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