9th Africities Summit: Official Opening of the 9th Edition of the Africities Summit

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Kick Off of the Discussion on the Role of Intermediary Cities in Africa in the Implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda and the Africa Union Agenda 2063

KISUMU, Kenya, May 18, 2022/APO Group/ —

The 9th edition of the Africities Summit has been launched today in Kisumu by His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya. Former Seychelles head of state, His Excellency Danny Faure also took part in the official ceremony in the presence of 3500 delegates from around the world and more than 2000 local authorities. For this event, Kisumu has set up an Africities Village at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium and its surrounding areas in order to welcome participants and exhibitors from the four corners of the world.

During the 5 days, discussions will be held around the theme of the summit: “The role of intermediary cities in Africa in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063”. In line with the theme, Kisumu is the first intermediary city to host the event.

His Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta in his speech called on the participants of the summit to make it a questioning forum for the summit to be successful. He proposed a 12-point questioning framework based on how national central governments can support a mobilization of resources to unlock effective delivery service in intermediary cities. what strategies and policies are required to combat the threats of radicalization and terrorism especially in the urban areas including our intermediary cities and what legal and policy frameworks should be established so as to foster the robust and sustainable development of intermediary cities among other questions.

“Time is ripe for scaling up the role of intermediary cities as the next frontiers of African urbanization and development. An unprecedented rate of urbanization has seen 1086 intermediary cities become home to 174 million people representing 36% of our continent’s total urban population and contributing about 40% of our continent’s GDP. As we convene to deliberate on how we can establish a shift towards a new urban paradigm and unleash the potential of intermediary cities in fostering inclusive development and the realization of our SDGs and all other socio economic development initiatives we must keep in mind that Africa is becoming increasingly urbanized. The traditional rural focus within development plans risks marginalizing a growing section of our population which will soon be the majority,” said His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya.

Local governments play a key role in the achievement of Agenda 2030 and SDG 13 through ensuring a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways. Cities produce between 71% and 75% of total greenhouses gas emissions (GHG). In this regard, despite increasing levels of attention and action on climate change at city scales, much of this activity is largely decoupled from national policy framework. UCLG Africa position on climate is that the battle against climate change will be lost or won in cities and territories. UCLG Africa advocates for territorialization of NDCs and the adoption of a bottom-up approach to their definition, starting from locally determined contributions (LDCs).

“The reality of our continent is reflected in the way we treat our intermediary cities. Intermediary cities are your key target of governance. Treat them well and they will treat African citizens well, treat them bad and we will fail in our progress,”said Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

A dialogue between former head of states followed the official opening on financing infrastructure and urbanization in Africa to achieve the SDGs and the UN 2030 Agenda and the Africa Union Agenda 2063.

African Union High Representative For Infrastucture Development, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga called for the establishment of an African Infrastucture Fund to fund the monetary deficit needed to build Africa’s infrastructure.

Time is ripe for scaling up the role of intermediary cities as the next frontiers of African urbanization and development

“Africa needs 170 billion dollars per annum to be able to meet its infrastructure needs but has a deficit of about 110 billion dollars. We can work with several institutions to establish this fund because we have identified that Africa has idle capital such as sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and insurance funds. We are working towards tapping these resources to enable Africa fund its own development,”he said.

Former President of Seychelles, His Excellency Danny Faure highlighted the need for bankable strategic infrastructure based on data.

“It is important that we back up our interventions based on facts and data that shows us where we are in terms of development. The next step is to strategically choose the right infrastructure that will have the most effective impact on the continent and whose outcomes will be beneficial to our nations and populations. The approach on the continent concerning infrastructure needs to be co-ordinated and not fragmented,” he said.

This first day of the summit was also dedicated to Diaspora. The African diaspora accounts for around 150 million people of African descent located in all the regions of the world. The African Union considers Africa’s Diaspora as the sixth region of Africa. Consolidating the relations between the Africa Motherland and its Diaspora and all the dimensions to give to these relations was at the heart of the discussions of the Diaspora Day. It is a key agenda to ensure the realization of the United Nations 2030 agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063. Its contribution to economic development is greater than public aid from international institutions. Also, a certain form of transmission of the Afro-descendant history gives rise to a great involvement of the new generations for a better knowledge of its identity but also an active participation in the emergence of this continent.

Synergy needs to be developed between the diaspora and the local population and local authorities need to set up programs in which the diaspora can concretely participate in for the development of the continent at local, national and continental level to make the continent shine internationally.

One of the best illustrations of the reality and weight of African Diaspora, is Ms Lupita Nyongo, who is the first Goodwill Ambassador of Africities. In her official video, Ms Nyongo expressed how honored she felt to be the Africities Goodwill Ambassador for this Year “Kisumu is my ancestral home and I have witnessed its potential first hand. It has so much to offer and I can finally see its vibrant energy being tapped with the radical leadership of its governor, my father Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o. I could not think of a better place to come together to discuss tangible solutions for the challenges facing Africa and its intermediary cities than the Africities Summit. Over the next 5 days, you will participate in interactive sessions, you will hear from inspirational speakers, take workshops, implement projects and dream up the Africa we want to see. One where everyone has access to food, healthcare, education, housing, public safety and peace.”

Tomorrow the main sessions will include Africities Trade and invest forum, Digital Day, Culture Day, and a series of assemblies of UCLG Africa  Networks to elect their office bearers. These include: the General  Assembly of The Network for Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), the General Assembly of Network of young local elected officials (YELO),  the  Assembly of Territorial Coaches, the Assembly of Permanent Secretaries/ Executive Directors of National Association Of Local Authorities,  the Assembly of  the network of City Managers (Africa MAGNET);  the Assembly of the network of City Chief Finance Officers (Africa FINET); the Assembly of the network of City Chief Technical Officers (Africa TECHNET) and the Assembly of the network of Human Resource Managers of African Local and Regional Governments (Local Africa HR-Net); the Assembly of Territorial Managers in charge of Decentralized Cooperation ; the  Assembly of the African Media For Development (MADEL).

PS: Don’t miss the daily press conference at the venue at 8:30 AM. Venue: Africities Media Centre

 

Find all the information: Presentation / Program / Speakers on: www.Africities.org

UCLG Africa and CitiIQ Announce Scoring of 60 Major African Cities

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Africities Summit on May 17-21 to focus on challenges faced by more than 1,000 Intermediary cities

Rabat/Toronto, April 26, 2022 – The United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and CitiIQ, creator of an innovative global city measurement standard, announced today that 60 major African cities have been scored as a contribution to the Africities Summit being held in Kisumu, Kenya from May 17-21. Research shows that the continent of Africa will experience unprecedented population growth over the next 30 years with a dramatic urban surge expected to pressure its cities, large and small.

