Tag Archive for: Africities

UCLG AFRICA REGIONAL STRATEGIC MEETING IN ACCRA (GHANA)

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The regional strategic meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) for the Western Africa Region will be held at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra, Ghana, on May 28th and 29th, 2018. The meeting is organized by UCLG Africa, the Pan African representative and the voice of local governments on the continent in collaboration with the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG).

Accra, will host the fourth meeting of a series of UCLG Africa strategic meetings that will take place across the five regions of Africa (North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa). The third first meetings were held in Nairobi, Kenya from 10 to 11 April 2018 for the East Africa region, in Libreville, Gabon from 16 to 17 April 2018 for Central Africa region and in Walvis Bay, Namibia from 7th to 8th May for Southern Africa region. As the representative voice of local authorities on the continent, UCLG Africa aims to:

  1. Take stock of the state of decentralization in the different regions and address the priorities of the decentralization agenda in the regions
  2. 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 meetings will address specific issues such as:

  • Updating the UCLG Africa members in the region on the Global and African Agendas and the involvement of local governments in their implementation, especially the African Union Agenda 2063, the New Urban Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Climate Change Agenda, and The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
  • The status of the signature and ratification of the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development in the different countries of West Africa
  • The participation of the UCLG Africa members in Western Africa in the preparation and implementation of the Africities 2018 Summit, the flagship event of UCLG Africa, which will be held from November 20 – 24, 2018 in Marrakesh (Kingdom of Morocco), around the theme: “The transition towards sustainable cities and territories: The role of African local governments.”
  • The preparation and participation of the members of the Western Africa Region in the Elective General Assembly of UCLG Africa to be held on 23 November in the framework of the Africities Summit.

The official opening of the meeting will be chaired by Honourable Hajia Alima Maham, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ghana, in the presence of:

  • Hon. Nii Felix Anang, President of NALAG and Mayor of Tema Metropolitan Assembly
  • Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

The meeting will be attended by the presidents of the national associations of local governments, leaders of the Network of Locally Elected Women (REFELA) and the permanent secretaries of national associations of local governments. Other participants in the meeting will include experts on decentralization, urbanization and climate change.

The national and international media based in Accra are invited to cover the opening ceremony this Monday, May 28, 2018 at 09:00 am at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra, Ghana and the closing press briefing on Tuesday, May 29 at the same venue at 04:15 pm.

The last UCLG Africa regional strategic meetings will take place in Rabat (Morocco) on 18 -19 June 2018, for the North Africa Region.

 

For further information, please contact:

Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45
Email: GYomi@UCLGa.org

Em Ekong: Tel: + 44 7801 701 675

Email: eekong@uclga.org

Call for Applications: Program officer for the Southern Africa Regional Office (SARO)

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To achieve its goals, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa)  recruits its Program officer for the Southern Africa Regional Office (SARO).

Applicants must submit their application no later than July 31, 2018 at 17 hours, by e-mail to the following address :recruitment@uclga.org .

The application file must include :

1. A motivation letter stating the reasons for application and expected salary package;

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae;

3. Certified copies of the diplomas;

4. Work certificates and professional references;

5. An ID photo;

The terms of reference are available here.

Motion of Support of REFELA to All the Women in Thier Fight Against Violence to Women in Cities and Local Governments of Africa

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* We, Women Mayors and Locally Elected of Cities and Local Governments of Africa, representing the REFELA Network, gathered in Rabat, on the occasion of the official launch of the 8th edition of the Africities Summit, scheduled for Marrakech, November 20-24 2018;

* Confronted in our functions as Elected to different forms of violence in our cities and territories;

* We call on Cities and Communes to engage and mobilize to and with REFELA to fight and eradicate all cases of violence against women and girls and make it a local priority./.

 

Done in Rabat, 16 May 2018

The President of REFELA

Célestine Ketcha Courtès, on behalf of all the Women Mayors and Locally Elected of Africa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Motion of Encouragement and Support of REFELA to Morocco’s Candidature for Organization of the Football World CUP 2026

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* We, Women Mayors and Locally Elected of Cities and Local Governments of Africa, representing the REFELA Network, gathered in Rabat, on the occasion of the official launching of the 8th edition of the Africities Summit, planned in Marrakech, 20-24 November 2018;

* Reaffirming our gratitude and high consideration to HIS MAJESTY THE KING MOHAMMED VI – May Allah Assist Him – for the unswerving support that His Sovereignty brings to our Network since its creation in Tangier in 2011 as well as to the cause of women in Africa;

* Starting from the solidarity that unites all the African Countries, and convinced that the success of the Kingdom of Morocco will be the success of our African Continent;

* We, Women Mayors and Locally Elected of the Cities and Local Governments of Africa take this opportunity from Rabat where we are gathered to express, through this Motion, our full support and all our encouragement to the candidature of the Kingdom of Morocco for the organization of the Football World Cup in 2026./.

