Cities Alliance welcomes: Mayor of Dakar, Khalifa Sall, President and Clare Short, Chair of the Management Board.
[Brussels, 8 April 2016] -- The inaugural meeting of the Cities Alliance Assembly meeting which was held in Brussels on 6 and 7 April concluded successfully with the appointment of a new governing body that will lead and shape the Cities Alliance for the next three years.
The Inaugural Assembly meeting was opened on 6 April by outgoing Chair of the interim Management Board, Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, who welcomed and thanked delegates for travelling to Brussels and invited all present to pay homage to the victims of the recent attacks in Brussels, Bamako, Ouagadougou, Grand Bassam and Istanbul.
Anya Sitaram, journalist and broadcaster, and Master of Ceremonies facilitated a panel debate on SDG 11: The Role of Cities for the New Universal Cities Agenda and SDG 17: From the Paris Declaration to the Universal Agenda.
The highlights of the Assembly meeting were the election of new leadership, and new Management Board:
-- Khalifa Sall, Mayor of Dakar and President of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, as President of the Cities Alliance Assembly; and
-- Clare Short, former Member of Parliament and Secretary for International Development (1997-2003) as Chair of the Management Board.
Management Board
The new Management Board has eleven members , drawn from the six constituencies of the Assembly:
Governments:
-- Ghana (Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development)
-- South Africa (National Department of Human Settlements)
-- Switzerland (Swiss State for Economic Affairs)
-- United Kingdom (Department for International Development)
Local authorities:
-- ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
-- United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
Non-governmental organisations:
-- Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI)
-- Slum Dwellers International (SDI)
Private Sector/Foundations:
Omidyar Network
Universities, research centres and knowledge networks:
Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
Multi-lateral organisations:
UN-Habitat
The Cities Alliance Secretariat is led by Director William Cobbett, who welcomed the new governance structures and leadership. The secretariat is based in Brussels, and has some 30 staff members.
Cities Alliance Contact
For more information and interview requests, please contact:
Priscilla Ofori-Amanfo, Cities Alliance Senior Communications Officer
pofori-amanfo@citiesalliance.org / +32 2 880 42 19
+32 2 880 42 19