CitiIQ uses an evidence-based methodology to score 35 essential Considerations, within the five Dimensions of Basic Needs, Competitiveness, Opportunity, Livability, and Destiny. Using an intuitive online dashboard, a city’s measurements are readily available to clients through a cloud-based annual subscription.

The scoring of the 60 major cities models the importance of measurement for the intermediary cities of Africa. Accurate and consistent data collection is critical for the growth and development of African cities. Local, regional, national, and international investor confidence is significantly increased where progress over time can be reliably determined. Intermediary cities need to institute accurate data measures to resource their needs, fundamental to building capacity for growth. A consistent scoring system will accelerate the growth of effective data cultures for intermediary cities.

UCLG Africa is a membership of 51 national associations of local governments from all regions of Africa, as well as 2000 cities and territories that have more than 100,000 inhabitants. As such, the organization represents nearly 350 million African citizens.

Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa says, “We have specifically selected the theme for the 9th Africities Summit, to focus on the role of intermediary African cities in implementing the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and the African Union´s Agenda 2063”. UCLG Africa mobilizes strategies, methods and tools to support its members under three pillars aimed at supporting the development of local governments to better serve their communities.

Kisumu, Kenya is the first ever intermediary city to host the Africities Summit.

CitiIQ uses a wide range of technological tools and expertise to collect data for cities that is processed through its global city measurement algorithm. Comparable scores out of 100 are produced for the 35 most important Considerations of any city. The data powers a dashboard that readily illustrate the scores and allows clients to drill down into the data for the 114 city indicators used.

“Increasingly, the health and wellbeing of the world’s people depend upon the effectiveness of their city,” says Don Simmonds, Chief Executive Officer of CitiIQ. “Municipal leaders face immense challenges and benefit greatly when comprehensive, comparable data can guide their decisions.”

Most cities struggle to translate disparate data into actions that can make life better for their citizens. The CitiIQ method normalizes data so that city elements can be readily compared within a given city, or with other cities around the world. The service is delivered as an application that can function on any website that a customer city chooses. This is viewable across desktop, laptop, tablet, and smart phone formats.

*UCLG Africa Regions and 54 country borders (image courtesy of UCLG Africa)

CitiIQ has recognized the critical role intermediary cities play around the world as home to more than half of the global urban population. Often underserved, these cities play key roles in SDG localization, empowerment of local governance, and policy coherence that links higher order priorities with the local priorities of citizens.

Accurate, frequent, and accessible data for local governments and their citizens supports more effective decision making. The CitiIQ dashboard is a common point of reference across the complex interactions of society. Data also plays an increasingly vital role as the currency of equity and support for vulnerable populations. CitiIQ provides a point of reference for the values of solidarity, responsibility, transparency, and service that characterize intermediary cities.

In Africa, there are 56 cities with a population between 1M and 500K, 85 with population between 500K – 300K, 380 with population between 100K-300K, and 564 with population between 50K-100K. These 1086 cities need strong data infrastructure to make their development effective over coming decades.

60 African Cities Scored by CitiIQ

Region Country City   Region Country City
Northern Africa Algeria Algiers, Oran   Central Africa Central African Republic Bangui
  Egypt Cairo, Alexandria     Chad Ndjamena
  Libya Tripoli     Republic of the Congo Brazzaville
  Mauritania Nouakchott     Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa
  Morocco Rabat, Casablanca     Equatorial Guinea Malabo
  Tunisia Tunis     Gabon Libreville
          Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome
Region Country City     Cameroon Yaoundé
Western Africa Benin Cotonou        
  Burkina Faso Ouagadougou        
  Cape Verde Praia   Region Country City
  Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan   Eastern Africa Burundi Bujumbura
  The Gambia Banjul     Comoros Moroni
  Ghana Accra     Djibouti Djibouti
  Guinea Conakry     Eritrea Asmara
  Guinea-Bissau Bissau     Ethiopia Addis Ababa
  Liberia Monrovia     Kenya Nairobi, Kisumu
  Mali Bamako     Madagascar Antananarivo
  Niger Niamey     Malawi Lilongwe
  Nigeria Lagos     Mauritius Port Louis
  Senegal Dakar     Rwanda Kigali
  Sierra Leone Freetown     Seychelles Victoria
  Togo Lomé     Somalia Mogadishu
          South Sudan Juba
Region Country City     Sudan Khartoum
Southern Africa Angola Luanda     Tanzania Dar-es-Salaam
  Botswana Gaborone     Uganda Kampala
  Eswatini Manzini        
  Lesotho Maseru        
  Mozambique Maputo        
  Namibia Windhoek        
  South Africa Johannesburg, Cape Town        
  Zambia Lusaka        
  Zimbabwe Harare        
             
             

About CitiIQ 

CitiIQ is known for its unique system measuring the overall wellbeing of a city scoring 35 essential elements called Considerations, within a framework of Basic Needs, Competitiveness, Opportunity, Livability, and Destiny. Most cities struggle to translate the increasing volume of disparate data into actions that can make life better for their citizens. The CitiIQ measurement system converts raw data into scores out of 100 so those city elements are easily understood and readily comparable within a given city over time, or with other cities around the world.

 

CitiIQ is working to become the global standard for city diagnostics and employs an evidence-based methodology that objectively informs human-centric design to help a city reach its full potential. As a cloud-based subscription service, CitiIQ is easy to use, economical and effective.

 

In April 2020 as the pandemic was expanding globally, UN-Habitat commissioned the CitiIQ platform where city level COVID-19 data was measured and displayed daily for 2600 global cities.

For further information contact:

Milton Friesen, Managing Director

mfriesen@citiiq.com

About UCLG Africa (United Cities and Local Governments of Africa)

www.uclga.org

The umbrella organization for African local governments, was founded in 2005 in the City of Tshwane, South Africa as a result of the unification of three continental groups of local governments, namely the African Union of Local Authorities (AULA); the Union des Villes Africaines (UVA); and UCCLA AFRICA, the Africa Chapter of the União das Ci União das Cidades e Capitais Lusófonas (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 and regional governments from all regions of Africa, as well as 2000 cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. UCLG Africa represents over 350 million African citizens. A founding member of the world organization UCLG, it is its regional chapter for Africa. Its headquarters are based in Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, where it enjoys diplomatic status as a Pan-African International Organization. The organization also has regional offices on the continent.