 

 

Done in Rabat, 16 May 2018

The President of REFELA

Ms Célestine Ketcha Courtès, on behalf of all the Women Mayors and Locally Elected women of Africa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Presentation of the Africities Summit 8 (Marrakesh, Morocco, 20-24 November 2018)

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The theme of the Africities Summit 8

The Africities 8 Summit, which is the eighth edition of the Pan-African Days of Local and Territorial Authorities, will take place in Marrakesh, Morocco, from November 20 to November 24, 2018 . It will be themed: ”  The transition to sustainable cities and territories, the role of African local governments”.

(Download the PDF )

The goal of the Africities Summit 8 is establish a link between the vision of the long-term and the actions to be carried out in the immediate future, given the current situation of the continent. Africities 8 will take as a starting point the situation of Africa in globalization and urbanization; will shed light on the dimensions of the transition from the current changes, and will focus on the role and strategy of African territorial Governments in the transition. In order to identify the mutations that define the dimensions of the transition, Africités 8 adopts the following themes : the ecological transition  ; economic and social transition  ; the geopolitical transition  ; the political and democratic transition  ; and the cultural, scientific and ideological transition. The challenge for African local governments is to define and implement a new articulation, at the local level, between institutions, populations and territories. (One can refer to the concept note of Africities 8  : www. africities.org )

The Africities Summit seeks to achieve two major goals  : to define appropriate and shared strategies to improve the living conditions of local populations; and to contribute to integration, peace and unity of Africa from the grassroots. Its goal is to connect a rigorous understanding of the likely future trends with a strategic discussion on what needs to be done locally, immediately, to meet the urgency of access to basic services, housing, mobility and transport, and to promote opportunities for the development of economic activities and employment , and other fields.

The Africities Summit has always been a great opportunity for the meeting of local and territorial elected representatives in Africa. Its ambition is to echo the voice of leaders of local and regional governments who administer the 15,000 territorial governments of Africa .

 The history of The Africities Summits

Africities materializes a choice and a will. It is about strengthening the role of local authorities in the continent’s development and to help build Africa from these communities. This project is deployed through the successive Africités summits and the subjects that were treated during such summits. The Africities 8 Summit is part of the succession of Africities that took place in the five sub-regions of Africa.

Africities 1, in Abidjan in January 1998, had as its theme  : Recognizing the essential role of local governments in Africa’s development.

Africities 2, Windhoek, May 2000, was themed  :  Financing  African local governments to ensure the sustainable development of the continent.

Africities 3, in Yaoundé, in December 2003, had as its theme  : Accelerating access to basic services within African local governments.

Africities 4, Nairobi, September 2006, had as its theme  : Building local coalitions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals within African local governments.

Africities 5, Marrakech, December 2009, was themed  : The response of African local and territorial authorities to the global crisis : promotion of sustainable local development and employment.

Africities 6, in Dakar, in December 2012, had as its theme  : Building Africa from its territories  : what challenges for local governments ?

Africities 7 in Johannesburg in November 2015, had as its theme :  Building the future of Africa with the populations: the contribution of local governments to Agenda 2063..

 The global context

 The Africities 8 Summit is part of an international context that weighs on African development. The new context is marked by great uncertainties. Several questions must be taken into account  :

•      The global crisis is deepening and structural imbalances are continuing. A first question concerning the future concerns Africa’s place in contemporary globalization and its crisis.

•      The context is also characterized by a geopolitical, economic, social and cultural reorganization of the different major regions of the world related to their specific evolutions. A second question concerns the specificities of the evolution of Africa among the major regions of the world.

•      The last decades have been marked by contradictions related to the dynamics of democratization on a global scale. A third question concerns the forms that democratization will take in Africa.

•      Analyzing those issues by taking the territories as a point of entry helps to rethink and redefine the dynamics of African integration and unity. With decentralization and the creation of regional groupings, public governance is becoming more complex. A fourth question concerns the articulation of the different levels of governance  : the scale of the African continent, the scale of the five sub-regions of the African continent, the national scale of African States , and the scale of local and territorial governments.

