United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) and the Africa and Arab Countries Region of Public Service International (PSI) signed today 24 September 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for structured dialogue and cooperation between their respective constituencies. The Partners are the most representative membership-based organisations namely of local and regional government (LRG) managers and staff in the African continent.

Building on the longstanding dialogue and continued partnership between their international secretariats, the Partners sealed in a virtual launch their joint commitment to “bring their cooperation down to the subregions and territories where they operate and close to their respective memberships” their MoU reads.

The challenges local and regional governments face in the African continent are vast and public services inequalities stark. According to the UN, only 20 percent of the African urban population (excluding North Africa) has access to safely managed sanitation services, while 23 percent of slum dwellers are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, through the Covid crisis, many African local authorities have rapidly put in place innovative emergency solutions and adaptation measures to ensure continued public service delivery. Their losses are now of up to 60 percent of average own sourced revenues.

Acknowledging these challenges, the Partners will prioritize joint initiatives towards:

• enabling equitable access to quality local public services for all;
• making cities, communities, and territories inclusive and fair;
• realizing sustainable, just local socio-economic development;
• building LRG staff’s capacity and skills, while ensuring their decent working conditions

UCLG Africa and PSI Africa and the Arab Countries will also cooperate to develop joint advocacy and actions – including in regional policy forums such as the African Union (AU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) –

“➡️ The 3rd edition of the Climate Chance Summit Africa will be held from 15 to 17 September 2021 in virtual format. 3 days of sessions on many key themes and sectors of climate action including access to climate finance, sustainable mobility, adaptation and water, the role of women in climate action, the Great Green Wall, and more!
Register today by clicking here and join the largest community of non-state actors engaged in climate action in Africa.🌍”

Since her arrival in 2013 at the head of the municipality of Foumbolo (Côte d’Ivoire), Ms. Macoura Dao Coulibaly has climbed the ranks within the sphere of local governments of Côte d’Ivoire but also on the continental level. Being the current vice-president of the Union of Cities and municipalities of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI), Ms. Dao who has been president of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) since 2019, first joined the executive board of the Network in 2015 during the general assembly of the 7th edition of the Africities summit (November 29 to December 3, 2015 in Johannesburg).

The flagship actions carried out for the benefit of her municipality (Foumbolo) include the creation of road communication channels and support for women’s associations to contribute to their empowerment.

During her re-election at the end of the municipal elections in April 2018, Ms. Dao confided that she had placed her second term in office under the sign of bringing the daughters and sons of Foumbolo together for social harmony, a guarantee of real development.

Faced with the resurgence of motorcycle accidents recorded in his locality, in particular during the Monday weekly market, the local councilor has promoted the creation of separate roads in the city to curb accidents. Statistics showed around ten motorcycle accidents every Monday, the weekly market day.

As part of the support for women’s associations in the field of social and solidarity economy, a “partnership was forged with women from Burkina Faso to allow the association of women producers of attieké from Foumbolo to sell their products in this brotherly country. This enabled these women to increase their turnover, “Ms. Dao told the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP).

Last May, the REFELA Côte d’Ivoire country chapter,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The celebration aims to:

– sensitize and inform the general public;

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The celebration aims to:

–

The theme of the 4th  International Conference on Canadian, Chinese and African Sustainable Urbanization is : Density, Diversity and Mobility: the City in an Era of Cascading Risks! Taking place between July 28 – 31, 2021 virtually in Montreal, Canada, the conference programme is done in partnership of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat), McGill University, University of Ottawa, and Carleton University. During these four days, over 200 scholars, practitioners and policy-makers from 39 countries, and across multiple disciplines will discuss, debate and rethink the post-pandemic cities in Canada, China, Africa and other parts of the world.

Read more.

Are you a young African local elected official? Do you know a young African local elected official?

This is for you!

Participate in the meeting dedicated to young actors of local authorities from Africa and Europe, under the theme: “Africa-Europe Partnership: Connecting young local leaders! “. The event will take place online from 23 to 24 June 2021.

Register here.

The challenges of the meeting

Europe and Africa face more and more common challenges, there is a growing need for greater cooperation and solidarity, starting with the local level. Many of these challenges are long-term and intergenerational, meaning young people are deeply affected. And indeed who better to talk about the world of tomorrow than the youth?

That’s why UCLG Africa, Platforma and CEMR are holding the “Africa-Europe partnership: Connecting young local leaders!” event gathering young local and regional elected officials, youth organisations, representatives and partners from Europe and Africa to tackle one big question: how should African and European young local leaders organise their collaboration?

The event will explore how local leaders can structure their future dialogue and provide input to major events such as the African Union-European Union summits and Africities. The session will build upon previous work begun in Abidjan and Marrakesh in 2018.

During the opening session, inspiring young leaders will share their reflections on a future for Africa-Europe relations that takes into account the needs and wishes of young people in an increasingly connected world.

The following day, we’ll discuss the future of this partnership during a practical working group session and gather ideas to structure the dialogue and address common challenges together from a local perspective.

So don’t hesitate to come along to build the foundations of a partnership that will shake up Europe-Africa relations as we know them!

The municipality of Paynesville in Liberia is among those that do not hesitate to trust the fairer sex to ensure the leadership of the town hall. After Mrs. Cyvette M. Gibson, who served as mayor from 2012 to January 2018, it is Ms. Pam Belcher Taylor‘s turn to don the town hall’s scarf, following her appointment in February 2018.

Paynesville is a suburb East of Monrovia, Liberia. It is the largest city in Liberia with approximately 320,000 inhabitants. In taking charge of the city, Pam Belcher Taylor had to tackle the problems of waste collection as a priority. Three months after taking office, the municipal team set out to install garbage bins in strategic areas of the city as well as awareness nameplates. She also presented these main actions to her peers during the 3rd edition of the Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting Territorial Governments in Africa (FAMI), organized by the African Local Government Academy (ALGA) of UCLG Africa held from June 10-14, 2019 in Ifrane (Morocco).

The place of young people and women is also one of the key priorities of the Mayor. On May 21, 2021, one of the flagship projects of his term in office was launched with the construction of the bookstore in favor of youth (Liberian Learning Center). Begun in 2019 with fundraising, the launch of the construction works served as a framework for the municipal team to explain their wish to leave the structure as a legacy for future generations. The Liberian Learning Center is a collaborative project of the Canadian charity Empowerment Squared in partnership with the Rotary Club International, Paynesville City Corporation (PCC), Mc CallumSather, and the Hamilton Public Library. “As we all know, libraries help to develop students’ vocabulary, improve their comprehension and develop the habit of reading silently,”

ICLEI Africa is hosting the RISE Africa 2021 Action Festival, in partnership with African Centre for Cities and Our Future Cities, on 24-28 May 2021. RISE Africa brings together diverse individuals and organisations who are contributing to sustainable urban futures in Africa. The Festival aims to celebrate our cities through creative sessions, to deepen ongoing conversations along multiple themes related to African cities, and to showcase and promote ongoing activities which are already transforming our cities. The theme for this year is NEXT URBAN CHAMPIONS*. More information