About the 9th edition of the Africities Summit

www.africities.org

The 9th edition of the Africities Summit (Africities 9) will be held from 17 to 21 May 2022, in Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya, with a population of 409,000 according to the 2009 census. This is the first time ever that the Africities Summit is being held in an intermediary city. The theme of Africities 9 is: “The contribution of Africa’s intermediary cities to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and of Agenda 2063 of the African Union”.

For the very first time, the Africities 9 Summit will highlight the first level of the continent’s urban framework, which is made up of around 1,500 intermediary cities in Africa with populations of between 50,000 and 500,000 inhabitants. This layer of the continent’s urban landscape currently accounts for a little over 30% of the urban population. It is the basis for the development of local economies that structure relations between populations living in rural and those in urban areas. It is the first level of development and improvement of local potentialities and productions. It thus represents the first stage in the structural transformation of the continent.  It also acts as a buffer and shock absorber in the migration flows between rural areas and large cities and metropolitan regions.

For further information contact:

Milton Friesen, Managing Director

mfriesen@citiiq.com

Christophe Lumsden, Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary General of UCLG Africa

clumsden@uclga.org

Media contact:

Gaelle Yomi

gyomi@uclga.org

 

Lupita Nyong’o: Goodwill Ambassador for the 9th Africities Summit (PRESS RELEASE)

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The 9th edition of the Africities Summit is scheduled to take place on May 17 to 21, 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya. Placed under the High Patronage of His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya, the theme chosen for the summit is: “The role of intermediary cities in Africa in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and of the African Union´s Agenda 2063”.

 

For the first time, the Africities Summit will have a Goodwill Ambassador: Ms. Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar-winning Kenyan actress, star of the movie “Black Panther” and its upcoming sequel “Wakanda Forever”. One of the goals of this edition is to mobilize the African and Afro-descendant diaspora to begin the journey towards African renaissance with their fellow citizens who have remained on the continent, as well as with all people of goodwill interested in the development, integration, and unity of Africa.

 

Organized every 3 years over a 5-day period, alternately in the different regions of Africa, the Africities Summit is the largest democratic gathering organized on the African continent. This flagship event of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) organized in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Council of Governors of Kenya (CoG), and the County of Kisumu will for the very first time be held in an intermediary city.

See the Africities 9 Summit official promotional spot  here .

Discover Kisumu on video here .  

Made your  media accreditation here .

The media Kit is available here .

Find all the information: Presentation / Program / Speakers on: www.africities.org

Press contact: Gaëlle Yomi: media@africities.org

 

 

Africities 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya: We Are There! (PRESS RELEASE)

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One month before the 9th edition of the Africities Summit scheduled to take place on May 17 to 21, 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya, the program of sessions is complete. 170 sessions were recorded for this edition placed under the High Patronage of His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya. The theme chosen for the summit is: “The role of intermediary cities in Africa in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and of the African Union´s Agenda 2063”.

Organized every 3 years over a 5-day period, alternately in the different regions of Africa, the Africities Summit is the largest democratic gathering organized on the African continent. This flagship event of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) organized in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Council of Governors of Kenya (CoG), and the County of Kisumu will for the very first time be held in an intermediary city.

Distinguished personalities are expected to attend the gathering in Kisumu and take an active part in the main dialogue platform on decentralization and local governance, which brings together African ministers; as well as mayors, leaders and elected representatives of local authorities; civil society organizations; traditional authorities; representatives of the African Diaspora; actors from the world of economics; experts, researchers and academics; financial institutions, as well as development partners.

The President of the Republic of Senegal, H.E. Mr. Macky Sall, accepted the invitation of the organizing committee to participate in the summit in his capacity as current President of the African Union (AU). Invitations to participate were sent to the following personalities: H.E. Mr. Mohamadou Issoufou, former President of the Republic of Niger; H.E. John F. Kerry, former United States Secretary of State, President’s Special Envoy for Climate; Ms. Amina J. Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ms. Maimuna Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB); Prof. Benedict Oramah, Chairman of Afreximbank; Mr. Samuel Eto’o, President of the Cameroon Football Federation; and Mr. Didier Drogba, former Ivorian international footballer.

“I am delighted to officially announce that the city of Kisumu will host the largest Africities summit ever held in Kenya.”, said His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya, on June 01, 2021 in Kisumu

The Summit has so far recorded more than 3,000 participants already registered to take part in the 5 days of reflection around the theme of the summit, organized within the framework of thematic sessions, sessions on local policies and strategies, and the political segment of the Summit. Africities 9 also consists of specific days organized on the major topics that mobilize the attention of mayors and leaders of local governments on the continent, namely Climate Day; Diaspora and Afro- descendants Day; Digital Day; Culture Day; Urban Planning Day; Housing Day; Women’s Day; Youth Day; as well as the Africities Trade and Investment Forum. As part of the Summit, the International Exhibition of Cities and Local Governments will also be held. The Africities Exhibition offers institutions, economic

operators, academia and research, as well as civil society organizations the opportunity to exhibit their experiences, know-how, methods, tools and products in response to requests and needs in terms of support to local authorities for the implementation of their mandates The Africities Exhibition also makes it possible to organize B2B meetings with local authorities, which could possibly lead to the signing of contracts between protagonists. The Africities 9 summit will also serve as a framework for the elective General Assembly aimed at designating the members of the organization’s governing bodies. Indeed, the elective General Assembly of UCLG Africa will be held on May 19, 2022, preceded on May 18 by the general assemblies of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and of the Network of Young Local Elected Officials of Africa (YELO). As icing on the cake, it is planned to organize a conversation between the former heads of State, honorary members of UCLG Africa and the young elected representatives of local governments of Africa, concerning their involvement in the African renaissance, given the lessons to draw from the experience of former African leaders. This conversation is scheduled for May 20 in the afternoon.

See the Africities 9 Summit official promotional spot (Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2waKnrDdKo )
Discover Kisumu on video (Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44dY7Xm_jnM ).
Made your media accreditation: https://africities.org/registration/press/
The media Kit is available here : https://africities.org/media-resources/
Find all the information: Presentation / Program / Speakers on: www.africities.org

Press contact: Gaëlle Yomi: media@africities.org

Southern Africa Regional Caucus of UCLG Africa: The Subnational and Local Governments of the region chose their representative for the governance bodies of UCLG Africa and expressed their rejection of xenophobia (PRESS RELEASE)

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United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) held its regional caucus for the Southern Africa Region, in Pretoria (South Africa), on 14 & 15 March 2022 at Capital Menlyn Maine Hotel.