•      Analyzing those issues by taking the territories as a point of entry also makes it possible to connect populations, activities, ecosystems and institutions . Globalization attempts to spread the same development model that is not sustainable from an ecosystem perspective and is not acceptable from an equity perspective. A fifth question concerns the possibility for Africa to acquire modes of development and transformation of African societies that are more sustainable and fairer.

The architecture of the Africities Summit 8

The Africities 8 Summit aims to address all these questions by relocating them, in the long term, in the context of the transition to sustainable cities and territories.

From November 20 to November 24, 2018 , the Africities 8 Summit will host, in Marrakech, Morocco , more than 5 000 people. The participants will represent all the protagonists of African local life as well as their partners from other regions of the world  : Ministers responsible for Local Governments, Housing, Urban Development, and the Public Service ; people in charge of African institutions  ; local authorities and local elected officials  ; central and local government officials  ; civil society organizations, associations and unions  ; economic operators in the public and private sectors and the social and solidarity-based economy  ; traditional authorities  ; researchers , scientists and members of the academia  ; international cooperation agencies  ; and African citizens . Africities 8 will host more than 500 exhibitors.

The Africities 8 Summit is organized in three segments  :

  • The thematic sessions make it possible to deepen the theme of the transition towards sustainable cities and territories as well as the development of the policies and strategies of the African territorial collectivities to answer the needs of the populations in the concrete situations.
  • Open sessions allow different networks of African local authorities or institutions or organizations wishing to work with African territorial authorities to present their proposals and contribute to the thinking process.
  • Political sessions  that synthesize the summit include the political meeting of the mayors and of the local authorities  ; of the ministers  ; of the development partners  ; and a political dialogue meeting between mayors, ministers and development partners.

The Africities 8 Exhibition

From November 20 to November 23, 2018, the “Africities 8 Exhibition” will take place, within the framework of the Summit. Exhibition booths will be offered to local authorities, associations of local authorities, international institutions and cooperation, public and private companies, banks and financial institutions, consulting or research firms, universities and training institutions working or wish to work with African local authorities . Information workshops and debates will be proposed at the initiative of exhibitors or organizers of the Exhibition. A project exchange forum will be set up to link the demands expressed by African local authorities with the exhibitors’ proposals.

 

Some exceptional events

Several events of great importance will take place throughout Africities 8 . Among them, one can already mention:

the the elective General Assembly of UCLG-Africa; the Meeting of African Ministers Members of the Specialized Technical Committee of the African Union on the Public Service, Urban Development, Local Authorities and Decentralization (STC8); the tripartite political dialogue meeting between mayors, ministers, and development partners; the Elective General Assembly of REFELA (Network of African Local elected Women); the Meeting of Former African Heads of State as Honorary Members of UCLG Africa; meetings of African elected representatives with the Chinese, Latin American, European, Turkish elected officials …; the forum on the issue of migration; the presentation of the United Nations report on Afro-descendants; the organization of an inter-African fellowship for decentralized cooperation; the special events of Moroccan cities; the award ceremony for the best African mayor and the best participatory budget in Africa; B2B meetings within the framework of the projects grant organized within the Salon; the Forum on the construction of local coalitions between local authorities and local stakeholders; the Meeting of Large African Enterprises and Leaders of Local Authorities in Africa; the elective assemblies of professional networks of territorial administrations of Africa (City managers and directors of services, directors or heads of financial services, directors or heads of technical services, Human Resource managers); the Meeting of Traditional Authorities; Meeting of the African Media Network for Local Development (MADEL).

These events, as well as the activities of Africities 8, will be relayed by Africities’ internal communication tools.  : The Africities-Daily newspaper distributed every morning in the hotels and within the venue of the Summit  ; Africities TV and Radio Africities  ; the daily press conference  ; specific press briefings  ; the Africities website and the UCLG Africa Portal; the Facebook and Twitter social networks, and other networks.

Africities 8’s communication will also be provided by national and international media.

PREPARATION OF THE SESSIONS OF THE AFRICITIES SUMMIT 8

The sessions of the Africities 8 Summit will be structured as follows  :

Each session will last three hours. Speeches are limited to one hour (60 min). An hour and a half (90 minutes) will be devoted to debates and exchanges with the audience. The last half hour (30 min) will be dedicated to the adoption of resolutions and recommendations to be submitted to political sessions (mayors, ministers, African institutions, development partners).

