governments.

ALAT is seeking to recruit/hire suitable persons to fill the following positions, on contract.
1) Full-time Project Staff to be based in Dodoma, Tanzania (Open to only Tanzanian Citizens)

i. Project Coordinator ( Terms of Reference )
ii. Finance Officer ( Terms of Reference )
iii. Administrative Officer ( Terms of Reference )
iv. Programme Assistant ( Terms of Reference )

2) Short-time Consultants

i. Project Lead Advisor ( Terms of Reference )
ii. Professional Conference/Business Exhibition Organiser ( Terms of Reference )

Details on the job specifications, educational and experience requirements of the advertised jobs are available for download from either of the following websites:
1) www.alat.go.tz
2) https://www.uclga.org/media-news-room/news/

Submission of Application

Please submit to the address below, your hand written application letter along with
 an update curriculum vitae;
 recent passport photograph;
 motivational letter (Not more than 1 page);
 copies of educational certificates and
 copies of proof of work/engagement experience

Only hard copy applications will be received and should be addressed and sent to:

The Secretary General
Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT)
Room Number 108-110, Sokoine Building (President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO RALG), CDA Street

Telephone: . +255-26-2323407
Fax: +255-26-2323409
Email: alat_tz@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 2049
Dodoma, Tanzania

Please note that the application letter, curriculum vitae; motivational letter should be written in English.

This call for applications closed 22nd October 2018. Applicants that have not been contacted for interviews should render their applications to have been unsuccessful, at shortlisting stage.

The interviews will be conducted 7th – 8th October 2018, at the Office of the Association of Local Association of Tanzania, in Dodoma.

Available in PDF

The Future of African Youth : The Africa We Want by 2030

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New York, 2nd October 2018 – UN General Assembly, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa in collaboration with UN Habitat, UNODC and UNESCO will host the inaugural Youth Forum at the 8th Africities Summit which will take place from November 20-24, 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco, under the theme: “The transition to sustainable cities and territories: The role of Local and Sub- national governments of Africa.” Africities summit is the flagship event of the pan African Organization United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and is held every three years in one of the five region of Africa.

The 2018 Africities Summit is organized by UCLG Africa under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed the VI, in collaboration with the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils (AMPCC), the Association of the Regions of Morocco and the City of Marrakesh, and with the support of the Kingdom of Morocco. Around 5,000 participants are expected at the event, representing all the stakeholders of African local life as well as their partners from other regions of the world, including: African Ministers for Public Service, Urban Development and Housing, Decentralization and Local governments; African leaders of subnational and local governments; Representatives senior staff of national and local and subnational  governments administrations; Representatives of the Business Sector; Civil Society Organisations; African Traditional and Moral Authorities; Researchers and Academia; Development Partners and International Cooperation Agencies, among others.

In recognition nearly 70% of Africa’s population is currently under 35 years UCLG Africa have made youth a primary focus for the development of Local Africa. To ensure that the voice of youth is heard, UCLG Africa has joined forces with UN Habitat, UNODC and UNESCO to organize youth development and leadership programs.

Therefore in order to celebrate its 20 anniversary, the Africities Summit has endeavored to set up and inaugurate the Youth Forum during this 2018 edition, in order to engage young people from across the continent and the diaspora to connect, share views and showcase innovative solutions that will create the Africa We Want. The Youth Forum includes a competition that is opened to young Africans aiming at harvesting as many new ideas as possible to accelerate the transition towards sustainable cities and territories in Africa, targeting Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union for the realization of “The Africa We Want”, and of the High Five priorities proposed by the African Development Bank to accelerate its implementation.

The competition will select 20 young Africans that will be invited to participate in Ideation workshops and a Creativity Lab consisting of a Cartoon Camp Challenge and a Virtual Reality Contest, around the topic of “Imagine a sustainable future for Africa and its cities and territories, in 2030 and 2063”.

With the support of partners, UN Habitat, UNODC and UNESCO young people will also be invited from across the continent and the diaspora to participate in workshops, discussion forums and side events that explore what we have coined the 5 areas;-

  • Economic and Social Empowerment
  • Education and Capacity Building
  • Good Governance, Integrity and Anti-corruption
  • Entrepreneurship, Employment and Job Creation
  • Urban Crime Prevention and Safer Cities (addressing the health and wellbeing of youth populations in cities and urban spaces)

At the end of the Summit we will have a youth development strategy and a set of project proposals that attempts to address and meet the needs of young people that has been identified for them by them.

Watch the video presentation of Africities Creative Lab. 

PRESS CONTACT

For further information, please contact:

Em Ekong: Tel: + 44 7801 701 675

Email: eekong@uclga.org or ekong.em@gmail.com