On October 31, 2022, was held in Tangier, the Constitutive Assembly of the Network of Young Elected Local Officials of Africa of its acronym “YELO”.
32 Young Elected Local Officials of Africa representing 24 countries of the five regions of the continent took part in the work of this assembly, which had for main objective the election of the leaders of the governing bodies of YELO.
The meeting was officially opened by the speeches of: Mr. Mounir Laymouri, President of the Communal Council of Tangier and President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Communal Councils (AMPCC) and Mr. Abdelilah Idrissi Bouzidi, Vice-President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Communal Councils (AMPCC).
“Tangier has always been a place marking founding and major initiatives taken by United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), with the aim of strengthening the participation of local elected officials in the development process of Africa, and the development of mechanisms to improve communication, cooperation and solidarity of local elected officials in order to achieve the desired goals. Indeed, it is here in Tangier, that we witnessed the birth of the Network of Local Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) in 2011. Today, we meet again in Tangier for this constitutive General Assembly of the Network of Young Elected Local Officials of Africa (YELO),” said the President of the AMPCC, Mr. Mounir Laymouri.
This opening ceremony was followed by an exchange of one hour between the members of YELO and the Secretary General of UCLG Africa. In a frank debate with the young local elected representatives present, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa, invited the new generation to do better than their elders. Both on the themes of climate, economic integration and the elimination of frontiers to promote the emergence of a united Africa.
The meeting then focused on the election of the leaders of YELO's governance bodies, namely the 45 members of YELO's Pan-African Council (9 members for each of the 5 African regions); the 15 members of YELO's Bureau (3 for each of the 5 African regions); and the 5 members of YELO's Presidency (1 Vice President for each of the 5 African regions)
The following members were elected to the YELO Presidency:
1. City of Dakhla, Morocco, represented by its Mayor Mr. Hormatallah ERRAGHEB, YELO Vice-President for North Africa
2. Lere Local Government, Nigeria, represented by its President, Mr. Buba Abubakar, YELO Vice President for West Africa
3. City of Owendo, Gabon, represented by its Mayor, Mrs. Antoinette De London ATAYI MEPAS, YELO Vice President for Central Africa
4. Hima Council, Uganda, represented by its Mayor, Mrs. Hilda Maate BUSINGE, YELO Vice President for East Africa
5. Chipata City, Zambia, represented by its Mayor, Mr. George MWANZA, YELO Vice President for East Africa.
Unanimously, the members of the YELO Presidency appointed Mr. Hormatallah ERRAGHEB, Mayor of Dakhla in Morocco, as the first President of YELO for a 3-year term.
The first elected president of the Network promised to demonstrate and implement a collaborative governance in order to carry high the voice of new generation. “Thank you for your confidence, I see myself as a coordinator of the new presidency of YELO. From today, we will talk about the future of Africa by integrating the vision of young people at the grassroots, “said Hormatallah ERRAGHEB.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).
PJ:
Video Highlight of The AG: (https://bit.ly/3FzEm0R)
Album Photo: (https://bit.ly/3Wi3fUS)
For the list of the members of the Pan-African Council and the Bureau of YELO, and any other information, please contact:
Gaëlle Yomi:
Tel: + 212 610 56 71 45
E-mail: gyomi@uclga.org
YELO is the UCLG Africa network of Young elected Local officials from African local governments aged 35 years or less at the time of their membership, set up to represent the perspective and voice of young people in the governance of public affairs in African cities and territories. YELO aims to build the capacity of its members, organize peer learning and disseminate good practices among young elected officials of local and territorial governments in Africa. YELO would like to contribute to the effective achievement of the sustainable development goals promoted by the United Nations Agenda 2030; and to the emergence of Africa that we want promoted by the African Union Agenda 2063.
About UCLG Africa:
United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is the umbrella organization of local authorities in Africa whose founding congress took place in 2005 in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. UCLG Africa stems from the unification of three continental groupings of local governments following the official language inherited from the colonial period, namely: the African Union of Local Authorities (AULA), mainly English-speaking; the Union of African Cities (UVA), essentially French-speaking; and the Africa chapter of the União das Cidades e Capitais Lusófonas Africanas, Americanas e Asiáticas (UCCLA), mainly Portuguese-speaking. UCLG Africa currently brings together the 51 national associations of local governments operating in Africa as well as 2,000 cities and territories with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Through its members UCLG Africa represents more than 350 million African citizens. A founding member of the world organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), UCLG Africa is its regional chapter for Africa. The general secretariat of the organization is established in Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, where UCLG Africa enjoys diplomatic status as an International Pan-African organization. UCLG Africa is also represented in the five regions of Africa through regional offices. based: in Cairo, Egypt, for the North Africa Region; in Accra, Ghana, for the West Africa Region; in Libreville, Gabon, for the Central Africa Region; in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Eastern Africa Region; and in Pretoria, South Africa, for the Southern Africa Region.
