August 10, 2022 – African Decentralisation & Local Development Day : Happy Celebration!

What does the African Decentralisation and Local Development Day mean to you?  

The African Day of Decentralisation and Local Development is a key moment in which local authorities express themselves first and foremost and through which they aspire to build and implement important and consequent development programs, so it is a privileged moment to carry high the voice of African local authorities.

What is the state of the decentralisation process in your country and what is missing in your country to ratify the African Charter on the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local development?  

We have also signed the charter like all other countries, the ratification process is underway, decentralization is an option that is relayed by the political will in a deliberate way and it is translated into several acts, including the creation of a High National Council of Decentralization which is chaired by His Excellency the President of the Republic, so it is very important and the President, given the interest he takes in decentralization in Mauritania, did not want the National Council for Decentralization to be chaired by someone else, he wanted it to be chaired by himself and this shows the interest he takes in decentralization, which is of course combined with several acts in terms of sanitation and in terms of the legal arsenal and measures on the ground to promote decentralization. This does not mean that it is done in our country as elsewhere in Africa, there are still efforts to be made but we are confident since the President of the Republic himself is working on it.

What is your wish for the celebration of the 2022 edition of the  African Decentralization and Local Development Day, whose theme is: “Making food security a key priority for development and territorial cooperation”, and that will be celebrated on August 10?

This is an extremely important issue since we have lived through extremely difficult years because of Covid-19, which has certainly impacted on agricultural resources. Generally speaking, the pandemic has had an impact on food security, so this is an extremely important theme that will revive our interests, our ambitions and even our commitment to ensuring our food security.

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Three questions to Mrs.Rohey Malick Lowe, President of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA)