The exchange of information and experiences between cities around the world is among the objectives of the first meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) executive committee, which started yesterday (06) in São Paulo, and will go on until tomorrow. The organization represents 100,000 cities on all continents.
In all, representatives from 106 cities are participating in the event at Blue Tree Convention Center on Ibirapuera avenue, among them the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoí«; of Pretoria, South Africa, Smangaliso Mkhatswa; Barcelona, Joan Clos; Buenos Aires, Aníbal Ibarra, and the Tunis director of Urbanism, Rafik Aouali.
The mayor of the city of São Paulo, Marta Suplicy, is the president of the organization, established in May, in Paris, after three international municipal organizations, the World Federation of United Cities (FMCU-UTO), the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), and Metropolis, an institution that includes cities with over one million inhabitants, merged.
One of the main themes to be discussed in the meeting, which will really begin today, as the meetings yesterday were technical, will be the approval of a work plan for the organization.
Such a project, according to Jakobsen, will include multilateral technical assistance in areas like administrative decentralization (implementation of sub city-halls, for example), public policies and administrative management.
“This should involve themes like the exchange of experience, training courses for administrators, and promotion of participative democracy, and efforts turned to the fight against poverty,” stated the secretary.
As an example, Tunisian Rafik Aouali mentioned the establishment of policies in the areas of hygiene and health, developed in Tunis, to be applied to other cities in Africa.
He added that one of the organization’s main ideas is promotion of democracy. “Democracy is the main idea, it must be improved,” he said. Aouali is representing Tunis mayor Abbas Mohsen, who has already been the Tunisian ambassador in Brazil.
UN Resolution
Another important item to be discussed will be the approval of a text to be sent to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
The fact is that cities want to be recognized by the UN as formal government spheres.
“More and more social policies, that used to be the responsibility of countries or provinces (states), have been transferred to cities. In some countries, even the payment of unemployment benefits are in the hands of the cities,” stated Jakobsen.
Apart from that, he also added that nowadays over 50% of the world population lives in urban areas, representing greater responsibility and representation for cities.
“We want recognition so as to be able to talk to institutions like the World Bank (IBRD) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) about public policies for cities that must also be debated,” declared the secretary.
“Nowadays, an IBRD loan for a specific city must be approved by the country. If the country government does not accept it, the loan is not made,” he added.
With formal recognition of cities, the UCLG intends to request, starting next year, a “part time” participation in the UN General Assembly so as to discuss the Millennium Goals.
The Millennium Declaration, approved by the UN in 2000, forecasts the reduction of world poverty to half the figure at the time by 2015. In 2005 the advances reached after five years will be debated.
“Cities have greater chances of stating how this has advanced,” stated Jakobsen. “The UCLG is the link between this base, cities, and the United Nations,” added Aouali.
Lebanon-Brazil Connection
The city hall of São Paulo, Brazil, intends to donate a piece of land so that Lebanese businessmen can build the House of Lebanon in Brazil, following the example of the Lebanese government last year, when it donated a piece of land for construction of the House of Brazil in Beirut.
The idea, according to the São Paulo city secretary for Foreign Relations, Kjeld Jakobsen, is to establish a Lebanese business and culture center. The same should be done by Brazilian businessmen in Lebanon, but, despite the donation of a piece of land, the project has not yet been executed.
According to Jakobsen, the piece of land for donation in São Paulo is being selected, and one in the Vila Mariana neighborhood, in the southern region of the city, is being considered.
It may be donated by the end of the month. Conclusion of the project, in his evaluation, should take around six months, and the construction itself, around two years.
“We already have a process to bring us closer to the Beirut city hall, and it involves, for example, the exchange of information regarding recovery of historical centers,” stated the secretary.
ANBA – Brazil-Arab News Agency