The Secretariats of Cities Alliance, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and Metropolis met at the headquarters of the UCLG of Africa (UCLGA) in Rabat, Morocco in January to strategise and develop their 2012 Joint Work Programmes (JWP). UCLG is the permanent Chair of the Executive Committee of Cities Alliance. Along with Metropolis, UCLG represents local authorities’ interest in the governing bodies.
The planning meeting centered around discussions on strengthening the role of cities in the Alliance’s activities and increasing cities’ capacities to face the challenges of urbanisation. Some of the specific issues raised at the meeting include:
- A review of the implications of the implementation of the new Cities Alliance Charter and business model emphasizing the central role of cities and local authorities in the programme.
- The role of Local Government Associations in the design and implementation of country programmes.
- Instruments to support the Cities Alliance in further engaging local authorities and their associations, such as the development of City Enabling Environment Indicators and making the Catalytic Fund more responsive to cities and association needs.
For 2012, UCLG proposed to prioritise activities to support local leadership on urban development in Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA regions, complemented by a portfolio of other activities. These activities will be planned around three ‘pillars’: city-to-city exchange, advocacy and knowledge creation and dissemination. The objectives for 2012 are:
- To support local authorities and their associations, particularly in SSA/MENA, to place urban development at the forefront of the policy agenda of national, regional and international institutions.
- To strengthen mayors’ and city managers’ capacity to develop and implement sustainable and pro-poor urban policies.
- To strengthen partnerships between African and Middle East cities and their local government partners from other regions to improve the quality and performance of urban development cooperation.
- To organise advocacy activities before the international community to highlight the concerns and commitments of local and regional authorities.
- To create a structured dialogue with Cities Alliance members on issues related to partnership activities.