9 out of the 10 countries of the Region participated in the meeting organized in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). These countries were represented by the Chairpersons and Permanent Secretaries of the National Associations of Subnational and Local Governments, as well as the Chairpersons of the country chapters of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), and a representative of young elected officials that should be part of the Network of young local elected officials (YELO).

The proceeding witnessed the presence of Ms. Thembisile Nkadimeng, Deputy Minister, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA); Cllr Bheki Stofile, President of SALGA; Mr. Jeffrey Sibisibi, President of the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) also Vice-President, UCLG Africa, Southern Africa Region; Mr. Joe Ager, Representative of  the Governor, Kisumu County in Kenya; and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, UCLG Africa.

For this fifth and last in a series of regional caucuses organized in preparation for the 9th edition of the Africities Summit to be held from 17 to 21 May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya, members benefited from an intensive informative session on Africa Territorial Agency (ATA), a special purpose vehicle to facilitate access of subnational and local governments to the financial market.  The session on ATA was held in hybrid mode and provided to  local authorities from other African regions the opportunity to participate in the discussions. A call was made to mobilize voluntary subnational and local governments to be part of the Club of  Founding Members of ATA, whose meeting is contemplated in the framework of the upcoming Africities Summit in Kisumu. The Founding Members of ATA  are the 100 subnational and local governments that volunteer to participate in ATA cooperative society by contributing 100,000 euros each in order to collect 10 million euros that will represent 50.1% of the ATA capital, making it a tool controlled by the beneficiaries of its lending activities.

The caucus also addressed the political priorities that the Southern Africa Region wishes to debate during the Africities proceedings. It also discussed and agree on key questions that the leaders of subnational and local governments of the Southern Africa Region propose to ask to ministers and to development partners in order to improve of their delivery capacity, and in particular for the implementation of the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda and of Agenda 2063 in intermediary cities of Africa. The leaders of subnational and local governments of the Region also discussed their contribution to the special events to be held during the Summit, namely: the Climate Day; the Diaspora Day; the Culture Day; the Digital Day; the Urban Development Day; the Housing Day; the Women’s Day; the Youth Day; and the Africities investment Forum.  The Regional caucus asked also to launch a reflection at Africities in Kisumu on the role of cities and territories in the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The participants also issued a strong declaration against xenophobia. “We, the leaders of subnational local governments in Southern Africa gathered in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa, under the auspices of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), the Pan African Organization of local and regional governments, observe with grave concern the unprecedented and unacceptable growing actions against migrants carried out in the country with more planned in the coming weeks”. (Read the full declaration here).

The other aim of the caucus was also to designate the candidates of the Southern Africa Region on the governing bodies of UCLG Africa, REFELA, and YELO to be elected during the General Assemblies of these entities scheduled during the Africities Summit in May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya. The Southern Africa region has designated its 9 candidates to sit on the Pan-African Council of Local Authorities, which has 45 members in total (9 per region); its 3 candidates to sit on the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa, which has 15 members in total (3 per region), and its candidate on the UCLG Africa Presidency, which has 5 members, (one Vice-President per region). The same process was followed for REFELA and YELO. The caucus also designated the candidate of the region to be among the 5 members of the Financial Management Committee of UCLG Africa, and the representative of the region on the Electoral Commission set up to supervise the electoral operations for each of the above entities (UCLG Africa; REFELA; YELO). The caucus also designated the candidate from the Southern Africa Region to run for the position of UCLG World Co-President.

Hereafter are the nominees on the different bodies of UCLG Africa, REFELA, and YELO and UCLG World.

CANDIDATES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION ON THE UCLG AFRICA GOVERNING BODIES

 

PAN AFRICAN COUNCIL
Organization Nominated Alternate Member
1 Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) Zimbabwe Local Government Association
2 South Africa Local Government Association (SALGA) Eswatini Local Government Association
3 City of Kwe Kwe ANAMM  – Associação Nacional dos Municípios de Moçambique
4 Association of Local Authorities of Namibia (ALAN) City of Livingstone
5 Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA) City of Windhoek
6 City of Matsapha – Eswatini Lesotho Association of Local Authorities (LALA)
7 City of Massinga – Mozambique Angola Association of Local Authorities
8 Lesotho Association of Local Authorities (LALA) City of Gaborone
9 Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) City of Ethekwini (Durban)
Executive Committee
1 Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) Zimbabwe Local Government Association
2 South Africa Local Government Association (SALGA) Eswatini Local Government Association
3 City of Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe ANAMM  – Associação Nacional dos Municípios de Moçambique
Vice President of the Southern Africa Region
Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA)
Financial Management Committee
Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA) City of Windhoek
Electoral Commission
City of Mbabane – Eswatini
CANDIDATE FOR UCLG World CO-PRESIDENT
Cllr Bhekhe STOFILE

President – South African Local Government Association (SALGA)

Result of the REFELA Caucus

The 9 candidates from the Southern Africa Region for the Pan-African Council of REFELA 

  Office holder Substitute
1 Municipio Mandlakazi (Mozambique) Assemblea BOANE (Mozambique)
2 Lobatse Town Council (Botswana) South East Council (Botswana)
3  Otjiwarongo Municipality (Namibia) TBD
4 Lilongwe City (Malawi) TBD
5 Maseru City Council (Lesotho) Maseru City Council (Lesotho)
6 Lufwanyama District Council (Zambia) Shangombo Town Council (Zambia)
7 Lupane Municipality (Zimbabwe) Murewa  (RDC)
8 Ezulwini Municipality (Eswatini) TBD
9 Ms. Flora Maboa Boltman (South Africa) Chairperson of SALGA Women’s Commission (South Africa)

The 3 candidates from Southern Africa Region to sit on the REFELA Board

Office holder
1 Lobatse Town Council (Botswana)
2 Municipio Mandlakazi (Mozambique)
3 Lufwanyama District Council (Zimbabwe)

Candidates

  Regional Vice-President of REFELA
1 Municipio Mandlakazi (Mozambique)
  Electoral Commission
1 Ezulwini Municipality (Eswatini)

Result of the YELO Caucus

The 9 candidates from Southern Africa Region for the YELO Pan-African Council

  Office holder Substitute
1 Chipata City (Zambia) TBD
2 Berea Kanana Council (Lesotho) TBD
3 Chegutu  (Zimbabwe) TBD
4 Blantyre (Malawi) TBD
5 Pigg’s Peak (Eswatini) TBD
6 TBD (Mozambique) TBD
7  TBD (South Africa) TBD
8 TBD (Botswana) TBD
9 TBD (Namibia) TBD

