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It is essential for local governments to create dialogue and consultation platforms with the youth. It will help to strengthen the relation between the youth and local authorities and the implementation of inclusive and participatory approach in development projects of cities.•
Local authorities should adopt policies and design mechanisms that promote effective participation of citizens in decision-making process at the local level and monitoring of local public institutions by citizens.•
Develop a multi-actors participatory process around local government authorities to enhance inter-local authorities and inter-States migration management for greater participation by the communities themselves according to African community spirit,•
Foster the development of public-private partnership in the implementation of the various approaches to participatory budget,•
Local governments, national governments, local governments associations here gathered at Africities 2015 Summit are ready to scale up actions collectively in close collaboration with parties of UNFCCC and other regional and global players towards advancing climate resilient future.To Ministers
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Recommend that African governments provide legislative and regulatory instruments to foster cross-border decentralized cooperation on the issue of managing security governance and nclude in local government development plan.•
Communalize the management of migration issues or ensure greater involvement of African local government authorities in the management of migration crisis in conformity with African realities and values.•
Support and assign a part of central governments financial transfer to local governments for the participation of citizens in the definition of their priority investment agenda.Within this framework, the intermediary financial institution are encouraged to play the role of facilitators by setting as condition the practice of citizens’ participation in planning, budgeting and management of local affairs.
For Development Partners
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Submit a support program for decentralized cross-border cooperation (between communities).•
Promote, document and disseminate, in national associations and local governments, the successful experiences of participatory budgets and citizen participation.6.3 Stakeholder Sessions
The different thematic sessions were organized by working groups established through the initiative of the following operators: the international networks (HIC, IAI, No Vox, SDI and local partners), the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NAFCOC), the Huairou Commission, Courteville / Dangote, MAIN, International Africa Cooperative, Barclays, the APUA, ANSOLE, AAPAM, SAFMM, REFONGAC. The Trade Unions’ session who had been approached and had aroused great hope was not held as planned, as many of its stakeholders had not obtained their visas.
6.3.1 Small farmers’ organizations (SH-01)
The lack of consistent land policies has led many African countries to sell huge areas of land or grant long leases to foreign investors. This has marginalized rural populations, resulted in a massive farmland grab and poses a major obstacle to the development of agriculture. These productive forces (rural populations) do not yet have access to technology or to capital markets, and so are unable to produce on a large scale, much less transform their products, and thus to be competitive on international markets, and create jobs. When revenues do not remain in the country, agricultural activity cannot create added value for the farmers who work the land. National and trans-national African farmers’ associations have a vital role to play, as do rural communities and organizations.
Government, and particularly local government, needs to enable farming, especially small-scale farming. Across Africa, farming, especially small farming, is critical not only for food security but for sustaining rural life and giving it a future; and it relates to people’s sense of identity and worth. A viable rural life needs to be an option to those who choose it. Government policies must be shaped to take account of this, and to ensure its continuity, all the while recognizing the complex challenges facing the continent. More commonage land is needed. The emphasis should not only be on larger mechanized farmers. Government rarely reaches its targets of land allocation to small farmers because of resistance from commercial farmers, the lack of relevant legislation and slow bureaucracy. And
In the context of the above, the following recommendations were made:
1. A fixed percentage of land should be available for women farmers.
2. A/the mother body of African agriculture should devise policies that empower peasant farmers.
3. There should be uniform policy on the allocation of traditional land and state land: chiefs should not be in a position to suppress people’s ambitions.
4. Local government must identify arable land (including land that is not immediately going to be developed, which could be the subject of short term leases).
5. Young people, in particular, should be identified and trained to farm and to set up related SMMEs.
Support should be provided especially in the critical early years of a farming venture.
6. African farmers should collaborate.
7. Consideration should be given to introducing policies that govern the amount of food that can be imported, with the aim of encouraging local consumption and production.
8. The problem of collateral for small farmers needs to be addressed, so that they can access loans.
Something as simple as belonging to a cooperative may be sufficient.
9. Training for farming enterprises should be carried out locally/nationally and not internationally.
10. If non-nationals want to farm, this should be enabled through leasing land even though it may not be possible for them to purchase. .
11. Municipalities must provide commonage, and assist farmers – especially emerging farmers – with access to critical resources such as water.
12. Road shows should be organized to inform the intended target people and groups about, for example, the availability of grants and other funds. Policies need to be known.
13. Local government should play a leading role in securing mentors for emerging farmers.
14. National and all other levels of government must respect and recognize small farmers and the rural way of life generally; development projects which focus largely on urbanization and/or the international dimension tend to lose sight of rural issues and of the role that is played by farming, including small farming. .
6.3.2 Associations of inhabitants (SH-02)
The session brought together representatives of social movements, NGOs, elected officials and local government officials to discuss increased dialogue among the parties and to make a concrete contribution to the World Urban Social Forum and Habitat III in Quito in 2016. At Africities 6, the call was made to national governments, international development partners and the UCLGA to recognize the role of, and support, the associations and networks of inhabitants, encourage community-led initiatives and participatory and inclusive urban planning, prioritize the needs of the poorest residents in development, and defend the rights of all inhabitants to security of tenure and to dignity.
The session reiterated that the buy-in of politicians is essential and called for greater representation of people in decision-making bodies. The public must also be more forceful in holding their elected officials to account, balanced against innovative schemes that people create for their own wellbeing.
Follow-up and evaluation are essential to hold governments accountable. Nevertheless, as each case is context-specific, local conditions determine the authority and people in power.