ACPLGP members

The genesis of the debate on the unification of the African local government and the subsequent evolution of the United Cities & Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) as an Africa-wide unified voice of local government, a facility for supporting the process of decentralisation, consolidating the African Municipal movement, and strengthening the capacities of local governments to deliver services and contribute to local development, started at the first Pan African local government Summit, the Africities Summit. This was the first-ever platform for dialogue held for all African local governments in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire in 1998. Based on the commitment made at this first Africities Summit in Abidjan, the African mayors and other local elected leaders attending the summit decided, in their closed door session, to set up the United Cities & Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA), as the unification of the three umbrella organisations of local government in Africa - namely the African Union of Local Authorities (AULA), the Union des Villes Africaines (UVA), and the Uniao dos Ciudades y Capitaes Lusofono Africana (UCCLA).

The Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities (CALGA) was founded in 1992. It is an Association of National Local Government Association within CaricomStates as well as all Local Authorities where no National Association exists. The association has been working with Caricom as well as with all of the member states to promote and advance the interests, rights and privileges of local government systems in the region. It works with local authorities to advocate for a clear definition of local government in the Constitutions of member states, as well as to secure its entrenchment.

At present there is no regional association representing the Pacific region yet. PNG-ULLGA is the Pacific representative among the members of the Platform. PNG-ULLGA has been established in 1989 by urban local level governments to assist local government reach its full potential. PNG-ULLGA provides a number of services to its members and works in partnership with the national government to support on-ground development of local government in PNG. It assists town and cities in the areas of legal advice, consultancy work to the national government, town planning and development, health environment services, local government finance and initiates projects which are beneficial to their areas. PNG-ULLGA aims to encourage and protect effective and efficient democratic local government in the urban areas. The association is funded by membership contributions and a national government support grant.

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) was founded in 1995. It is a pan-ACP membership organisation and is a political representation on its Board from which it derives its legitimacy. CLGF is also officially recognised by Commonwealth Heads of Government. It works to promote and strengthen democratic local government across the Commonwealth, and to encourage the exchange of best practice - through conferences and events, its Good Practice Scheme, research and information on innovation, and working with Commonwealth countries to support the development of democratic values and good governance. As the local government arm of the Commonwealth, CLGF has been actively involved in encouraging and developing local elections and systems, election monitoring, and capacity building support for councillors and councils. Furthermore, it ensures that local government's voice is heard within the Commonwealth and that it gets full recognition and support in the Commonwealth family.

Created in 1979 on the initiative of the mayors of Paris and Quebec, the AIMF gathers today 166 capital cities and metropolises dedicated to promote the good municipal governance. Thanks to its territorial expert’s network, it accompanies the mayors in the decentralisation processes and in the implementation of their urban organisation policies. The seminars which it organises constitute for mayors an international forum, but also a framework of exchange and reflection. In 1990, the AIMF creates a cooperation fund, which is going to allow the realisation of public amenities projects. In 1995, during the Cotonou Summit, the AIMF becomes the operating agency of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie for decentralised cooperation. More than 400 projects have been realised since the creation of the association.