Tag Archive for: WUF

REFELA: Advocating for the involvement of more women

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During the World Urban Forum, the Network of Locally Elected Women in Africa (REFELA) advocated for the involvement of women in more decision-making bodies.  Mrs Fatna El Khiel, President of REFELA Morocco insisted on this aspect in her introductory remarks to the session organised by the network under the theme “Role of REFELA of UCLG Africa in the successful implementation of sustainable development objectives (SDGs)”.  During the session, Ms. Khiel presented the 3 REFELA campaigns: “African cities without children on the streets”, sponsored by Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco; “African cities with zero tolerance for violence against women and girls” and the campaign of “African cities for women’s economic empowerment and women’s leadership”.

The local elected women present in Abu Dhabi have shown an interest in REFELA’s actions. Mrs. Bongile Mbingo, Ezulwini City Councillor, (Eswatini , Ex Swaziland) is in charge of setting up the REFELA country chapter in Eswatini. The official launch is hoped for March 2020. The number of women involved in local governance is very low. “There are not enough women elected to municipal councils. Most of them are appointed. In our municipal council we are 02 women out of a total of 10 members,” says Ms. Bongile. This situation can be explained firstly by the fact that women are afraid to go out and campaign. Therefore, she welcomes the existence of REFELA, which presents itself as an excellent platform to learn from other locally elected women on the continent and also as an opening to allow local women elected women of Eswatini to address issues encountered on the ground. For her, the priority REFELA campaign for her country is the “African Cities for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Women’s Leadership”.

Watch her video interview  

“It’s time for women to take power”, Mrs. Soham El Wardini, Mayor of Dakar

The mayor of Dakar, Mrs. Soham El Wardini has appealed to women for their involvement in local governance. “I call on women to get involved in local governance and even in politics. You know that in Africa, it is women who elect men. Why elect people who then leave you stranded? Women are powerful, they run the world. Because everything that men do, it is women who push them to do it. It’s time now for women to take power“.

Watch her video interview below:

African Territorial Agency: What is expected in 2020

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In this year 2020, the implementation process of the Africa Territorial Agency, which is a financial cooperative institution to facilitate the access of African cities and local authorities to the financial market, is following its course. After the meeting of the members of the Agency’s founding club held in November 2019 in Durban (South Africa), the roadmap foresees for this year the holding of two general assemblies.

The first on “Approval of the economic model and risk assessment framework”. The second on “Approval of the institutional structure and internal rules”.

In view of these deadlines, two studies will be launched on the economic model and risk management.  The results of these studies will make it possible to adopt the best model adapted to the realities of African cities and local authorities, taking into account the specificities of each region.

While waiting for these two deadlines, the ATA is being popularized among local authorities and UCLG Africa’s partners. This was the case in Abu Dhabi during the WUF. A working session was held with the African Development Bank (ADB), with whom collaboration on this issue has been underway since the beginning of the process. Notably, during the definition in 2019 of the “Readiness” program which was done with the support of the AfDB to prepare the first candidate communities for the loan, to strengthen their institutional capacities, improve the mobilization of own resources, ensure sound financial management and improve the quality of local public expenditure.

The working session was held in the presence of :   Mr. Léandre Nzué, President of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre ELong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Amadou Oumarou, AfDB Director of Transport and ICT, Mr. Stephan Atchia, Manager of the AfDB Urban Division and Mr. François Paul Yatta, Director of Programmes of UCLG Africa.

As a reminder, the roadmap extends over the period 2019-2022, to reach the first issue and the first loan in 2022. Three key factors support this approach:

– To have cities and territories invested to convince the international financial community;

– Have a sequenced process to guarantee the solidity of the institutional and financial set-up;

– Have States and institutions to sponsor an innovative and ambitious approach.

More information on the Africa Territorial Agency (ATA) : see LEDNA Newsletter here.

Preparation for Africitites 9 and future partnerships

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The World Urban Forum also provided a framework for UCLG Africa to hold working sessions and bilateral meetings.   Thus, an update was given on the preparations for the Africities 9 summit scheduled for 16-20 November 2021 in Kisumu, Kenya. Mr Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu, Mr Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa and Mr Mpho Moruakgomo, President of BALA, UCLG Africa Vice-President for the Southern African region, took part in the exchanges. It was agreed to start the mobilization of local and regional authorities as of now.  The proposed wording for the theme of the summit is: “Implementing Agenda 2063 for real: the role of African intermediate cities”.

The working session with the Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union (AU), Ms. Minata Samaté, focused on the upcoming organization of an African forum on urbanization by the AU. The collaboration of UCLG Africa was requested for this project. UCLG Africa agreed to participate and also proposed that the theme of one of the next AU Heads of State Summits should be “Managing urbanization in the transformation of the continent’s local and regional authorities“.  In this perspective, the African forum on urbanization would be a first step.  The Commissioner was also re-launched on the elaboration of the Charter on Urban Development by CTS No. 8. She gave the assurance of her committee that the latter charter would be drawn up by CTS No. 8 alongside the two existing charters: the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development and the African Charter on Housing and Urban Development.

During his audience on 10 February with General Mahmoud Shaarawy, Minister of Local Development of Egypt, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, proposed the organization in Cairo of an international conference on waste management as part of the celebration of World Cities Day followed by an exhibition fair showing good practices made on the continent.  The Minister took into account the proposal whose feasibility will be studied by his services with a view to a response in March.

The two parties will meet in March in Cairo for the signing of the headquarters agreement for the UCLG Africa office for the North Africa region.

A meeting was also held between UCLG Africa and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for future collaboration on sanitation issues.