The Euro-African Partnership for Decentralized Governance
The Euro African Partnership for Decentralized Governance aims at contributing to the strengthening of local governance in Africa by facilitating the establishment of relationships between African and European local institutions.
The initiative is the result of the cooperation between the United Nation Department of Economic and Social Affaires (UN/DESA) and Tuscany Region. Since its inception, the Partnership has welcomed the collaboration of other regions, local entities and institutions, as well as actors from Europe and Africa.
BACKGROUND
In September 2004, the UN/DESA, the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), and the Regional Council of Tuscany, with the scientific support of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa, organized the First Conference of European and African Regional Assemblies on the theme: “Decentralization: The New Dimension of Peace, Democracy and Development”.
On this occasion, more than 100 representatives of local and regional assemblies, governments, international organizations, NGOs, volunteer’s associations, civil society and religious institutions from Europe and Africa met in Florence
The activities of the Euro-African Partnership will be directed at:
institution building and training;
key projects focusing on specific countries, with the aim to promote decentralized governance through partnership between European and African local authorities and institutions;
research and monitoring on decentralized governance.
The partners of the Euro-African Partnership will also:
promote and share autonomous activities for decentralized governance in Africa, within the framework of the partnership
join specific activities organised by the Euro-African Partnership.
HOW TO JOIN THE PARTNERSHIP
Regional and local institutions and other institutions entities can join the partnership. Interested institutions shall agree on the modalities of their participation with the coordination board by signing a specific agreement. Individuals, universities and NGOs can support the Partnership and collaborate on specific projects.
Strengthening of Women Leaders Associations in Local Governments
The overall purpose of the study tour was to strengthen the work experience network between European and African women representatives of local authority associations on decentralization processes and decentralized governance.
With the objective of giving impulse to the Euro-African initiatives, the study tour aimed at increasing and optimizing inter-institutional relationships among several actors of the decentralized governance through moments of aggregation and exchange of experiences as well as sharing of work methodologies and knowledge.
During the study tour, the women representatives of local government associations had the opportunity to meet with the representatives of local government networks, and local authorities in Rome and Tuscany. They also had the opportunity to visit different facilities delivering services to citizens, and participate in ad-hoc roundtables organized on the occasion of the study tour by national counterparts.
12 December 2008 The Network of Women Representatives of Local Authority Associations: Moving towards Decentralization, Good Governance and Innovation
The seminar had the specific aim of building awareness and interest discussions about women leaders’ participation in decentralized governance and local governments in Africa and in Europe. It investigated good practices of European and African women leaders’ networks in the process of decentralization and local governments. It was therefore an opportunity to exchange experiences and initiate concrete joint works between networks of European and African women leaders in local governments.
