COUNCIL OF CITIES AND REGIONS OF AFRICA
(CCRA)
INTERIM EXECUTIVE BUREAU MEETING
CITY OF TSHWANE 28 JUNE 2004
RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was adopted as presented.
2.
REPORT FROM THE PREVIOUS CCRA MEETING
The Minutes of the Interim Council Meeting held in Rabat from 1 - 2 April 2004 were noted.
A slight change was suggested in the apologies section by the Chairman. Instead of "Mayor
Comiche read out part of a letter sent to him by Father Mkhatshwa in which he sent his
apologies for not attending the CCRA meeting due to Presidential elections being held in the
Republic of South Africa…" it was proposed to replace "Presidential elections" by "general
elections". It was then agreed that the Minutes of the Interim Council Meeting be circulated
to the Interim Council members soonest and should be formally approved at the next meeting
of the Interim CCRA Council.
On the resolutions of the Rabat meeting, the Chairman reminded participants that the Interim
Executive Bureau was tasked to implement the said resolutions and recommendations.
3.
PARIS POST MORTEM
It was acknowledged that the issue of the budget for the communication activities held during
the Paris Congress is still pending. The secretariat should send a reminder accompanied by an
invoice for the recovery of this budget to the cities that were identified by the Rabat Interim
Council meeting.
The Executive Committee received a report by Mayor Comiche on a meeting with UNESCO
that took place in Maputo, in which he called for a direct dialogue between UNESCO and
CCRA during his speech in the opening ceremony in his capacity as Mayor of Maputo and
Vice President of the CCRA.
It was resolved that a follow-up by the Chairman and secretariat be made on the meetings
held in Paris with the Association of Mayors of France, the Association of Big Cities of
France, UNESCO and UN HABITAT. The follow-up will focus on preparation for
cooperation agreements with these organisations.
It was resolved that the Executive Bureau nominates a representative of Africa for the seat
reserved for Africa on the Financial Commission of UCLG. This nomination is awaited as
soon as possible. The chairperson was asked to finalise this matter.
It was further resolved that a wide sensitisation effort be made in order for African local
government to attend the up-coming Urban Forum in Barcelona in September 2004. Within
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the fringes of this Forum, a meeting between the UCLG secretariat on the work programme of
UCLG is scheduled with the UCLG regional Secretaries General. It was resolved that the
CCRA Interim Secretary General presents a proposal of a work programme to be tabled to
UCLG.
It was resolved to commission the Interim Secretary General to follow up all the matters
pertaining to the Paris post-mortem activities.
4. CCRA MEMBERSHIP FEES AND FUNDRAISING ISSUES
The Executive Bureau endorsed the draft budget for the general secretariat prepared by the
Funding Commission.
This budget amounts to US$ 1 million, which is the normal budget for the operational
functioning and activities of the CCRA. However, for the Interim period leading up to the
Founding Congress, the budget of US$200,000 was approved for a six month period. To
cover this budget, it was resolved that membership fees be collected from members as
follows:
15 cities who are members of the CCRA Interim Council 5,500 US$ each = 32,500 US$
15 other main cities
2,750 US$ each = 41,250 US$
30 associations of local government (members of the
CCRA Interim Council)
2,000 US$ each = 60,000 US$
Total
183,750 US$
The Secretariat was tasked with issuing invoices to these members (via national associations)
and SALGA in order to recover the needed amounts as soon as possible.
The Secretariat will also recall the debt of CCRA vis-à-vis the MDP.
The Secretariat was further tasked with working on a formula for the definition of
membership fees taking into account the work done by the Funding Commission and the
necessity to adapt to the financial reality of local government in Africa. This proposal should
be submitted to the Executive Bureau not later than 30 September 2004.
On the issue of fundraising, it was resolved that fundraising missions be undertaken by the
Executive Bureau to targeted countries, mainly South Africa, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia,
Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Namibia, Gabon, Kenya and Cameroon. It was also resolved that
the funding of these missions should be from special contributions made by the Executive
Bureau.
5. CCRA CONSTITUTION
On the CCRA Constitution, the Executive Bureau received the draft constitution which was
endorsed by the Interim Council meeting in Rabat.
The Secretariat is asked to circulate this draft Constitution to the CCRA members.
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6.
THE HEADQUARTERS AGREEMENT
It was resolved that the negotiation regarding the headquarters agreement be speeded up. The
proposed draft agreement should be sent to the Moroccan authorities for their comment,
whilst legal opinion from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of South Africa is
awaited regarding the signing of the agreement by the Interim Chairman of the CCRA and
related matters.