Each session will be coordinated by a chair who will be an African mayor, a facilitator and a rapporteur. This team will be proposed by the entity in charge of the preparation and organization of the session, in consultation with the UCLG-A secretariat. The discussion will be introduced by 3 to 4 speakers including 2 mayors and 1 or 2 other speakers representing institutions, experts or other categories of stakeholders.

The preparation of the Africities 8 Summit sessions will be done in three main stages, followed by a final report  :

Step 1  : (Deadline : June 15, 2018 )

  • Identificationandselection of the structures associated with the preparation and coordination of each session (identification before May 30, 2018 )
  • Confirmation of the operators (stakeholders) by UCLGAfricaand of the partnership agreements.

2nd step  : (Deadline : July 15, 2018 )       

  • Short presentationof the session: theme, sales pitch about the interest of the session , the major issues discussed , the great experiences presented . (2 pages)
  • Presentation of the programof the session: the organization of time , the nature and the theme of the interventions (presentations) , indications concerning the themes . ( 1 page)
  • The names of the Chair, of the moderator andof the rapporteur (with support from UCLGAfrica , especially for the identification of African mayors associated with the session)
  • Opening of one page per session on the web site.

Step 3  : (Deadline: September 15, 2018 )

  • Presentation sheet of the session for the public program with all the speakers (1page)(for August 15, 2018)
  • Summary of the introductory report of the session (3 to 5 pages)
  • Project of draft resolutions andrecommendations (addressed to mayors , ministers, African institutions , development partners, etc.)

And also  :

  • Otherreports presentedby the speakers (1 page per report)
  • CVsand photos ofthe coordinators ( chair, moderator , rapporteur ) and of the speakers.
  • Short presentation of the organizers ofthe session( e. the institution , its goals and its activities );
  • requirementsin terms oflogistics for conducting the session;
  • Proposalsin terms of communicationbefore, during and after the Summit (wishes expressed in terms of interviews ,key messages to be developed, projects to be promoted , African leaders to be presented – providing for a short presentation note on these leaders for the media );
  • Participation in theAfricities Exhibition(booths, debates , etc.)
  • Any otherrelevant questionto be asked.

Step 4  : (Deadline: January 30, 2019 )

  • Minutesand final reportof the session
  • Firstevaluation report.

ARCHITECTURE OF THE AFRICITIES 8 SUMMIT

UCLG AFRICA Regional Strategic Meeting in Walvis–Bay

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The regional strategic meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) for the Southern Africa region will be held at the Sea Side Hotel in Walvis -Bay, Namibia, on May 7th and 8th, 2018. The meeting is organized by UCLG Africa, the Pan African representative and the voice of local governments on the continent in collaboration with the Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN).

Walvis Bay, will host the third meeting of a series of UCLG Africa strategic meetings that will take place across the five regions of Africa (North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa). The two first meetings were held in Nairobi, Kenya from 10 to 11 April 2018 for the East Africa region and in Libreville, Gabon form 16 to 17 April 2018 for Central Africa region . As the representative voice of local authorities on the continent, UCLG Africa aims to:

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

2. 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 meetings will address specific issues such as:

• Updating the UCLG Africa members in the region on the Global and African Agendas and the involvement of local governments in their implementation, especially the African Union Agenda 2063, the New Urban Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Climate Change Agenda, and The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;

• The status of the signature and ratification of the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development in the different countries of Southern Africa region.

• The participation of the UCLG Africa members in Southern Africa in the preparation and implementation of the Africities 2018 Summit, the flagship event of UCLG Africa, which will be held from November 20 – 24, 2018 in Marrakesh (Kingdom of Morocco), around the theme: “The transition towards sustainable cities and territories: The role of African local governments.”

• The preparation and participation of the members of the Southern Africa region in the Elective General Assembly of UCLG Africa to be held on 23 November in the framework of the Africities Summit.

The official opening of the meeting will be chaired by Hon. Dr Peya MUSHELENGA, Minister of Urban and Rural Development, in the presence of:

• Mr. Mr Parks Tau – President UCLG –World & UCLG Africa Vice President, Southern Africa region,

• Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

The meeting will be attended by the presidents of the national associations of local governments, leaders of the Network of Locally Elected Women (REFELA) and the permanent secretaries of national associations of local governments. Other participants in the meeting will include experts on decentralization, urbanization and climate change.

The national and international media based in Namibia are invited to cover the opening ceremony this Monday, May 07th , 2018 at 09:00 am at the Sea Side Hotel in Walvis -Bay, Namibia and the closing press briefing on Tuesday, May 08th at the same venue at 04:30 pm.

