Kenya To Host
The 4th UCLGA Executive Committee Meeting
The Association of Local Government Authorities of Kenya (ALGAK), the City
of Nairobi and the Ministry of Local Government in Kenya will be hosting
the 4th UCLGA Executive Committee and Africities 2006 Political
Committee meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, from 18 - 20 April 2006.
This follows a postponement of the UCLGA Exco meeting which was
initially meant to be held in Brazzaville, Congo on 30 - 31 March 2006
due to unforeseen, urgent political commitments encountered by the UCLGA
Vice President, Central African region.
The Exco will also sit as the Africities Political Committee to ensure
that political preparations for the Africities 2006 Summit scheduled to
be held in September 2006 in the City of Nairobi are on track.
The UCLG Executive Bureau Meeting - Washington
D.C. 8 - 10 February 2006
From 8-10 February, the members of the United Cities and Local Governments Executive Bureau convened in Washington
DC at the invitation of Anthony Williams, Mayor of Washington and past President of the National League of Cities (NLC).
The discussions focused on the relations between local governments and
their central governments. Commenting in a session on this topic, the
Mayor of Washington, Anthony Williams, said: "We are seeing our
financial and tax autonomy decrease whilst at the same time the demands
and needs of our citizens are increasing."
The other major topic of the Washington
meeting was city financing, and programmes for municipal investment in
particular. During a meeting with World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz,
UCLG representatives underlined the need for the World Bank to
decentralize its actions to directly benefit cities (currently their
actions focus mainly on states). Such a move would take into account a
crucial reality, namely that cities provide services for 50% of the
world’s population and in the future will be called on to serve an
ever greater number of citizens.
...Read
full report
UCLGA Elects New Executive
Fr Smangaliso
Mkhatshwa, former Executive mayor of
the City of Tshwane, South Africa, was unanimously elected
president of UCLGA during Founding
Congress that was held from May 15 to 18,2005. The five vice presidents,
to head each of the five regions are; Mr. Omar Bahraoui, Mayor, City of Rabat & President
of the National Association of Local Authorities in Morocco- Vice
President, UCLGA Northern Africa region; Mr. Eneas Comiche Mayor, City of Maputo & President, National Association
of Local Authorities of Mozambique - Vice President, UCLGA Southern
Africa region; Mr. Augustin Kampayana Mayor, Nyarugenge District, Kigali
& President, Rwandese Association of Local Authorities (RALGA) - Vice President, UCLGA Eastern Africa
region; Mr. Hugues Ngouelondele.
Mayor, City of Brazzaville & President of the Association of Mayors of
Congo (AMC) - Vice President, UCLGA Central African region
and Mr. Baver Dzeremo. Executive Chairman, Tarka Local Government Council &
National President, Association of Local Government Authorities of Nigeria
(ALGON) - Vice President, UCLGA West African region.
Mr Jean Pierre
Elong Mbassi, from Cameroon was unanimously nominated General
Secretary of the UCLGA.
Click here to see the full list UCLGA Executive bureau
UCLGA CLINCHES KEY STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
The UCLGA operations are expected to continue at an even larger
scale as new, strategic partners come on board.
These are First National Bank of South Africa (FNB),
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM),
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),
and the Cities Alliance of the World Bank.
FNB has made available offices to the UCLGA where the Offices of the UCLGA
President and the Interim Secretariat of the UCLGA will be based. FCM has committed to the establishment
phase of the organization (March 2006 – March 2007), and longer term
funding through the Africa Local Government Programme (ALGP).
CIDA is working with the UCLGA towards long term funding of local government development projects.
CIDA will also be hosting a fund-raising side event in partnership with the
UCLGA at the World Urban Forum due to be held in Vancouver, Canada.
Meanwhile UCLGA is also finalizing its partnership with the Cities
Alliance of the World Bank which has an Africa Fund Facility for
Slum Upgrading activities in Africa
...read
full report
Mission by the Chinese Friendship Association with African
Countries
A mission of a Chinese delegation will be visiting the City of Tshwane,
South Africa; Zimbabwe and Kenya in order to explore areas of
partnership with the UCLGA members in the areas of public health, trade,
tourism, and culture. The delegation will be received by the UCLGA President, Father Smangaliso
Mkhatshwa at the end of May 2006.
Africa to Participate in the
4th World Water Forum, Mexico City
The UCLGA will be represented at the forthcoming World water Forum
which will be held in Mexico City from 16 – 22 March 2006.
The theme for this 4th edition is “Local Actions for
a Global Change”. The UCLGA Secretariat is currently mobilising African Mayors to be strongly
represented on “Local Government Day” which will be on 21st
March 2006. The President of
the UCLGA, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa will be leading the African
delegation of Mayors, and he has already made input into the theme of
financing water in Africa. His input can be viewed on
the following link: (PAPER ATTACHED)
Water paper
UCLGA Gears up for the World Urban Forum, Vancouver,
Canada, 19 – 23 June 2006
UCLGA will be strongly represented and will actively participate in the forthcoming World Urban
Forum (WUF) scheduled to take place in Vancouver, Canada from 19 to 23 June 2006.
UCLGA, in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), will be
holding a side event to sell its strategy and source funding from the
donor community which will be present at WUF
