The main axes of this meeting of French-speaking local authorities

2023-10-02 14:28:40

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Thanks to the dynamism of the diplomacy of the city of Cotonou, Benin is hosting the 43rd Congress of the AIMF from October 11 to 14. As a prelude to this event which will bring together more than 300 mayors and delegates from 54 countries, the 2nd Deputy Mayor of the city of Cotonou, Gatien Adjagboni, organized a press conference on Friday, September 29, to unveil the activities planned for this important meeting.

Gatien Adjagboni, 2nd Deputy Mayor of the city of Cotonou

What you should know: In Cotonou, there will be strategic reflections on the new direction of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF). New resolutions will be taken and sub-regional political news will not be obscured. A major event held in Cotonou is a credit to the leadership of Mayor Luc S. Atrokpo and his Municipal Council. The work in Cotonou revolves around three axes. These are “diplomacy for a changing world”, “strengthening decentralized cooperation for pragmatic and concrete partnerships” and “urban arts and cultures in the service of territorial development”.

Between the lines: On the role of city diplomacy, the speaker, Gatien Adjagboni, said that the functions of Mayors place them as close as possible to the daily concerns of populations. From “proximity diplomacy” to international arenas, they play a key role in opening up dialogue. And for more than 10 years, the AIMF has supported these approaches, which help to boost the socio-economic development of territories, to support residents during regional crises that directly affect them and to build ways out of the crisis. “The cities and platforms of the Great Lakes region, the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia will bring their testimony to Cotonou and exchange views, in particular, with the Mayors of the Sahel who are facing a crisis situation” , specified the 2nd Deputy Mayor, Gatien Adjagboni. As for the theme of strengthening decentralized cooperation, the Cotonou congress will be an event to deepen decentralized cooperation between cities whose connections have a strong economic and social dimension for residents. “Several African cities have planned to sign cooperation agreements highlighting local expertise,” he underlines. The arts and urban cultures being marked in Benin by Vodùn will be the subject of exchanges between experts and mayors. “In a world marked by urbanization, these play a determining role in strengthening social bonds and encouraging people to embrace the territory in all their diversity. Drawing on the Beninese experience and the best practices of cities in the French-speaking area, the Mayors will propose local public policies which will make urban cultures and their actors committed partners in sustainable and inclusive development of territories,” he said.

Moreover: According to Franck Kinninvo, resource person in the organization of the said congress, the Cotonou meeting is being held at a historic moment in the life of the organization because the AIMF anticipates a certain number of things. According to the established program, from October 11, a regional dialogue round table will be held across Africa and the Indian Ocean. An exceptional round table concerning the cities of the Sahel is also planned. An international conference will be held on October 12 around four important subjects, namely: ”Vodùn in the promotion of peace and development”; ”Culture”, ”Street Arts” and ”Sport”. On October 13, the General Assembly will be discussed and important decisions will be taken and on the last day, October 14, an educational and tourist visit will take place in the cities of Cotonou, Ganvié, Porto-Novo, Ouidah and Abomey. This meeting of capital importance will be enhanced by the presence of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.

Alban TCHALLA