Fathallah Oualalou, mayor of the capital, has his work cut out for him. Alongside all elected officials and institutional representatives, he must get to work, starting today, on the organisation of the 4th edition of the World Congress of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
An international summit that will be held in Rabat in October of next year. An unprecedented event: it is the first time that this event has taken place in an Arab-Muslim and African country. The "Rabat 2013" association, the administrative and technical platform in charge of organising this summit, officially kicked off the preparatory work for this Congress last Thursday in Rabat, during a ceremony attended by a host of national officials as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Rabat. In a speech read on his behalf by Allal Sekrouhi, wali director of local authorities, Mohand Laenser, Minister of the Interior, highly praised the efforts made by parliamentarians, government officials and elected officials of Rabat to secure the organisation of this Congress. He also highlighted the regional and international events that Morocco has hosted.
Successful events that testify to the Kingdom's ability to host this type of meeting. Mohand Laenser sees the organisation of this congress in Morocco as "a true honour for the Kingdom".
Spread over 4 days (from 1 to 4 October 2013), this major event will see the participation of more than 3,500 guests (mayors of large metropolises, experts and international media).
The organisation of this large-scale event is no small feat, hence the need to mobilise all national actors, of all categories.
Thus, Fathallah Oualalou took the opportunity during this ceremony to launch an appeal to all the institutional, economic and social actors present in order to encourage them to redouble their efforts to make this edition an exemplary success. Because, as the Minister of the Interior stressed, "it is not a simple passing international event, but a strong moment that we must exploit to expose the process of modernisation, democracy and development that our country is experiencing". The particularity of the Rabat edition also lies in the timing. It comes at the right time, since the Congress takes place at a time when the Kingdom is in full transformation.
According to Mohand Laenser, "the organisation of this international meeting coincides with the launch in Morocco of major projects in various fields, the establishment of advanced regionalisation, the reform and renovation of State structures, the strengthening of the independence of the judiciary, the increase in development indices, the encouragement of investments and the promotion of equality between the two sexes".
Same sentiment from Fathallah Oualalou, president of the association "Rabat 2013". As for Josep Roig, SG of the UCLG, he states that "the Congress is intended to be a space for the exchange of different experiences and expertise between representatives of hundreds of cities and local governments, particularly regarding issues of good governance, decentralisation and sustainable development".
On another note, the UCLG summit will be the opportune occasion for the capital to complete the initiated projects and to upgrade certain sectors (traffic, cleanliness, public electricity).
To do this, the government will grant aid of around 647 million DH, dedicated essentially to the completion of infrastructure so that Rabat is prepared for this international appointment. The ceremony for the launch of the said preparatory work was marked by the signing of 4 partnership and cooperation agreements between the "Rabat 2013" association, the Chaabi Lil Iskane Group, the Rabat Chamber of Crafts, the Mohammed V-Agdal Faculty of Letters and Al Akhawayn University. The idea is to ensure the material and logistical support necessary for the organisation of this Congress.
On the sidelines of the fourth edition of the UCLG Congress, a business fair "Rabat Expo" will be organised throughout this event. Companies and organisations working in the field of local business management are invited to take part. The objective is to allow them to present a diversified offer of equipment, technologies and services adapted.
This offer must meet the specific needs of the African market.
-* Rabat will host a summit of United Cities and Local Governments from 1 to 4 October 2013.
-* Launch of the preparatory work for the 4th UCLG Congress.
-* Government aid of 647 million DH granted to the capital.
