Africities 2012 kicks off with high level opening plenary in Dakar, Senegal
2012/04/2012

With an encompassing theme of “Building Africa from its territories: What challenges for local Governments” Africities 6 Summit opened 4 December 2012 to an unprecedented number of delegates in Dakar, Senegal.

In attendance were protagonists of the African local life and their partners from other regions of the world amongst which included former heads of state, ministers of local governments and ministers in charge of environment and sustainable development portfolios, political and technical personnel from local authorities, central and local administration representatives, civil society organisations, professional associations, trade unions and international cooperation agencies amongst others.

Running parallel to the Summit is the Africities Exhibition which provides the opportunity to public and private institutions, civil society and international solidarity organisations as well as local governments and their associations to showcase their products, tools, methods, experiments to the participants.

Key statements from the opening plenary

Mayor Khalifa Sall – Mayor of Senegal, Dakar
“The central theme of this year’s summit “Building Africa from its territories gives us a chance to reflect on the past and try to see where the continent is heading and thus think how African nations working closely with sub national and local governments can accelerate progress into a future that complies with the vision that Africans will set for themselves.”

Mayor  Bertrand Dalanoe – UCLG Honorary President
”…The 21st century is a complicated but wonderful time as it presents great opportunities to become innovative... Cities are critical in contributing to the development debates. The contact that people make when they demand for adequate service delivery is the mayor. The century should be built upon local democracy and local solidarity to improve health, education, culture. This social progress should be dedicated to the youth as they deserve to benefit from so much of Africa‘s renaissance. Africities 6 brings a message of peace in Africa and across the whole world... The soil of Africa, the soil of youth, the soil of hope on the move. I am confident that local governments will play a decisive role in the development trajectory on Africa and the globe”.

Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda-co President UCLG
“Local leaders need to be involved from the onset of discussions of the global development agenda. Local commitments need to be upscaled to a global level to ensure success and sustainable development on the globe... 2015 Development Agenda needs to focus on the critical MDGs as time if fast running out. There is need for a redesigned architecture of decentralization... One that has better defined responsibilities and commensurate resources to address these. In many cases, cities are the economic hub for the generation of GDP of the country so there are great opportunities for cities to become independent and generate their own resources instead of relying on the central government for funding”

Joan Cloas Executive Director UN Habitat
“Urbanisation needs to be supported by sound regulation, policy and resources Africities will be the platform to unpack and discuss a very specific discourse of harnessing the potential of urbanization. There is need to identify better organized mechanisms and interventions for cities to become independent... I challenge all to harness the potential of urbanization into the future through an empowered and consolidated local governance system. UN-Habitat stands committed to support you all the way...