More than 1,000 participants and 300 delegates attended the meeting gathering local governments in favour of another possible world.
The Local Authorities of the FAL have praised the current situation of political change in the peoples of Africa and the Maghreb where, as stated in the final declaration, citizens are "taking control of their destiny, and appreciate their will to change and their struggle in favour of democracy and citizen rights", in reference to the citizen uprising in Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia.
The 9th Assembly of the FAL started with the opening plenary session, chaired by Abdoulaye WADE, President of the Republic of Senegal, and with the presence of Khalifa SALL, Mayor of the host city; Miguel Esteban Martín, Vice-president of FAMSI and of the Provincial Government of Malaga; Gilberto Carvalho, Chief Minister of the General Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil; Jean Pierre Elong, Secretary General of UCLG Africa; Jorge Toledo, Ambassador of Spain in Senegal; Sara Hernández Barroso, as representative of the Forum of Peripheral Local Authorities; and the International Coordinator of ART UNDP, Giovanni Camillieri.
During the closing session, Miguel Esteban Martín, Vice-president of FAMSI for the World Social Forum and the FAL, focused on the alliance of the Network with social movements, the core of the network itself. "We are the strong alliance of social movements willing to promote North-South and South-South cooperation processes" and insisted "if the FAL Networks becomes stronger, the voice of social movements in world summits, either in the UCLG summit or in the world summit on climate change, will be strengthened too".
After this Assembly in Dakar, the FAL Network consolidates in Africa, making an important step forward by including Dakar amongst its most active members. For the Network, which has been focused on Europe and Latin American from the beginning, the integration of the Network in Africa opens the door to articulation processes and mutual cooperation from the local level. In this sense, Khalifa SALL, Mayor of Dakar, expressed the will of the African people to end with the aid and evolve towards partnership "we are active and we want to be partners in the field of international cooperation".
The Mayor, host of the meeting, closed the World Assembly declaring that he is convinced that "the African People must not seek anything out of its borders, as we are rich in raw materials and resources and we must lead our own development".
Local Power and Global Crisis
The main plenary session of the Assembly has been focused on the situation of global crisis that hits our planet. In this sense, local governments declared that they must set the defence of the most vulnerable groups as a priority and they added: "we are aware of the key role of local elected representatives and the social movements in the implementation of alternatives at all levels. [...] We are responsible for the promotion of a new economy, more cooperative and alternative, a true social and solidarity-based economy in which we can all participate and where profit is not the only rule. We must make social and environmental utility prevail over economic performance".
Therefore, the FAL proposes a balanced development, based on the economy of natural resources and the protection of the environment. "Sustainable development must not only contribute to reduce the human footprint on nature, but it also takes into account the population in risk of ecological disorders caused by men: climate refugees, disadvantaged groups of population, inhabitants of peripheries or unhealthy areas".
The problems of African suburbs
The Assembly of the FAL, throughout the FAL-P NETWORK, has reported the main problems of the peripheries of the African cities. These suburbs usually face important problems of floods as a consequence of climate change, which is causing the alteration of the river processes, as well as the occupation of non conditioned areas and the lack of sewerage.
The consequences for population are obvious as far as relocation becomes urgent in order to find areas with better conditions. The need of deepening in the concept of right to solidarity-based metropolis and to the centralization is expressed in the final declaration as follows: "we claim the right to the city for all, men and women, so every citizen can feel he or she is an active part of it" and continues "beyond the right to the city, we must claim the right to centrality".
Papa Sagna Mbaye, Mayor of Pikine - Municipality of the periphery of Dakar - announced that "local authorities of the African peripheries make a call for partnership and mutual cooperation between the African peripheries and other peripheries of the world".
Environment, climate change and water
During the different interventions in the framework of this workshop, the importance of the drainage systems was pointed out as a solution to water supply problems in Africa. The universality of the access to water, considering it a human right, must be guaranteed as a public service and must be managed by local institutions, responsible as well for the quality of the water.
The promotion and development of renewable energies in less developed countries in considered a North-South line of cooperation.
Human and gender emancipation
The FAL Assembly has focused especially on the issues of Human Rights and on the role of women in the processes of social transformation. "A mobilization in favour of equality between men and women, access of women to the decision-making level, emancipation of all, men and women. All these leading to a struggle against any kind of discrimination and a position as the focus of the project of alternative society promoted by local authorities, social movements and citizenship".
The FAL declares that "no human emancipation can be reached without a strong struggle against violence against women, and in order to carry out this struggle a strong political will of the local authorities is needed".
Migrations and social inclusion
The inclusion of immigrants gained importance over the session. The Local Authorities suggested different political strategies that could help improve the living conditions of the populations of migrants.
In this sense, the FAL Network promotes and supports the implementation of UCLG World Charter Agenda on Human Rights in the Cities in the local policies, in order to guarantee the chances of migrants and disadvantaged populations.
The representative of the International Alliance of Inhabitants underlined the following during the Conclusion session: "The urban level is at the core of all transformations and of the democratic growth and the growth of states. It is a source of progress but shows high levels of spatial and social segregation between rich and poor population. Figures show that 35% of the world urban population lives in houses which lack of basic equipments".
This way, the ninth assembly of the Forum of Local Authorities, focused on a collective reflection about 6 thematic axes from the local point of views, is brought to a close. The Forum of Local Authorities is reinforced in order to face the global crisis and its engagement with the will to build another possible world is reaffirmed.
Statements of the participants of the Assembly
Khalifa SALL, Mayor of Dakar: "We believe that Africa must be a part of the future and we want to actively participate. The world cannot advance without Africa, we are the richest continent in terms of resources".
Miguel Esteban Martín, Vice-president of FAMSI: "Either we beat the system with our proposals or the system will become stronger and devastate us" - "The challenge of this assembly is to make a call to central governments in favour of decentralization, so we can become stronger in our alliance with social movements and then suggest local policies allowing the implementation of alternatives to the global crisis".
Gilberto Carvalho, Minister of the Presidency of Brazil: "This forum is the best space for working in favour of municipalities, which are considered as the structures able to bring the change".
Jean Pierre Elong, Secretary General of UCLG Africa: "It is essential to move from an Africa of Nation-states to an Africa of peoples as a warranty of having overcome inequalities".
Jorge Toledo, Ambassador of Spain in Senegal: "The optimisation of the peoples´ resources and their human potential will make the development of Africa possible".
Giovanni Camillieri, International Coordinator of the Initiative ART -UNDP: "The UNDP, as part of the United Nations, has strongly bet on the development programs in which local actors are the protagonists".
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