The 3 candidates of Southern Africa Region for the YELO Board

Office holder Substitute
1 Chipata City (Zambia) TBD
2 Chegutu  (Zimbabwe) TBD
3 Blantyre (Malawi) TBD

 

  Regional Vice-President of YELO
1 Chipata City (Zambia)

 

Press contact:

Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: +212 6 10 56 71 45

e-mail: gyomi@uclga.org

www.uclga.org

 

 

Pretoria to host the Southern Africa Regional Caucus of UCLG Africa  (PRESS RELEASE)

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On 14 & 15 March 2022, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is holding a regional caucus for the members of the Southern Africa Region in Pretoria (South Africa) at Capital Menlyn Maine hotel, in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

This is the fifth and the last in a series of regional caucuses organized in preparation for the 9th Africities Summit to be held from 17 to 21 May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya. The theme of the Summit is: «The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the African Union Agenda 2063 ».

The caucus brings together the chairpersons and permanent secretaries of the national associations of subnational and local governments of Southern Africa countries, as well as the chairpersons of the country chapters of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and a representative of young elected officials aged of 35 and below that are going to be part of the Network of young local elected officials (YELO).

The caucus will offer the UCLG Africa members from the Southern Africa Region the opportunity to reflect on their participation in the upcoming Summit, going through the agenda of the Summit and highlighting their contribution on priority issues being discussed during the Summit, particularly at the special events mentioned in the program, namely, the Climate Day; the Diaspora Day; the Culture Day; the Digital Day; the Urban Development Day; the Housing Day; the Women’s Day; the Youth Day; and the Africities investment Forum.

The Africities Summit will be the framework for the organization of the next elective general assembly of UCLG Africa, REFELA and YELO. The caucus is therefore expected to designate the candidates of the Southern Africa Region on the different bodies of UCLG Africa, REFELA and YELO.

The region must nominate: 9 candidates among the 45 members of the UCLG Africa Pan-African Council elected from among the members of the general assembly; 3 candidates among the 15 members of the UCLG Africa Executive Committee elected from among the members of the Pan African Council; 1 candidate among the 5 members of the UCLG Africa Financial Management Commission from among the members of the Pan African Council; 1 Vice President among the 5 members of the Presidency elected from among the members of the Executive Committee, and possibly 1 candidate for the position of President of UCLG Africa elected from among the UCLG Africa Vice Presidents. The nomination of office bearers for the REFELA and YELO bodies will follow the same process.

Members will also address the presence of the Southern Africa Region at the Africities Business Exhibition that will allow institutions, academia, the private sector, cooperation agencies to showcase their know-how, methods and tools, products in response to the mandates of subnational and local governments.

The official opening of the proceedings will be done by representative of the Ministry Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), during the opening ceremony to be held on 14 March in the presence of:

  • Cllr Bheki Stofile, Chairperson, South African Local Government Association (SALGA),
  • Mr. Jeffrey Sibisibi, Vice-President, UCLG Africa, Southern Africa Region,
  • Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, UCLG Africa.

National and international media in Pretoria are invited to cover the opening ceremony scheduled on Monday, 14 March 2022 at 10 am at Capital Menlyn Maine hotel.

Press contact:

Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: +212 06 10 56 71 45

E-mail: gyomi@uclga.org

www.uclga.org

 

Eastern Africa Regional Caucus of UCLG Africa: Kisumu County supported by the Subnational and Local Governments of the East Africa Region to contest for UCLG Africa President (PRESS RELEASE)

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United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) held his regional caucus for the Eastern Africa Region from 7 to 8 March 2022, in Nairobi (Kenya) at Safari Park Hotel. The meeting was organized in collaboration with the Council of Governors (CoG) of Kenya, the Kisumu County Government and the Ministry of Devolution of Kenya.

Subnational and local governments associations of 8 countries out of the 11 countries of the region took part to the caucus. They were the chairpersons and permanent secretaries of the national associations of subnational and local governments of the East African countries, as well as the chairpersons of the country chapters of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and the Network of Young Locally Elected Officials of Africa (YELO).  The caucus was held in preparation of the 9th edition of the Africities Summit scheduled from 17 to 21 May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya. The theme of the Summit is: « The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and the African Union´s Agenda 2063 ».

The caucus was officially opened on March 7th 2022, by Hon Eugene Wamalwa, Cabinet Secretary for Defense, in presence of :  Hon. Ndegwa WAHOME, MBS, Chairman of County Assemblies Forum, H.E  Prof. Peter ANYANG’ NYONG’O, Governor, Kisumu County and Representative of the Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG), Cllr Innocent UWIMANA, Vice President of East Africa Region, UCLG Africa, Mr. Julius KORIR, Principal Secretary, Ministry  of Devolution, Mr. Oumar SYLLA, Director, African Office, UN-HABITAT and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, UCLG Africa.

The different allocutions highlighted the importance of the coming Africities Summit as a platform for dialogue on decentralization in Africa, exchange on best practices on the governance of African cities and territories across Africa, interaction between subnational and local government authorities with various stakeholders such as ministers, civil society, academia, private sector or development partners.

For the first time, the Africities Summit will be held in an intermediary city.  The Governor of Kisumu is of the view that the success of this summit will open the door to other intermediary cities in future to host the event.

In his opening address, Hon Eugene Wamalwa, called on all the Member States from the East African Region, to be present in Kisumu. He also expressed his expectation that, in the framework of this caucus, the Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Devolution, and UCLG Africa sign the agreement establishing the East Africa Regional Office of UCLG Africa ( EARO) in Nairobi.

The two days of the caucus have allowed the participants to discuss the main agenda items of the Africities Summit in Kisumu and the way the East Africa Region should be present in the proceedings of the Summit. A special attention was called on the need for subnational and local governments of the East Africa Region to define the priority issues they want to put forward during the Summit’s debates, the 5 questions they wish to table to ministers on the one hand, to development partners on the other hand, urging the tripartite dialogue Roundtable scheduled on 21 May 2022. They also discussed the contribution of the Region in the special events organized during the Summit, namely, Climate Day; Diaspora Day; Digital Day; Culture Day; Urban Planning Day; Housing Day; Women’s Day; Youth Day; and Africities Investment Forum. For this last special event subnational and local government authorities from East Africa were requested to identify priority projects to be presented to investors for their financing. The Africa Territorial Agency, a special purpose vehicle aiming at facilitating access of African cities and territories to the financial market was also presented and discussed.

