The second edition of the African Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting Local and Regional Governments was held April 25-26, 2018 at the BE LIVE hotel in Saidia, (Kingdom of Morocco, Oriental Region). The meeting was co-organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, the Association of Regions of Morocco (ARM), the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils (AMPCC), the Oriental Regional Council and United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) within the framework of the actions conducted by the Africa Local Governments Academy (ALGA).
250 participants from 35 countries took part in the forum, including ministers, presidents of associations of local and regional authorities, presidents and directors of training institutes, senior staff of local and regional administrations, experts in local governance, components of civil society and the private sector.
The second edition of the forum had the topic: “Mobilization for the development of the human capital of local and regional governments: a key requirement for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Mr. Abdennbi BIIOUI, President of the Oriental Region, chaired the deliberations which were also attended by the following dignitaries: Her Excellency Ms. Paulita WIE, Minister Delegate in charge of Urban Affairs of Liberia; General Mohamed Kamal Hussein BENDARY, Secretary General of the Ministry of Municipal Development of Egypt; Mr. Mouaad JAMAI, Wali of the Oriental Region; Mr. Mohamed MBARKI, Director General of the Oriental Development Agency; Mr. Mohamed BENKADDOUR, President of the Mohammed Premier University of Oujda (UMP); Mr. Omar Ben ISMAIL, President of Saidia Local Government; and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong MBASSI, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.
The various addresses highlighted the importance of investing in human capital to achieve local development and to ensure local government trades are integrated amongst the first career choices of young Africans entering into professional life. Speakers emphasized the symbolic significance of holding this forum in the Oriental region. The region has played a leading role in the movement of African countries against colonial rule, in the strengthening of relations between Sub-Saharan Africa and Mediterranean Africa and in building an African conscience.
Contributions to the deliberations came from representatives of training institutes and organizations such as the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the African Association of Public Administration Management (AAPAM), the International City/ County Managers (ICMA, USA), State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASAN), the Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane (Morocco), the International Institute of Administrative Science (IIAS), the Kenya School of Governance (KSG), Transparency Morocco, Marchika Med and the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM-Morocco).
During the two day forum, participants debated and formulated recommendations on the following four themes:
- Investment in the human capital of African public administrations;
- The new human resources requirements of local and regional governments induced by the sustainable development goals;
- Mobilization of the human capital of territorial administrations for the development and economic attractiveness of territories;
- Cooperation to improve the human capital performance of local and regional governments in Africa.
The forum also served as a framework for the holding of the constituent general assembly of the African Network of Human Resources Managers of Local and Regional Governments, namely “Local Africa HR-Net.”
28 Human Resources Managers of Local and Regional Governments from 20 African countries took part in the general assembly, which adopted the Rules and Regulations and set its objectives to:
- Promote the common voice of human resources managers of local and regional governments at the local, national, regional and continental levels;
- Disseminate good practice in the field of human resources management within the local and regional governments of Africa;
- Improve and sustain the professional competence of members and inculcate the culture of performance, service delivery, collaborative networking practice and peer learning;
- Participate in the work and support the initiatives of the Observatory on Human Resources of African Local and Regional Governments, most especially the production of the report on, “The State of Human Resources in African Local and Regional Governments,” which UCLG Africa publishes every three years on the occasion of the Africities Summits. The 8th edition of the Africities summit is scheduled to take place from November 20-24, 2018 in Marrakech (Morocco).
The general assembly also elected the members of the Executive Committee of the network as follows:
- Northern Africa: Mr. Ben Mohamed Lachcen, HR Manager of Agadir Municipality (Morocco)
- West Africa: Mr. Badara Samb, HR Manager of Louga Territorial Department Council (Senegal)
- Central Africa: Ms Makanda Kodono Marie Reine, HR Manager of Bangui City Council (Central African Republic)
- East Africa: Mr. Nzoyisaba Claver, HR Manager of Bujumbura City Council (Burundi)
- Southern Africa: Ms Albertina Mario Francisco Tivane Albertina, Human Resources Officer of Maputo Municipality (Mozambique).
- Ms. Albertina Mario Francisco Tivane Albertina was unanimously elected President of Local Africa HR-Net.
At the end of the deliberations of the forum, the participants adopted the Declaration of Saidia and a vote of thanks addressed to His Majesty King Mohammed VI.