Africa has many faces in a diverse
picture of historical, cultural, sociological, political, economic and legal
facts.
But beyond this great diversity there are clear underlying trends.
These
trends included appreciable, sustained growth in the number of LOCAL
authorities that cover an increasingly large territory; consolidation of the
notion of decentralisation as a policy; relatively greater responsibilities
assumed by local authorities in many countries and the constitutions of
networks of local authorities that are likely to lead to promising forms of decentralised
cooperation.
The creation of
various organisations like the Pan-African organisation United Cities and Local
Governments of Africa (UCLGA) was consistent with the process of reinforcing
the role of local authorities on the continent.
And all of that is
another good example from a continent that is acknowledging the essential role
of local governments in Africa's sustainable development, going beyond the
linguistic and ethnic barriers that were part of the legacy of the colonial
period to build a united African voice on the issues of decentralisation, local
development, regional integration and cooperation that will increase African sustainability.