7. PROTOCOL
The Executive Bureau received the proposal of the provisional protocol for the interim
structures of the CCRA.
The Executive Bureau clarified that the office bearers are defined as Interim Chairman, 1st
Interim Vice Chairman, 2nd Interim Vice Chairman and Interim Secretary General. The
Interim Management Council is not part of the Interim Executive Bureau.
Clarification was also made that the ruling of the Chairman should be final only in case of a
stalemate amongst the members.
8.
ORGANISATIONAL ISSUES
It was clarified that CCRA has a political body, with the president and one vice president in
each sub-region. CCRA has an executive structure, the general secretariat that works in the
different sub-regions with the institutional and technical support agency, the regional office of
MDP in the region.
It was resolved that in this capacity, the regional office of MDP will give support to the Vice
President of CCRA in the region. This organisation will avoid duplication of bureaucratic
decentralisation of the secretariat in the different sub-regions, and will ensure the link
between activity-oriented interventions and efficiency. MDP regional offices should have a
constituency of democratic local government in each region with the representation of the
Chairmen of the Local Government Associations on the Board. The secretariat will draft a
memorandum of understanding between CCRA and MDP stating the field of collaboration
and partnership.
9.
DISSOLUTION OF AULA, UVA AND UCCLA
The Troika recommendation to dissolve existing organisations before 31st March 2005 was
confirmed.
It was resolved that to help these organisations to fulfil this task, the Executive Bureau would
set up a committee, as soon as possible, to assist these organisations to conduct the process of
dissolution.
The attention of the Executive Bureau was drawn to the fact that UCCLA not being a
continental body, therefore there is no need for its dissolution. The African members of
UCCLA should only become members of CCRA which is the African umbrella organisation
of local governments. But as any other members, they are free to get involved in various
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networks, provided that the voice of African local government is recognized to be exclusively
CCRA.
10.
THE FOUNDING CONGRESS
It was resolved that the Founding Congress of the CCRA would be held in the City of
Tshwane, South Africa from 15 - 18 May 2005.
The Executive Bureau endorsed the proposal by the Chair to set up three Committees: the
Congress Organising Committee charged with all logistical matters, protocol issues,
invitations, registration and mobilisation activities as well as developing a communication
strategy; the Congress Fundraising Committee charged with the development of a budget,
fundraising activities for the congress, research for sponsors and international partners,
opening of a bank account for the congress, auditing of the bank account, financial regulations
for the congress; and finally the Congress Technical Committee to develop the draft
declaration, set up the resolutions committee, identify and coordinate the speakers, coordinate
the development of thematic papers, translation and reproduction of documents.
The Secretariat is charged with implementation of these Committees with the help of a
Consultant and the host city.
11.
AFRICITIES 2006 SUMMIT
The Executive Bureau of CCRA, together with MDP, sitting as the Political Committee of
Africities, after having heard the presentation of the bid to host the 4th Africities Summit by
the delegation from Nairobi City Council and a technical report prepared by a mission sent to
Nairobi to assess the preparedness by the Nairobi City Council and the Government of Kenya
to host the Summit, resolved that the City of Nairobi be selected to host the 4th Africities
Summit in 2006.
It was further resolved that the City of Nairobi would clarify the following soonest:
1. Financial commitment and related issues: strategy of mobilizing funds, functioning in
foreign currency, deposit of a third of the amount before the launching, VAT
exemptions;
2. Planning of work up to the summit;
3. Organizing different receptions;
4. Preparatory meetings and sensitisation missions;
5. Exhibition space: 750 square meters; not big enough. We need a space for 500
exhibitors, so we are looking at 5’000 square meters;
6. Written and signed declaration highlighting the commitments of all partners so that the
Africities is registered in our memories for very long time.
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It was resolved that the Chairman of the Africities Political Committee should sign a letter
confirming the selection of the City of Nairobi as the host city of the Africities Summit in
2006, with the deliberation of the Africities Political Committee attached.
It was resolved that the Kenyan delegation should give the date of the launching of the
preparatory process of the Africities Summit as soon as possible. The official launching
ceremony should be held not later than October 2004.
It was resolved that MDP should immediately take up the preparatory process with the City of
Nairobi and the Government of Kenya.
Done in Tshwane, this 29th day of June 2004
For the CCRA Executive Bureau &
For the Africities Political Committee
_________________________________
Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa
Chairman
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