The upcoming UCLG Africa regional strategic meetings will take place respectively in Accra (Ghana) on 28 – 29, May 2018, for the West Africa Region; and Rabat (Morocco) on 18 -19 June 2018, for the North Africa Region.

For further information, please contact:

Em Ekong: Tel : +
Email: Eekong@uclga.org
Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45
Email: GYomi@UCLGa.org

2nd Edition of the African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting Local and Regional Governments: The Network of Human Resources Managers of African Local and Regional Governments (Local Africa HR-Net) is now set up!

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Saidia, Morocco, April 26, 2018

The second edition of the African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting Local and Regional Governments was held April 25-26, 2018 at the BE LIVE hotel in Saidia, (Kingdom of Morocco, Oriental Region). The meeting was co-organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, the Association of Regions of Morocco (ARM), the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils (AMPCC), the Oriental Regional Council and United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) within the framework of the actions conducted by the Africa Local Governments Academy (ALGA).

250 participants from 35 countries took part in the forum, including ministers, presidents of associations of local and regional authorities, presidents and directors of training institutes, senior staff of local and regional administrations, experts in local governance, components of civil society and the private sector.

The second edition of the forum had the topic: “Mobilization for the development of the human capital of local and regional governments: a key requirement for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Mr. Abdennbi BIIOUI, President of the Oriental Region, chaired the deliberations which were also attended by the following dignitaries: Her Excellency Ms. Paulita WIE, Minister Delegate in charge of Urban Affairs of Liberia; General Mohamed Kamal Hussein BENDARY, Secretary General of the Ministry of Municipal Development of Egypt; Mr. Mouaad JAMAI, Wali of the Oriental Region; Mr. Mohamed MBARKI, Director General of the Oriental Development Agency; Mr. Mohamed BENKADDOUR, President of the Mohammed Premier University of Oujda (UMP); Mr. Omar Ben ISMAIL, President of Saidia Local Government; and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong MBASSI, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

The various addresses highlighted the importance of investing in human capital to achieve local development and to ensure local government trades are integrated amongst the first career choices of young Africans entering into professional life. Speakers emphasized the symbolic significance of holding this forum in the Oriental region. The region has played a leading role in the movement of African countries against colonial rule, in the strengthening of relations between Sub-Saharan Africa and Mediterranean Africa and in building an African conscience.

Contributions to the deliberations came from representatives of training institutes and organizations such as the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the African Association of Public Administration Management (AAPAM), the International City/ County Managers (ICMA, USA), State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASAN), the Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane (Morocco), the International Institute of Administrative Science (IIAS), the Kenya School of Governance (KSG), Transparency Morocco, Marchika Med and the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM-Morocco).

During the two day forum, participants debated and formulated recommendations on the following four themes:

* Investment in the human capital of African public administrations;

* The new human resources requirements of local and regional governments induced by the sustainable development goals;

* Mobilization of the human capital of territorial administrations for the development and economic attractiveness of territories;

* Cooperation to improve the human capital performance of local and regional governments in Africa.

The forum also served as a framework for the holding of the constituent general assembly of the African Network of Human Resources Managers of Local and Regional Governments, namely “Local Africa HR-Net.”

28 Human Resources Managers of Local and Regional Governments from 20 African countries took part in the general assembly, which adopted the Rules and Regulations and set its objectives to:

* Promote the common voice of human resources managers of local and regional governments at the local, national, regional and continental levels;

* Disseminate good practice in the field of human resources management within the local and regional governments of Africa;

* Improve and sustain the professional competence of members and inculcate the culture of performance, service delivery, collaborative networking practice and peer learning;

* Participate in the work and support the initiatives of the Observatory on Human Resources of African Local and Regional Governments, most especially the production of the report on, “The State of Human Resources in African Local and Regional Governments,” which UCLG Africa publishes every three years on the occasion of the Africities Summits. The 8th edition of the Africities summit is scheduled to take place from November 20-24, 2018 in Marrakech (Morocco).

The general assembly also elected the members of the Executive Committee of the network as follows:

Northern Africa: Mr. Ben Mohamed Lachcen, HR Manager of Agadir Municipality (Morocco)

West Africa: Mr. Badara Samb, HR Manager of Louga Territorial Department Council (Senegal)

Central Africa: Ms Makanda Kodono Marie Reine, HR Manager of Bangui City Council (Central African Republic)

East Africa: Mr. Nzoyisaba Claver, HR Manager of Bujumbura City Council (Burundi)

Southern Africa: Ms Albertina Mario Francisco Tivane Albertina, Human Resources Officer of Maputo Municipality (Mozambique).

