Highlights for Monday, 11 November 2019
Mpho Parks Tau, President of UCLG, and Emilia Sáiz, UCLG Secretary-General, share a moment as the first day of the 2019 UCLG Congress begins.
The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders convened Monday for the first of two days of preparatory sessions, leading up to the official opening of the Summit on Wednesday.At an opening press briefing, the President of UCLG Mpho Parks Tau, Deputy Minister, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, outlined the highlights of the UCLG’s work over the past three years, including input to the New Urban Agenda (Habitat lll). He said the UCLG – a “network of networks” – was at the forefront of mobilization of local government associations. Tau noted significant strides in enhancing the voice of local and regional governments within the UN system, and highlighted the relevance of local inputs on the SDGs, climate change, housing, migration, and local finance.Approximately 20 sessions took place throughout the day, organized around four “Tracks,” as well as the Local4Action Hub, an informal meeting place, and related events organized by themes and constituencies due to take place through the week. The Tracks are:
Assembly Track – Local Action for the People;
Town Hall Track – Cities are Listening;
Local4Action Track – A multi-format collaborative track to facilitate partnerships; and
Statutory Track – A decision-making track for UCLG members, comprising meetings of governing bodies responsible for shaping UCLG policies and work plans.
Following the informal launch of the Local4Action Hub, several events took place in the Summit “Agora” that included sessions on: Mayors for the Future, Cities Panels addressing regional collaboration on multilevel governance and informality, and an enabling environment for local human development, and the launch of the Call to Action after the Marrakesh Mayoral Declaration. A special session on the future of local finance convened in the afternoon.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the #UCLGCongress Durban 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report from the Congress, which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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Local4Action Hub
Participants gather for the Local4Action Hub inaugural celebration.
Jean Baptiste Buffet, UCLG
Emilia Sáiz, UCLG Secretary-General, and Mpho Parks Tau, President of UCLG
Panel speakers for the session 'Mayors for the Future.'
Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayor of Banjul, The Gambia
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, UK
Participants during the session.
Special Session: The Future of Local Finance
Panel speakers during the special session (L-R): Moderator Judy Nkosi, Director, National Treasury, South Africa; Sameh Wahba, Global Director, Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land Global Practice, World Bank; Michel-André Volle, Meridiam; Christel Alvergne, Regional Coordinator West and Central Africa, UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF); Hanitra Raharinjatovo-Rasamison, Director-General, Local Development Fund, Madagascar; Rodica Rossu, Mayor of Telita, Moldova; Mohamed Boudra, Mayor of Al Hoceima, Morocco, and President of the Moroccan Association of Communal Council of Presidents (AMPCC); Ahmed Aziz Diallo, Mayor of Dori, Burkina Faso; Isaac Musumba, Minister for Urban Development, Uganda.
Delegates listen to the presenters during the session.
Local4Action Track
Panel speakers for the session 'Localizing the transformative Agenda: scaling up and out social and solidarity economy and finance' (L-R): Judith Hitchman, President, Urgenci, The International Network for Community Supported Agriculture; Carlos de Freitas, Global Fund For Cities Development (FMDV); Laurence Kwark, Secretary General of the Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF).
Panel speakers for the session 'Delivery of inclusive and sustainable cities - theory and practice using multi-criteria and geospatial tools' (L-R): Ashley Hay, Celiwe Kgowedi, and Mannini Makhele; Gauteng Office of the Premier, South Africa; Irene Josa, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain; and Santiago Uzal, International Congress of Urban Landscapes.
Claudia Baranzelli, European Commission
Edgardo Bilsky, UCLG
Panel speakers for the session 'Shaping resilient cities' (L-R): Craig Laird, UN-Habitat; Rene Peter Hohmann, Cities Alliance Secretariat, UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS); Vinesh Chintaram, Secretary General, African Union of Architects; Fatimatou Abdel Malick, President of Nouakchott Regional Council, Mauritania; Najat Zarrouk, Director, ALGA; Sikhumbuzo Mtembu, Deputy President, South African Institute of Architects; and Mzwandile Masina, Executive Mayor, City of Ekurhuleni, South Africa.
Participants gather for the session 'Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) - building blocks for a community of practice.'
Panel speakers during the session 'Community of pactice on local finance: the landscape of urban transition financing.'
Mannini Makhele; Gauteng Office of the Premier, South Africa
Santiago Uzal, International Congress of Urban Landscapes
Ronald Wall, University of Witswatersrand, South Africa
Changhee Lee, Seoul Metroplitan Government, South Korea
Ibticem Atitallah Regaieg, Deputy Major of Sfax city, Tunisia; Christopher Kang’ombe, Mayor of Kitwe, and President, Local Government Association of Zambia; and Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, UCLG Africa, during the session on 'Young African local elected offficials facing the challenges of territorial governance.'
Panel speakers for the session 'Cities at the center: how 'state of cities' reports influence urban policy and governance' (L-R): Ronald Wall, University of Witswatersrand, South Africa; Mbali Hlophe, Gauteng Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Arts and Culture, South Africa; Beryl Mphakathi, Deputy City Manager, eThekwini Municipality; and Mzwandile Masina, City of Ekurhuleni, South Africa.
Sofia Moschin, Italian Youth Delegate, speaks during the session 'Raising awareness on youth.'
Town Hall Track
Participants gather for the preparatory meeting of the Town Hall Track.
Eugenie Birch, University of Pennsylvania, US
Federico Batista Poitier, World Enabled
Massima Perrino, UCLG
Emilia Sáiz, UCLG Secretary-General
Participants gather for a family photo showing that "Cities Are Listening."
Around the Venue
Media Briefing on the UCLG Congress and World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders (L-R): Mxolisi Kaunda, Executive Mayor eThekwini Municipality, South Africa; Sebenzile Ngangelizwe, Deputy President, South African Local Government Association (SALGA); Mpho Parks Tau, President of UCLG; and Emilia Sáiz, UCLG Secretary-General.
Participants network between sessions.
Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayor of Banjul, The Gambia (L), speaks with a delegate.
Delegates between sessions.