Furthermore, the participants received a presentation on the UCLG Africa e-learning platform which aims to support local authorities of the continent in their digitalization process. Seemingly a presentation of the UCLG Africa Trombino platform allowed the participants to appreciate the urgency to be present on the Internet in an organized manner to take advantage of the branding and territorial marketing possibilities offered by this tool. Cities and territories were called upon to be on the Trombino platform and participate in its update.

The other aim of the caucus was also to designate the candidates of the East Africa Region on the governing bodies of the UCLG Africa, REFELA and YELO to be elected during the general assemblies of these entities scheduled during the Africities Summit in May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya.

The Eastern Africa region has designated its 9 candidates to sit on the Pan-African Council of Local Authorities, which has 45 members in total (9 per region); its 3 candidates to sit on the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa, which has 15 members in total (3 per region), and its candidate on the UCLG Africa Presidency, which has 5 members, (one Vice-President per region). The same process was followed for REFELA and YELO. The caucus also designated the candidate of the region to be among  the 5 members of the Financial Management Committee of UCLG Africa, and the representative of the region on the Electoral Commission set up to supervise the electoral operations for each of the above entities (UCLG Africa; REFELA; YELO).

Hereafter are the nominations on the different bodies of UCLG Africa, REFELA, and YELO.

The 9 candidates from Eastern Africa to sit on the UCLG Africa Pan-African Council

  Office holder

 

 Substitute
1 County Government of Kisumu (Kenya) City  of Djibouti
2 Rwanda Association of Local Governments Authorities (RALGA, Rwanda) Association   of Mayor of Comoros

 
3 District of Victoria  (Seychelles) Association of Local Authorities of Mauritius
4 County Assemblies Forum (CAF, Kenya) Ethiopian Cities Association(ECA)
5 Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT, Tanzania) Kampala City (Uganda)
6 City of Antananarivo (Madagascar) Bujumbura City (Burundi)
7 Region of Anjouan (Comoros) Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA)
8 City of Kapchorwa (Uganda) Kigali City (Rwanda)
9 Association des Communes du Burundi” (ACO Burundi ) City of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

The 3 candidates from Eastern Africa to sit on the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa

  Office holder Substitute
1 County Government of Kisumu (Kenya) City  of Djibouti
2 Rwanda Association of Local Governments Authorities (RALGA, Rwanda) Association   of Mayor of Comoros
3 District of Victoria (Seychelles) Association  of Local Government of Mauritius

Candidates

  Regional Vice-President of UCLG Africa
1 County Government of Kisumu (Kenya)
  Financial Management Commission
1 Association des Communes du Burundi” (ACO Burundi)
  Electoral Commission
1 A city of Kenya (Name will be give before the 17 May by the County Assemblies Forum (CAF)

The caucus decided also that the Kisumu County Government, the candidate of the East Africa Region to sit on the UCLG Africa Presidency will also be candidate for the seat of UCLG Africa President.

Result of the REFELA Caucus

The 9 candidates from the Eastern Africa region for the Pan-African Council of REFELA 

  Office holder Substitute

 
1 Council of Governors (CoG) of Kenya City of Nairobi (Kenya)
2 Rwanda Association of Local Governments Authorities (RALGA, Rwanda) Gitega City, Burundi
3  Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT, Tanzania) Masaka City, Uganda
4 “Association des Communes du Burundi” (ACO Burundi) Singida Municipality, Tanzania
5 Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA) ADV, Seychelles
6 Holota City ( Ethiopia) ECA, Ethiopia
7 Association of the Mayors of Madagascar Large Cities (AMGVM) Madagascar –  City
8 City of Djibouti (Djibouti) ANCLD, Djibouti( Djibouti national Association of Local Governments)
9 National Association of Mayors of the Comoros(ANMC) Huye City, Rwanda

 

The 3 candidates from Eastern Africa to sit on the REFELA Board

  Office holder Substitute
1 Council of Governors (CoG) of Kenya TBD
2 Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT, Tanzania) TBD
3 Rwanda Association of Local Governments Authorities (RALGA, Rwanda) TBD

Candidates

  Regional Vice-President of REFELA
1 Rwanda Association of Local Governments Authorities (RALGA, Rwanda)
  Electoral Commission
1 Council of Governors (CoG) of Kenya

Result of the YELO Caucus

The 9 candidates from Eastern Africa for the YELO Pan-African Council

  Office holder Substitute

 
1 Association of District of Victoria(ADV, Seychelles), TBD
2 Council of Governors (CoG, Kenya) TBD
3 National Association of Mayors of the Comoros(ANMC, Comoros) TBD
4 Association des Communes du Burundi” (ACO Burundi), TBD
5 Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT, Tanzania) TBD
6 Ethiopian Cities Association (ECA) TBD
7  Rwanda Association of Local Governments Authorities (RALGA, Rwanda) TBD
8 Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA, Uganda) TBD
9 Association of the Mayors of Madagascar Large Cities (AMGVM). TBD

The 3 candidates of Eastern Africa for the YELO Board

  Office holder Substitute
1 Association of District of Victoria (ADV, Seychelles). TBD
2 Council of Governors (CoG, Kenya) TBD
3 National Association of Mayors of the Comoros(ANMC, Comoros) TBD

 

  Regional Vice-President of YELO
1 Association of District of Victoria (ADV, Seychelles).

Celebration of International Women’s Day

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, participants received a video message by Mrs. Macoura Dao, President of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA).  In her address she highlighted that beyond the celebration, of March 8, a deep questioning should be made on the role of women in society, on the effectiveness of their rights, and on the challenges that still need to be taken up so that equality between women and men is a source of opportunities now and for the future. All women present at the caucus meeting received a gift in the framework of the celebration of the International Day of Women Rights.

Press contact: Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: +212 06 10 56 71 45/ E-mail: gyomi@uclga.org   / www.uclga.org

9th Africities Summit: The City of Kisumu Hosts the Largest Meeting with the Africa of Local Governments (PRESS RELEASE )

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The city of Kisumu in Kenya will host the 9th edition of the Africities Summit from May 17 to 21, 2022, under the High Patronage of His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya. The theme of the summit is: “The role of intermediary cities in Africa in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063”.

Organized every 3 years over a 5-day period, alternately in the different regions of Africa, the Africities Summit is the largest democratic gathering organized on the African continent. This flagship event of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) organized in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Council of Governors of Kenya (CoG),  and the County of Kisumu will for the very first time be held in an intermediary city.

