Newsletter – n°37 – October 2015

News from partners

Local governance, decentralisation and peace process in Mali were at the heart of the round table “Peace in Mali”, organised on 21^st October in Paris. The round table gave Mali’s local authorities the opportunity to express their opinion on decentralisation and on the necessary conditions for an effective local development, essential to the country’s long term stabilisation and recovery. This round table was jointly organised by Cités Unies France (CUF), the French ministry of foreign affairs and international development and the Malian local authorities.

The Malian local representatives - supported by French, Italian, Belgian and Dutch partner cities and regions, adopted on 22^nd October a declaration stating that local and regional governments play a critical role in the implementation of the peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali. The declaration was adopted in the framework of the international conference for Mali’s economic recovery and development.

The conference, organised by OECD, in the presence of the French and Malian heads of State, Francois Hollande and Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. It brought together Mali's local and regional governments as well as Mali’s partners such as international agencies. These consider decentralisation as a prerequisite for success; they also pledged to support the peace process and the country's harmonious development.