The Mediterranean Commission of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the City of Marseille, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region and member networks of the Mediterranean Commission are organising with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs the 3rd Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean on 3 & 4 April 2013 in Marseille, France.
More than two years after the developments that have deeply affected the region, first and foremost the Arab Spring, this major event gathering the different elected officials of the Mediterranean region is indeed exceptional. It is the first time they will meet to debate on political, economic and social challenges and to reaffirm their will to be active stakeholders in the development and governance of their territories.
During the first Forum of 2008, in Marseille, elected representatives of the Mediterranean region addressed heads of State and Government of the Union for the Mediterranean encouraging them to strengthen the role of local and regional governments in the implementation of the renewed Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. A unified voice of local and regional authorities led to a formal statement on their specific role in the final declaration of heads of State and Government who met in July 2008.
In May 2010, the second Forum held in Barcelona largely explored Euro-Mediterranean issues. It provided the occasion to officially confirm the progress accomplished during the different stages of the process and to prepare future political development in terms of governance, tools and means.
During the third Forum, elected officials will formulate proposals to strengthen local democracy, support decentralisation and organise basic local services. They will discuss how to implement decentralised sustainable development policies that take into account local specificities and which approach the youth as a priority. This third Forum will also be an opportunity to review the contribution of international fund donors to the region’s development.
The Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean allows the political expression of Mediterranean local governments, including municipalities, cities, inter-communal structures, departments, provinces, autonomous communities, regions, districts and their networks. Shared prosperity, solidarity and dialogue in the Mediterranean is not possible without the participation of local and regional governments that work close to the citizens and have formed close relationships with civil society actors.
For the first time, the Forum of the Anna Lindh Foundation from 4-7 April 2013 in Marseille, offers the occasion to invite the youth and Mediterranean civil society, driven by ongoing changes in the Mediterranean, to exchange their views and proposals on these relevant issues with the local and regional elected officials gathered in the third Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean.
Source : UCLG Mediterranean Committee