Namibia National Mayor’s Forum Annual General Meeting

2011/08/24

The conference was co-hosted by the Municipality of Walvis Bay, in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Africa, UN-Habitat and the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project (NACOMA).

The event was aimed at providing a platform for interested parties to exchange ideas and strengthen understanding and engagement around key issues pertaining to sustainable development and economic growth within a changing climate.

The event has served as a key preparatory opportunity for Namibia’s local authorities and their partners for participation and representation at the United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention Conference of the Parties 17 (UNFCCC COP17/CMP7), to be hosted by the City of Durban in South Africa in November/December 2011.

The UNFCCC COP17/CMP7 is a two week event which will draw political leaders from the nations of the world to come together to agree and commit towards binding targets and actions to be taken in the fight against climate change.

During the first day of the conference, introductions and welcoming speeches were presented by a range of high level representatives, starting with a welcoming from Honourable Mayor of Walvis Bay, Mr Derek Klazen.

In his welcoming speech he commended ICLEI – Local Governments for sustainability and UN-Habitat for their on-going and tireless efforts towards assisting Namibian local authorities to be prepared for the plights associated with climate change.

The CEOs of the Namibian local authorities attended a parallel technical training session that included presentations and discussions pertaining to, amongst other things, costal policies, demonstrations of the use of local climate data and the role of different governance levels and the effect of decentralisation.

The second day focused on the African Mayoral Climate Change Declaration, where the commitments and requests upon the UNFCCC were thoroughly discussed with an idea of the implications for Namibian local authorities.

The conference wrapped up with a closing session during which Namibian Mayors were invited by the hosting Mayor, His worship, the Mayor of Walvis Bay Municipality, to sign and endorse the AMCCD. A total of 31 Namibian Mayors came forward and signed their personal endorsement of this continental initiative -a comprehensive list can be made available by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, upon request.

Download presentations from the AMCCD Congress

A more detailed report of the AMCCD.