More than 5,000 participants are expected to discuss the 2030 and 2063 Agendas which call for urgent reflection on resilient and sustainable urbanization in Africa, given that by 2050 most of the African population will live in cities, and that most city dwellers will settle in intermediary cities. The improvement of the living conditions of the African populations and the economic and social structural transformation of the African continent are therefore closely linked to the way in which the achievement of the 2030 and 2063 Agendas will be approached in the African intermediary cities, which are undoubtedly the places where Africa will have to invent its own approach and its own development trajectory.

The challenge is to learn the lessons from the serious health crisis that the world has just experienced, the limits of the planetary ecosystem, the warnings of the International Group of Experts on Climate (IPCC) on the impact of climate change, and the extent of the disorders and instabilities that will result, in order to reflect on the definition of a new development trajectory for Africa. From the outset, this trajectory should take into account the need to shift towards a mode of production and consumption that is more restrained in terms of consumption of natural resources and discharges into nature, a mode of production and consumption that is  low carbon, respectful of the balance between human beings and other living species, socially more inclusive and fairer, ecologically more sustainable, and overall more resilient.

Kisumu is therefore the place chosen by the community of local authorities in Africa to initiate this healthy reflection. This reflection will be addressed during the thematic sessions, sessions on local policies and strategies, and open sessions organized during the first three days of the Summit. This reflection will also be at the heart of the debates and proposals for specific days organized on the major subjects that mobilize the attention of mayors and leaders of local authorities on the continent: Climate Day; Diaspora Day; Digital Day; Culture Day; Urban Planning Day; Housing Day; Women’s Day; Youth Day; and Africities Investment Forum.

The Africities Summit includes a political segment on the last two days, during which meetings of ministers, mayors and leaders of local governments, Regional Economic Communities, and development partners take place. These meetings will consider proposals and recommendations from thematic sessions, sessions on local policies and strategies, and open sessions. They end with a tripartite political dialogue meeting between ministers, mayors and leaders of local governments, and development partners with the aim of defining and adopting a roadmap on the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda  and of Agenda 2063.

At the same time as part of the Summit and at the same location will  be held the International Exhibition for Cities and Local Authorities. The Africities Exhibition offers to institutions, economic operators, academia and research, civil society organizations the opportunity to exhibit their experiences, know-how, methods, tools, products, in response to the requests and needs in terms of support to local governments  for the implementation of their mandates. The Africities Exhibition also makes it possible to organize B2B meetings with local governments, which could possibly lead to the conclusion of contracts between protagonists.

The Summit ends with a gala dinner during which the attributes of honorary members will be distributed to the personalities selected by the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa as well as the Africities prizes awarded to local governments that have made remarkable achievements that can inspire their counterparts.

The 9th Africities  Summit will also serve  as a framework for the elective general assembly responsible for appointing the members of the organization’s governing bodies. Indeed, the elective general assembly of UCLG Africa will be held on May 19, 2022, preceded on May 18 by the general assemblies of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and the Network of Young Local Elected Officials of Africa (YELO).

Find all the information: Presentation / Program / Speakers on: www.africities.org

Press contact: media@africities.org

 

 

 

Nairobi to hold Eastern Africa Regional Caucus of UCLG Africa (PRESS RELEASE)

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On 7 & 8 March 2022, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is holding its regional caucus for the Eastern Africa Region in Nairobi (Kenya) at Safari Park Hotel in collaboration with the Council of Governors (CoG) of Kenya.

The caucus brings together the chairpersons and permanent secretaries of the national associations of subnational and local governments of East Africa countries, as well as the chairpersons of the country chapters of the Network of Female Mayors and Leaders of subnational and local governments of the Region and a representative of young elected officials aged of 35 and under.

The caucus is organized in preparation of the 9th edition of the Africities Summit scheduled from 17 to 21 May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya. The theme of the Summit is: « The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the African Union Agenda 2063 ».

The Africities Summit in Kisumu will also see the organization of the elective General Assembly of UCLG Africa during which the term in office of the Office bearers of UCLG Africa bodies will be renewed.

The caucus will allow the members of UCLG Africa from the Eastern Africa region to define the priority issues they wish to put forward at the Summit, what they expect from the Summit, and their candidates on the different UCLG Africa bodies. Each region must nominate: 9 candidates among the 45 members of the UCLG Africa Pan-African Council elected from among the members of the general assembly;, 3 candidates among the 15 members of the Executive Committee elected from among the members of the Pan African Council; , 1 candidate among the 5 members of the Financial Management Commission; 1 Vice President among the 5 members of the Presidency elected from among the members of the Executive Committee, and possibly 1 candidate for the position of President of UCLG Africa elected from among the UCLG Africa Vice Presidents.

The regional caucus for the Eastern Africa region will also nominate candidates to the governing bodies of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and the Network of Locally Elected Youth of Africa (YELO).

The official opening of the proceedings will be done by the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Devolution of Kenya, during the opening ceremony to be held on 7 March in the presence of:

  • Honorable Martin Wambora, Chairman Council of Governors (CoG)
  • Mr. Uwimana Innocent, Vice President of UCLG Africa for Eastern Africa Region
  • Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu, host of the 9th edition of the Africities Summit
  • Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, UCLG Africa

National and international media in Kenya are invited to cover the opening ceremony scheduled on Monday, 07 March 2022 at 10 am at Safari Park Hotel.

Press contact:

Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: +212 06 10 56 71 45

E-mail: gyomi@uclga.org

www.uclga.org

West Africa Regional Caucus of UCLG Africa: West Africa prepares its participation in the Africities 9 Summit and nominates its candidates for the governing bodies of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (PRESS RELEASE)

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At the invitation of the Union of Cities and Municipalities of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI), Abidjan hosted on February 18 and 19, 2022 at the Ivotel hotel in Abidjan, the caucus of the presidents and permanent secretaries of the national associations of the countries of West Africa, as well as the leaders of the national chapters of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and the leaders of the Network of Young Locally Elected Officials of Africa (YELO). The caucus was held in preparation for the 9th Africities Summit scheduled to take place from May 17 to May 21, 2022, in Kisumu, Kenya. The theme of this Summit is: “The role of intermediary cities in Africa in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda of the Nations and of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 ”.

