eThekwini Municipality-City to participate in The United Cities & Local Government World Summit and Habitate III RSS eThekwini Municipality-City to participate in The United Cities & Local Government World Summit and Habitat III2016-09-30 EThekwini Municipality is set to participate in the United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) Summit in Bogota, Columbia from 12-15 October 2016 and Habitat III from 17-20 October 2016 in Ecuador.
The City is affiliated to UCLG which is the association of cities and towns in the world for local government to have a voice at a global level. One of the key agenda items at the UCLG Summit is the appointment of new office bearers and the vote of Mayor Zandile Gumede will be of great importance in this regard. Gumede said: "The City always welcomes initiatives that contribute to social and economic growth which strengthens our bargaining power in the international arena." The UCLG and Habitat III will be held consecutively with the latter taking place from 17 to 20 October 2016 in Quito, Ecuador. Habitat III is focused on sustainable goals 2030 and it is important for Council in its five year term to incorporate Habitat III resolutions in its activities. UCLG outcomes will inform negotiations at Habitat III therefore these two events are interrelated. EThekwini Municipality is set to act as Secretariat for the African Forum for Urban Safety (AFUS). Chairperson of the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Mondli Mthembu is also expected to participate in the summit in order to get a better understand of the concept of the urban agenda and related matters. The City views this summit as an opportunity for local government leaders to determine a negotiating position for local and regional authorities. Gumede in her capacity as the Chairperson and Secretariat of AFUS and Co-Chair of Global Network on Safer Cites is set to put the City on the map by presenting some of its flagship programmes aimed at addressing issues threatening urban safety. The Municipal Safer Cites Programme will be showcased as an example of how local government has taken an active lead in crime prevention without relying on funding from provincial or national government. As the permanent Chair and Secretariat of AFUS, eThekwini Municipality has been given a continental role which is endorsed by United Cities and Local Governments - Africa to undertake the following amongst the key strategic areas: • Creation of network of cities on Crime Prevention and Safety, • Facilitation of city peer to peer collaboration; • Promote documentation and sharing of promising lesson on the implementation of crime prevention and safety, • Support the mainstreaming of safety as the core pillar for service delivery within cities in Africa, • Advocate for provincial, national and global parties of cities as complementary partners in the implementation of crime prevention and safety, and • Facilitate learning among cities to enhance capacity for implementation of crime prevention and safety. EThekwini Municipality was elected to lead AFUS, as the structure for local government by local government based on its illustrative example on the implementation and mainstreaming of its Safer Cities programme. The City will also to lead focus discussions on safety and crime prevention and prepare recommendations that will be incorporated into the Habitat III resolutions. Ends Issued by the eThekwini Municipality's Head of Communications, Tozi Mthethwa. For more information contact Gugu Sisilana on 031 311 4855 or email: gugu.mbonambi@durban.gov.za or Princess Nkabane on 031 311 4818 or email princess.nkabane@durban.gov.za |
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