What are the Africities Summits?

 The Africities Summits organized every three years alternately in the different regions of Africa are a World Event. They constitute a highlight of the impetus given to the decentralization process in Africa, and to the reflection on the place and role of local governments in the governance and development of African countries. They constitute a special moment for the evaluation of the implementation of cooperation policies and programs in the area of decentralization.  

Besides, the Africities Summits constitute a unique opportunity for the deployment of the diplomacy of cities and regional/ local governments, which aims at completing, indeed even humanizing relations between central governments.  The achievements of city diplomacy are today acknowledged:  opening of dialogues between the local governments and the people of countries in conflict, in order to give a greater chance to peace rebuilding, strengthening of ties between communities through programs of decentralized cooperation or cross-border cooperation, in order to create a conducive climate for concord between the people;  concerted management of migrations and prevention of conflicts linked to the movement of the people, etc.  The National Associations of Regional and Local Governments are a key stakeholder in city diplomacy because they offer to the latter the opportunity to be expressed with a single voice and to have thus a structured dialogue with the other stakeholders, notably with the representatives of the central governments. The diplomacy of cities and regional/ local governments now enjoys a renewed vigor at the world level, since the setting up in 2004 of the world organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)  and at the continental level, since the creation in 2005, of the Pan-African organization of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA).  The integration of regional and local governments as well as of their associations into these organizations offers them the opportunity to be members of a prime network, present in all continents, and within which numerous cooperation, partnership, training and experience exchange opportunities may be developed in all governance areas of local and regional governments.

The organization of the Africities Summits is spread over five days (a week) and regroups between 3500 and 5000 participants representing all the stakeholders of local life: ministers in charge of local governments and ministers whose portfolio covers the central theme of the Summit, regional and local authorities; officials of central, regional and local administrations;  civil society organizations; operators of the private and public sectors; researchers and academics, international cooperation agencies.  An international Exhibition of African Regional and Local Governments, the Citexpo is associated with the Africities Summits. The Citexpo Exhibition accommodates generally between 300 and 500 Exhibitors, and offers to the different stakeholders the opportunity to exhibit their tools, products and experiences relating to the central theme of the Summit.

Contacts : secretariat@africites.org