Ms. Albertina Mario Francisco Tivane Albertina was unanimously elected President of Local Africa HR-Net.

At the end of the deliberations of the forum, the participants adopted the Declaration of Saidia and a vote of thanks addressed to His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

Encl:

–Declaration of Saidia

–Vote of thanks to His Majesty The King of Morocco

For further information, please contact:
Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45 Email: gyomi@UCLGa.org
Gautier Brygo: Tel: +212 661 300 829 Email: gbrygo@gmail.com
Zerouali Mohammed: Tel: +212 666036579 Email: m_zerouali@yahoo.fr

UCLG Africa Regional Strategic Meeting in Libreville

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The regional strategic meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) for the Central Africa Region will be held at Le Méridien Re-Ndama Hotel in Libreville, Gabon, on April 16th and 17th, 2018. The meeting is organized by UCLG Africa, the Pan African representative and the voice of local governments on the continent in collaboration with the Municipality of Libreville.

The Gabonese capital will host the second meeting of a series of UCLG Africa strategic meetings that will take place across the five regions of Africa (North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa). The first was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 10 to 11 April 2018 for the East Africa region. As the representative voice of local authorities on the continent, UCLG Africa aims to:

  1. Take stock of the state of decentralization in the different regions and address the priorities of the decentralization agenda in the regions
  2. 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 meetings will address specific issues such as:

  • Updating the UCLG Africa members in the region on the Global and African Agendas and the involvement of local governments in their implementation, especially the African Union Agenda 2063, the New Urban Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Climate Change Agenda, and The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
  • The status of the signature and ratification of the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development in the different countries of Central Africa
  • The participation of the UCLG Africa members in Central Africa in the preparation and implementation of the Africities 2018 Summit, the flagship event of UCLG Africa, which will be held from November 20 – 24, 2018 in Marrakesh (Kingdom of Morocco), around the theme: “The transition towards sustainable cities and territories: The role of African local governments.”
  • The preparation and participation of the members of the Central Africa Region in the Elective General Assembly of UCLG Africa to be held on 23 November in the framework of the Africities Summit.

The official opening of the meeting will be chaired by His Excellency Mr. Lambert Noel MATHA, Minister of the Interior, Security, in charge of Decentralization and Local, in the presence of:

  • Mr.  Diderot Moutsinga Kebila, Governor of the Estuary Province
  • Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, Mayor of Libreville, UCLG Vice-President for Africa;,
  • Mr Christian Roger Okemba, Mayor of Brazzaville (Congo), Vice President of UCLG Africa for the Central Africa Region;
  • Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

The meeting will be attended by the presidents of the national associations of local governments, leaders of the Network of Locally Elected Women (REFELA) and the permanent secretaries of national associations of local governments. Other participants in the meeting will include experts on decentralization, urbanization and climate change.

The national and international media based in Gabon are invited to cover the opening ceremony this Monday, April 16, 2018 at 09:00 am at at Le Méridien Re-Ndama Hotel in Libreville, and the closing press briefing on Tuesday, April 17 at the same venue at 05:00 pm.

The upcoming UCLG Africa regional strategic meetings will take place respectively in  Walvis-Bay (Namibia) on 7 – 8 May 2018, for the Southern Africa Region; Accra (Ghana) on 28 – 29, May 2018, for the West Africa Region; and Rabat (Morocco) on 18 -19 June 2018, for the North Africa Region.

For further information, please contact:

Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45

Email: gyomi@uclga.org

 

Regional Strategic Meeting Unifying East Africa Local Authorities and Cities

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Nairobi, Kenya, April 10, 2018

The regional strategic meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) for the Eastern Africa Region took place at the Intercontinental Hotel (Nairobi, Kenya), April 9 -10, 2018.

The meeting, organized in collaboration with the Council of Governors (COG), of Kenya, was attended by 10 countries representing 14 national associations of local government, (Rwanda, Burundi, Madagascar, Comoros, Uganda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya) and were represented by presidents of the associations and the leaders of the Network of Locally Elected Women (REFELA) and their permanent secretaries.

