Before 1998 there were three continental local government associations in Africa:

•  African Union of Local Authorities (AULA) – Predominantly Anglophone

•  Union des Villes Africaines (UVA) – Largely Francophone

•  Uniao dos Ciudades y Capitaes Lusofono Africana (UCCLA) – Solely Lusophone

 In 1998, at the First (1st) Africities Summit in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, a resolution was taken to establish a Pan-African association of local government to overcome the colonial legacy of language and cultural barriers.  In 2000, at the Second (2nd) Africities Summit held in Windhoek, Namibia, the decision of the 1st Africities Summit was endorsed.  In 2003, at the Third (3rd) Africities Summit in Yaounde, Cameroon, an interim executive committee was established to drive the unification process.

 On the 18^th of May, 2005, the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) was formally founded in the City of Tshwane, South Africa.  

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Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa (South Africa) was unanimously elected Inaugural President, and Messrs  Baver Dzeremo (West Africa), Hugues Ngouelondele (Central Africa), Eneas Comiche (Southern Africa), Augustin Kampayana (East Africa), and Omar El Bahraoui (North Africa) were unanimously elected Inaugural Vice-Presidents.  Mr Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi (Cameroon) was subsequently unanimously appointed Inaugural Secretary General of the organisation.

The UCLGA has the following categories of members:

• Active members

• Associate members

• Honorary members

Active membership is open to:

1. National associations of local government

2. Individual local governments

Associate membership is open to:

Persons or entities, other than local governments, who satisfy the Executive Committee of their concern with or involvement in local government matters

Honorary membership is accorded by resolution of the Executive Committee to:

Persons or entities who have rendered distinguished service to the cause of the UCLGA or to democratic local government in Africa.  The first honorary membership of the UCLGA has been given to Mr Joaquim Chissano, former President of the Republic of Mozambique, in recognition of his support of the African local government unification process during his stint as Chairman of the African Union.

The UCLGA is structured as follows:

1.  Council: All members of the UCLGA through duly appointed representatives

2.  The Presidency (All elected): President and Five Vice-Presidents as follows:

3.  Southern, Northern, Eastern, Western and Central African Regions

4.  Executive Committee (All elected): The Presidency and Ten (10) Members Made up of Two (2)       Representatives per Region

 General Secretariat (All appointed): Secretary General and Administrative Staff

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MISSION

 The mission of the UCLGA is to:

•  Unite African local government

•  Establish local government as a distinct sphere of government

•  Promote sharing of human and intellectual capital and other resources in African local government

•  Empower African local government through research, training and development

•  Pursue sustainable development with institutions, structures and programmes of the same mission

VISION 

The vision of the UCLGA is: 

Building African Unity from and Driving Development through the Grassroots

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VALUES 

The values of the organization are: 

• Respect for human rights and freedoms

• Gender equality

•   Respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance

•  Social justice for balanced economic development

•  Friendly and cooperative engagement and relations amongst members

•  Adherence to the traditional values of brotherhood and community of spirit and purpose

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The UCLGA is important for the following reasons:

• Colonial geographic, ethnic, linguistic and cultural barriers have been undermined in the interests of continental unity and development on the ground

• Africa has a single local government voice and representation continentally and globally

• The African Union, NEPAD and national and provincial/regional governments have a local government partner through which they can reach local communities for effective development and service delivery

• Local government can be recognised and respected as a distinct sphere of government on the continent

• Local development can literally be undertaken by communities and neighbourhoods at their own level

• Development aid, donor funding and other multilateral organisations and agencies have a one-stop structure with which to collaborate in supporting local communities in Africa

• Development support and the deployment of resources aimed at the grassroots can be rationalised, streamlined and coordinated according to need

• Wasteful duplication can be avoided

• Resources, in every form, can be shared and best practices replicated continentally 

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The goals and aims of the UCLGA are:

• Decentralisation of some development responsibilities, powers, authority and resources to local governments

• Development of tools to make decentralisation effective

• Representing African local government in relations with continental and world political and economic development organisations

• Ensuring local delivery of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

• Ensuring African local government support for the NEPAD Programme

The UCLGA has adopted the following as its priority areas: 

•Corporate Organisational Establishment and Development

•Human Capital Development, Capacity     Building and Intellectual Exchange

•Local Economic Development

•Basic Services

•Culture, Identity and Development

•Decentralisation and Devolution of Authority and Responsibility

•Public Participation and Local Democracy

•Funding and Finance

•Health and Social Wellbeing of Local Communities

•Promotion of Equality and the Mainstreaming of Gender, Youth and Disability Issues

•International Relations

•Environmental Sustainability

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In the short to medium term the UCLGA will be striving for the following:

• Securing recognition, by the African Union, as representative of local government in Africa

• Securing constitutional recognition for local government as a distinct but subsidiary sphere of government in Africa

• Completing the process of establishing the organisation infrastructurally with own staff, headquarters, Presidential and Vice-Presidential Offices, Regional Offices and Programme of Action

• Ensuring adequate resourcing, from membership dues and other financial and related support, to turn the organisation into an effective machinery capable of delivering on its mission and mandate 

• Empowering member municipalities and associations to operate as professional entities which:

1. Enjoy the confidence of funders

2. Attract investment, and

3. Deliver on their mandate to improve their countries at the local level and contribute to their  regions’ development

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