Event Overview

• WHAT IS THE AFRICITIES SUMMIT?
• RATIONALE FOR THE AFRICITIES SUMMIT
• MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE AFRICITIES
• ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
• STRUCTURE OF THE EVENT
• THE CITEXPO (EXHIBITION)

WHAT IS THE AFRICITIES SUMMIT?

• The Africities summit is a Platform of political dialogue on decentralization in Africa
• It brings together central and local governments, NGOs, the private sector, research and training institutions as well as MDP partners in the donor and support agencies
• It has been organised every three years since 1998 by the MDP in collaboration with the umbrella local government associations of local governments in Africa (AULA, UVA, and UCLAA) – which are now unifying to form the United cities and Local governments of Africa (UCLGA)
• Africities has been supported by bilateral and multilateral donors

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RATIONALE FOR THE AFRICITIES SUMMIT

• Success in the decentralization process in Africa depends on continuous dialogue between central and local governments in relation to shared powers, functions and resources.
• It also depends on the sharing of experiences at a Pan-African level while keeping a strategic watch on emerging lessons and themes at the international level.

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MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE AFRICITIES

• Deepen the political will for decentralization in Africa through central government support and commitment;
• Strengthen the African Municipal movement
• Promote the advocacy role of local government for their inclusion in national and international fora on issues related to local development
• Provide a forum for a continental exchange of information and good practices between elected local government officials (mayors), technical officials, and local government research and training institutions
• Promote the notion of “think globally act locally”, implying that local solutions are crucial to sustainable development.
• Promote African integration through local-to-local cooperation and networks

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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

• International committees
• Political committee
• Executive committee
• Operational committee
• Local committees and stakeholders discussion groups

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STRUCTURE OF THE EVENT

• The Africities summit is organized over five days. The first two days are devoted to thematic and transversal sessions which offer an opportunity for an in depth exchange on the theme of the Summit.
• The third day of the summit is devoted to special sessions offering to different institutions and networks, which have been working in the area of decentralization and local governments in Africa to showcase their experiences.
• The last two days are devoted to political meetings of UCLGA, the AMCOD and a tripartite dialogue between members of UCLGA and AMCOD and their development partners who are supporting decentralization and local development in Africa.

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THE CITEXPO (EXHIBITION)

Concurrently with the different sessions and meetings, an exhibition (Citexpo) is organised to offer an opportunity to central and local governments, the civil society and the private business sector to exhibit their products and services, and experiences relating to decentralization and local development in Africa.

Africities 4 in Nairobi will be mainly a stakeholders meeting. The intention is to bring all the key players in local governments together in order for them to discuss the best way they can work jointly at the local level towards the implementation of the eight (8) MDGs in African Local Governments.namely:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development