Proceedings were opened by Amb Tuneya Hussein Dado, Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Devolution and ASALS in the presence of Honourable Governor Josephat Nanok Koli, Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG); Mr. David Andre, the Mayor of Victoria, Seychelles, UCLG Africa Vice President for the Eastern Africa Region; and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

In his opening remarks, Amb Tuneya Hussein Dado reiterated the importance of strengthening local governments and the key role played by UCLG Africa in uniting local governments across Africa. On behalf of the Council of Governors of Kenya, Honourable Governor Josephat Nanok Koli, welcomed all and expressed his happiness in hosting the first of the five UCLG African regional strategic meetings. He restated COG’s commitment to African cooperation led by UCLG Africa and the decentralization agenda.

The UCLG Africa Secretary General, Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, reminded participants of the importance of the UCLG Africa regional strategic meetings.

“They are key in the life of UCLG Africa. It is therefore critical that members take full advantage of their holding to share knowledge on the situation of decentralization and subnational and local governments in their respective countries and to make inputs in reflecting on how to improve this situation for greater involvement of subnational and local governments in the definition and implementation of the development and integration policies and strategies set forth by Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

The regional strategic meetings also provide a moment for members to reflect on what is happening at both the continental and global levels, particularly on how it impacts on subnational and local government mandates and actions.”

During the first day, two sessions were held which discussed UCLG Africa’s network in the region. In the first session, participants shared their experiences and key challenges on the state of decentralization in their respective countries and received information on decentralized cooperation partnerships. Discussion also surrounded the importance of UCLG Africa’s Pan Africa Peer Review, which supports members in identifying capacity issues. Candidates for hosting a Peer Review mission and participating in Peer Review teams were registered.

The second session addressed the functioning of UCLG Africa networks and how these networks could enhance the delivery capacity of subnational and local governments. UCLG Africa networks include the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA); the network of City Managers (MAGNET); the network of City Chief Finance Officers (FINET); and the network of City Chief Technical Officers (TECHNET). The session also focussed on the role of local and regional governments in implementing African and global agendas such as the African Charter on Values & Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance & Local Development; the setting up of the High Council of Local Authorities as a consultative body of the African Union; the role of subnational and local governments in the implementation of Agenda 2063 of the African Union; the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and the Climate Change Agenda.

UCLG Africa’s members from the East Africa region are being invited to advocate for the ratification of the African Charter on Values & Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance & Local Development. Since its adoption in Malabo in 2014, the charter has been signed by 13 countries but has only been ratified by three countries, two of which are in the East Africa region (Madagascar and Burundi). The charter will become a legal instrument of the African Union when signed and ratified by 15 countries and deposited at the Africa Union Commission.

During the presentation on the role of African local governments in the implementation of SDGs, participants were given an example of the role played by local authorities in Nigeria. UCLG, the world organization of local authorities, has also developed a toolkit that was shared with members.

On the Climate Agenda, national associations of local governments were encouraged to join the global covenant of mayors for climate and energy, where the Africa chapter is hosted by UCLG Africa in its West Africa Regional Office,(WARO). The UCLG Africa Climate Task Force was launched during COP23 to assist African subnational and local governments prepare funding requests eligible for the green climate fund.

Members were informed about local government transparency and integrity aimed at providing voluntary members with a tool to address the daunting issue of corruption in the subnational and local government administrations.

Participants were also informed about the role they are expected to play in the implementation of the European Union cooperation agenda. In 2013, the EU adopted a Communication that for the first time recognized local authorities as public authorities in their own right. Following this recognition the European Union concluded a framework partnership agreement with international and continental associations of local governments, including UCLG Africa. According to the provisions of the 2013 EU Communication on local authorities, national associations having a monopoly situation in their country can access EU cooperation funds allocated to local governments without going through a call for proposals, provided they present to and discuss with the EU delegation an implementation program agreed upon by the members of the said national association. Participants were further informed about the beginning of the negotiations of the Post Cotonou Agreement that will frame the cooperation relations between the Africa Union and European Union for the next 20 years. Attention was called for UCLG Africa members to advocate and lobby their national governments to have them include local governments as key partners at the different steps, from the negotiations stage to the definition and implementation stages, which implies that the territorial and local level should be recognized as the critical level for the implementation and impact assessment of EU cooperation programs. Engagement with the EU delegations was also recommended to follow up on the implementation of the 2013 Communication and on the post Cotonou Agreement negotiations that will start soon (presumably in September 2018).

The Africities 8th Edition, which will be hosted in Marrakesh from November 20-24, was announced and members were invited to attend in numbers. Members were also reminded that they are expected to participate in General Assembly of UCLG Africa and the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) that will be held during the summit and were briefed on the rules and procedures of the Elected General Assembly, which will be held on November 23. The official launch of the 8th Edition of the Africities Summit will take place in Rabat, Morocco on the May 15, 2018.

