UCLG Position Paper v_2 (eng)
22/12/09
18:13
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A Compilation of Case Studies
Since 2001, and in addition to the new 2008-12 programme, the cooperation between the Cities of Liège and Lubumbashi has been extended to other areas to address locally defined needs related to improved service delivery and quality of life, and the promotion of local economic development: •
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Environment: in 2003, first steps have been taken to create a municipal service dedicated to the environment. Thousands of seedlings of trees and flowers are now cultivated each year for the embellishment and the reforestation of the City. Waste from these activities is recycled in compost heaps and the cooperation looks towards the implementation of a larger waste collection and management system. Youth: the municipal Children Council of Liège has supplied a rural school of Lubumbashi with school equipment and financed a well to improve its access to water. Socio-economics: with the assistance of the International Association of French-Speaking Mayors, a market hall which can accommodate 400 saleswomen and men has been built in a district of the town called Luwowoshi.
Conclusion In this case study, shared planning of the activities by the municipal partners and the fact that the municipal level is closest to citizens has allowed for the optimization of the cooperation aid. The relationship between the different areas of intervention, organized by the municipality, has allowed for improved coordination and harmonization of the assistance, as recommended in the principles of the Paris Declaration and, more recently, the Accra Agenda for Action. The ability of decentralized cooperation to address the Millennium Development Goals is well highlighted in this Liège-Lubumbashi partnership, which has brought benefits to both the northern and southern municipalities. Ms. Carmen Fernandez, Coordinator of international projects in the City of Liège, says: “We also get a lot from this cooperation. At the beginning, we were not even aware ourselves that we had such an expertise. This programme has allowed us to display it. An added value is thus given to the northern municipality that gets into cooperation.”
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