Placed under the patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, the caucus was officially opened on February 18, 2022 by the President of the Senate of Côte d’Ivoire, his Excellency Mr. Jeannot Ahousso Kouadio , in the presence of: Mr. Danho Paulin Claude, President of the Union of Cities and Communes of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI), Ms. Dao Coulibaly, President of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), Mr. Fidel Yapi , Director General of Decentralization and Local Development of Côte d’Ivoire representing the Minister of the Interior of Côte d’Ivoire, and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi , Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

In his opening statement, the President of the Senate praised the work already done by UCLG Africa and underlined the importance of the theme chosen for the Africities Summit which will define and propose a specific program for African intermediary cities.

After the opening ceremony, the West Africa regional caucus delegation led by the Secretary General of UCLG Africa was received by His Excellency Mr. Patrick Jérôme Achi, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire.

The first day of the proceedings was marked by an information session relating to the preparation of the political meetings and special events of the Africities 9 Summit, the preparation of the elective general assembly of UCLG Africa scheduled for May 19, 2022, and the designation of candidates from West Africa to the governing bodies of UCLG Africa, REFELA, YELO and the Network of Permanent Secretaries of National Associations of Local Governments of Africa. The West African region has thus designated its 9 candidates to sit on the Pan-African Council of Local Authorities, which has 45 members in total (9 per region); its 3 candidates to sit on the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa, which has 15 members (3 per region), and its candidate to sit as a member of the Presidency of UCLG Africa, which has 5 members, one Vice-President per region). The same process was followed for REFELA, YELO, and the Network of Permanent Secretaries of National Associations of Local Authorities. The proceedings also made it possible to designate the candidate from West Africa for the position of Vice-President of UCLG-World; the candidate from West Africa who will be among the 5 members of the Financial Management Committee of UCLG Africa, and the representative of West Africa to the Electoral Commission set up to supervise the elections organized on May 19, 2022 with a view to the designation of the members of UCLG Africa’s governing bodies.

The 9 candidates from West Africa to sit on the UCLG Africa Pan-African Council are : 1) “La Faitière des Communes du Togo” (FCT) ; 2) The National Association of Municipalities of Benin (ANCB); 3) The Union of Cities and Communes of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI); 4) The city of Bamako (Mali); 5) The City of Niamey (Niger); 6) The Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities (GALGA); 7) the Local Government Association of Sierra Leone (LOCASL); 8) The Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS); and 9) the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

The 3 candidates from West Africa to sit on the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa are : 1) La Faitière des Communes du Togo (FCT); 2) Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); and 3) The Union of Cities and Communes of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI),

The proceedings also made it possible to designate alternate candidates for each candidate nominated to sit on the Pan-African Council and on the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa.

The candidate from West Africa for the position of Vice-President of UCLG Africa is: The Union of Cities and Municipalities of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI),

The candidate from West Africa for the position of Vice-President of UCLG-World is : the City of Niamey (Niger).

The candidate from West Africa to sit on the Financial Management Commission is : The Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS).

The candidate from West Africa to sit on the Electoral Commission is : the Association of Communes of Niger.

Results of the REFELA Caucus

The 9 candidates from the West African region for the Pan-African Council of REFELA are : 1) City of Assomada Santiago (Cabo Verde); 2) The Commune of Pelengana (Mali); 3) City of Banjul (Gambia); 4) The Commune of Kindia (Guinea); 5) The Commune of Diffa (Niger); 6) The Commune of Diarrere (Senegal); 7) Apapa -Lagos Municipal Assembly (Nigeria); 8) The Commune of Foumbolo (Côte d’Ivoire); and 9) the New Juaben North Municipal Assembly (Ghana)

The 3 candidates from West Africa to sit on the REFELA Board are: 1) the City of Assomada Santiago (Cabo Verde), 2) Commune of Pelengana (Mali), and 3) City of Banjul (Gambia) ,

The candidate of West Africa for the position of Vice-President of REFELA is: The city of Banjul (Gambia),

The representative of West Africa on the REFELA Electoral Commission is: Tonkolili District Council (Sierra Leone).

Results of the YELO Caucus

The 9 candidates from West Africa for the YELO Pan-African Council are : 1) Golfe 6 Baguida (Togo), 2) Porto Novo (Benin), 3) Afadjato (Ghana), 4) Bo District (Sierra Leone) , 5) Lere Local Government (Nigeria), 6) Kerewan Area Council (Gambia), 7) Ourno (Niger), 8) Kroukoto (Mali), 9) Senegalese city whose name must be communicated to the UCLG Africa Secretariat within 8 days.

The 3 candidates of West Africa for the YELO Board are : 1) Golfe 6 Baguida (Togo), 2) Lere local government (Nigeria); and 3) Ourno (Niger).

The candidate of West Africa to the position as Vice President of YELO is : Lere local government (Nigeria)

The Representative of West Africa on the Electoral Commission is : The Commune of Kondianakoro (Guinea).

Results of the Caucus of the Network of Permanent Secretaries of Local Governments of Africa.

The 9 candidates from West Africa for the Council of Permanent Secretaries of Local Governments of Africa are : 1) The National Association of Communes of Benin (ANCB), 2) The Union of Cities and Communes of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI), 3) The Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities (GALGA), 4) National Association of Communes of Guinea (ANCG), 5) the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); 6) the Association of Municipalities of Niger; 7) the National Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS); 8) the Local Councils Association of Sierra Leone (LOCASL) ; and 9) “La Faitière des Communes du Togo” (FCT).

The 3 candidates from West Africa for the Board of Permanent Secretaries of Local and Subnational Governments of Africa are : 1) The National Association of Municipalities of Benin (ANCB); 2) the Union of Cities and Communes of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI) ; and 3) the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

The candidate of West Africa for the position of Vice-President of the SP-NET Network: UVICOCI

In addition, the participants in the caucus expressed their strong support for the Africa Territorial Agency (ATA), the vehicle being set up by UCLG Africa to facilitate access to the financial market for local and subnational governments of Africa. West African cities have been invited to join the 50 cities from 25 African countries that have already subscribed as members of the ATA founding club. The goal is to have a minimum of 100 local authorities who agree to be part of the founding members of the ATA by joining the cooperative society of the Agency made up exclusively of the local authorities who will be the members of the supervisory board of the ATA. Membership fees for the cooperative society are 100,000 Euros.

The caucus was also an opportunity to define the priority issues that local elected representatives from West Africa would like to see debated during the Africities 9 Summit in Kisumu; as well as the five questions they wish to ask ministers and development partners during the tripartite dialogue meeting between Ministers, Mayors, and Development Partners scheduled for May 21, 2022.

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