The CEO of the Council of Governors has expressed an interest in hosting the next Africities Summit in 2021 and has requested the support of UCLG Africa members from the East Africa region.

The regional strategy meeting held in Nairobi will be followed by the regional strategic meetings for the Central Africa Region in Libreville, (Gabon), April 16-17 2018; the Southern Africa Region in Walvis-Bay (Namibia), May 7-8, 2018; the West Africa Region in Accra (Ghana), May 28-29, 2018; and the North Africa Region in Rabat (Morocco), June 18 -19, 2018.

For further information, please contact:

Gaëlle Yomi: Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45

Email: gyomi@uclga.org

Crans Montana Forum on Africa and South-South Cooperation: The contribution of UCLG Africa to the International Conference on Global Urban Management

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The fourth edition of the Crans Montana Forum,an International Conference on Global Urban Management on “Africa and South-South Cooperation,”was held in Dakhla (Morocco), March 15–20,2018.

Themeeting, held on March 17,had the participation of several African metropolises who met with their counterparts and shared their knowledge and expertise on urban development, urban planning, housing, mobility, waste and waste water treatment, sustainable development and urban security.

Theconference waschaired by Mr. Mohamed Boudra, President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils (AMPCC) andwas moderated by Mr. Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).

Presidents from the local governments associations andPan-African Councils of UCLG Africatook part in theinternational conference, which addressed the issue of urban development: an unavoidable human evolution,given the ongoing rural exodusand a key challenge for Africatoday.

The Secretary General highlighted 4 key points when discussing the importance of involving local authorities in the implementation of urbanization projects in Africa:

  • “It is imperative that cities areplanned, so that we know where we are going. We must have strategic thoughts. By planning cities, we must be concerned about the SDGs and the participation of people becausewhat you do for me without me, you do against me.”
  • “We need to be concerned with how local authorities are funded. Both largeand small cities. We must leave no one behind following the leitmotiv of the international community.”
  • “If we do not put in place institutional systems, legal systems and necessary human resources, it will remain in the field of discourse. Cooperation addressesthese exchanges both in the legislative and financial capacity-building field so that each local government gradually reaches a level of control of its development.”
  • “The South/South cooperation is the future, because Africa is the future of the world. Africa will have 4 billion inhabitants in 2100:40% of mankind. It is now that Africa must be prepared to assume its responsibilities.”

 

ThePresident of AMPCC, Mr. Mohamed Boudra asserted, “We can say that the future of Africa will dependupon urban and youth policies. Thesepolicies need to be carried out in cooperation. Mayors and citizens must be at the center of all these policies: Not alone, but together as governments, ministries, experts and academics. We need to strengthen South/South cooperation. Money is better managed locally because it falls under the control of the population.”

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Royal support to UCLG Africa and an invitation to the Africities 2018 Summit

During the opening ceremony of the forum, the royal speech was read by the President of Dakhla, demonstrating that, “Morocco’s option for advanced regionalization is extremely assertive. According to the Secretary General:

“It means that His Majesty wishes that the implementation of development in Moroccoshould start from its territories. It is a very strong political sign that also addresses the whole of Africa. Africa will develop from its territories.There is a strong delegation of African mayors and presidents of African regions present here in Dakhla. I am very pleased that this message is visible and I am honored that the King has mentioned our organization,UCLG Africa, in his speech. This year’s Crans Montana meeting marks a turning point for South/South cooperation, particularly inter-territory cooperation and advanced regionalization. Decentralization is about empowering people through the elect to manage their daily lives. Somewhere, Morocco is exemplary in this movement that will take time to succeed.” (Interview given to Medi1 TV).

The Secretary General also announced the organizing of the Forum of African Regions at the Africities summit in Marrakech from November 20-24,2018.

The summit, organized every 3 years by UCLG Africa, the oriental region of Morocco and the Association of the Regions of Morocco (Morocco) are to pilot the forum.  The full interview of Mr. Mbassi is available here in French. 

The President of the AMPCC, Mohamed Boudra, promised that the International Conference on Global Urban Management would continue at the Africities Summit in Marrakech.

The local elected women’s network of REFELA also took part in the session on March 16, 2018on women’s integration in the political, social and economic decision making processes. Mrs. Jacqueline Moustache Belle, former mayor of Victoria (Seychelles), shared her experience as a local elected woman and the REFELA vision that has been advocated since 2011.