From October 25 to 26, 2021, the pan-African organization, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), is holding its regional caucus for the Central Africa region in Libreville, Gabon.
The Gabonese capital is home to the first of a series of regional caucuses organised in preparation for the 9th Africities Summit from May 17 to 21, 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya, within the framework of which the elective general assembly of UCLG Africa will take place on May 20, 2022.
Other regional caucuses are planned in Luxor, Egypt, from November 1 to 2, 2021, for North Africa; in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 30 and December 1, 2021, for East Africa; in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from December 13 to 14, 2021 for West Africa; and in Pretoria, South Africa (dates to be defined) for Southern Africa.
The Libreville meeting will allow the local authorities of the Central Africa region to nominate their candidates to the various political bodies of UCLG Africa. Each region must nominate: nine candidates among the 45 members of the Pan-African Council elected by the general assembly, three candidates among the 15 members of the Executive Committee, one candidate among the five members of the Financial Management Commission, and one Vice President among the five members of the Presidency, all elected by the Pan-African Council, and possibly one candidate for the position of President of UCLG Africa elected by the Pan-African Council from among the members of the Presidency.
The caucus also involves the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) and the Network of Locally Elected Youth of Africa (YELO) whose general assemblies will also take place during the Africities Summit in Kisumu, Kenya.
The official opening of the meeting will be chaired by His Excellency the Minister of State, Minister of the Interior of Gabon, in the presence of:
- Mr. Mathias Otounga Ossibadjouo, Minister of Local Governance, Development, and Territorial Planning of Gabon,
- Ms. Rosario BENTO PAIS, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Gabon, São Tome and Príncipe and of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS),
- Mrs. Christine Mba Ndutume, Vice-President of the Region, President of UCLG Africa, and
- Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi , Secretary General of UCLG Africa.
The meeting will be held in the presence of the presidents of national associations of local authorities, of leaders of the Network of Local Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), of young local elected officials, of and permanent secretaries of national associations of local authorities.
