The umbrella organization United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) has called for massive participation in the launch of the celebration of Rabat, African Capital of Culture, scheduled for January 2022.
The call was launched during the 26th session of the Executive Committee and the annual session of the Pan-African Council of UCLG Africa, recently held in Rabat, said Friday the continental organization of local governments in a statement.
“I am counting on your support to accomplish the exhilarating task of presiding our continental organization of local governments, at a time when (our organization) must ensure that the local authorities of Africa play their role during the major events that will take place in 2022, namely: the celebration of Rabat, African Capital of Culture, the launch of which should take place on January 24, 2022,” president of UCLG Africa and mayor of Libreville (Gabon), Christine Mba Ndutume Mihindou, was quoted as saying in the statement.
The Organizing Committee of African Capitals of Culture had postponed the official launch of the celebration of Rabat, African Capital of Culture, initially scheduled for March 26, 2020, to a later date due to COVID-19 pandemic.
She also reiterated her commitment to serve the organization and to mobilize all energies “so that we can together meet the challenges of African local governments,” and expressed thanks for the constant support that King Mohammed VI has always provided to the organization.
Christine Mba Ndutume Mihindou, who chaired the meetings of the two bodies, urged the elected officials to mobilize for the other major events of 2022, including the Round Table of Mayors on African participation in Water Governance, within the framework of the 9th World Water Forum scheduled to take place from March 22 to March 26, 2022 in Dakar, Senegal; the 9th edition of the Africities Summit to be held from May 17 to May 21, 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya, the 7th UCLG World Congress to be held from October 10 to October 14, 2022 in Daejeon, South Korea, and the COP27 scheduled to take place in Egypt in November 2022.
“We must ensure a physical presence of the greatest number of our members at these various events, and I am counting on you to mobilize them in the different regions of the continent,” she said to the delegates.
At the opening of the executive committee, Asmaa Rhlalou, mayor of Rabat, stressed that “as the first woman elected mayor of the Moroccan capital city, I would have liked this meeting to be held face-to-face so that you can discover the achievements and projects that King Mohammed VI has launched through the project of Rabat, City of lights, Cultural capital of Morocco.”
This meeting is “an opportunity for an exchange of expertise and an efficient implementation of the decentralized cooperation that our organization UCLG Africa seeks to establish,” she added.
During these meetings, the Executive Committee approved the activity report of the General Secretariat for the period from June to November 2021 and adopted the 2022 budget and work plan of UCLG Africa.