On the occasion of the celebration of the United Nations International Public Service Day (June 23rd each year) and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of this Day (2003-2023), the Pan-African organization of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) (http://www.UCLGA.org) and Public Services International (PSI) (for the Africa Region and Arab World) are organizing a Virtual Conference, on Monday, June 26th, 2023, which will focus on: “Celebrating and Honoring Workers in the Waste Management Sector: Peer Learning between Mayors and Workers' Representatives”.
The theme aligns with the vision for Africa of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) which aims to: “Extend regular and reliable waste collection services to all. Safe disposal of residual waste to sanitary engineered landfills, while maximizing the recovery of secondary resources from these waste streams through social and technological innovations appropriate for Africa”.
The activity is also part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between UCLG Africa and PSI in May 2021, which aims to contribute to the implementation and localization of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 on the promotion of Decent Work, the promotion of the quality of Local Public Services, and the structuring of Social Dialogue between employers and representatives of civil servants, employees and agents at the level of Local and Regional Governments.
The International Public Service Day aims to highlight the value and virtue of the Public Service to the community, to underline the contribution of the Public Service to the development process, and to honor and celebrate Civil Servants (leaders, managers, executives, agents, employees) in the Public Service.
The meeting will see the participation of Local and Regional Governments (cities / communes/ municipalities) involved in the Pilot Program launched by UCLG Africa and PSI as part of the implementation of their Memorandum of Understanding and agreed between the Parties during their meetings in May 2023 in Casablanca (Morocco). These are six African cities/communes/municipalities that have demonstrated their commitment to promoting quality public services and decent work, particularly in the waste management sector. They are:
- the City of Casablanca in Morocco (North Africa),
- the City of Abuja in Nigeria (West Africa),
- the Municipality of N'Djamena in Tchad (Central Africa),
- the Municipality of Temeke in Tanzania (East Africa),
- the Municipality of Mazabuka in Zambia and the City of Manzini in Eswatini (Southern Africa).
The Conference will also be attended by Representatives of Unions from these cities, as well as representatives of Local and Regional Governments, International Organizations, civil servants, territorial managers, actors of training and capacity building, and representatives of the private sector and civil society.
The opening ceremony will feature speeches by:
- Mr. Juwang Zhu, Director of the Public Institutions and Digital Government Division, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York.
- Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.
- Mr. Sani Baba Mohammed, Secretary of PSI Africa.
- A Representative of the International Labor Office – Africa Region.
The theme of the virtual conference will be introduced by Dr. John Mary Kauzya, Former United Nations Civil Servant, Senior Expert in Administration and Public Governance, Uganda.
A Peer Learning Moment is scheduled between the Mayors and Unions involved in the Pilot Program of UCLG Africa and PSI, in addition to testimonies from employees/agents/civil servant of the Waste Management Sector at the level of some African cities.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).
About UCLG Africa:
United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGAfrica) is the umbrella organization of local governments of Africa, whose founding congress was held in Tshwane, South Africa, in 2005. UCLG Africa is the result of the unification of three continental groupings of local governments, according to the official language inherited from the colonial period: the African Union of Local Authorities (AULA), essentially English-speaking; the Union of African Cities (UVA), essentially French-speaking; and the African chapter of the União das Cidades e Capitais Lusófonas Africanas, Americanas e Asiáticas (UCCLA), essentially Portuguese-speaking. UCLG Africa currently brings together the 51 national local government associations operating in Africa, as well as 2,000 cities and territories with populations of over 100,000. Through its members, UCLG Africa represents over 350 million African citizens. As a founding member of the world organization United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), UCLG Africa is its regional chapter for Africa. The organization's General Secretariat is based in Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, where UCLG Africa enjoys diplomatic status as an international pan-African organization. UCLG Africa is also represented in the five regions of Africa through regional offices established: in Cairo, Egypt, for the North Africa Region; in Accra, Ghana, for the West Africa Region; in Libreville, Gabon, for the Central Africa Region; in Nairobi, Kenya, for the East Africa Region; and in Pretoria, South Africa, for the Southern Africa Region.
About PSI:
Public Services International (PSI) is a Global Union Federation of over 700 unions representing 30 million workers in 154 countries. PSI brings and defends their voices at the UN, ILO, WHO and other regional and global organizations. The Federation also defends the rights of trade unions and workers, and fights for universal access to quality public services.
PSI Africa and the Arab States brings together 157 affiliated trade union organizations from 45 countries, representing a total workforce of around 1.5 million women and men, working at all levels of government, including regional and local governments, and delivering quality public services to communities and territories. PSI Africa and Arab Countries has sub-regional offices in Lomé, Togo, covering French-speaking Africa; in Beirut, Lebanon, covering Arab countries; in Nairobi, Kenya, covering English-speaking Africa; and in Johannesburg, South Africa, covering Southern Africa. PSI also has project teams in Dakar, Senegal; Niamey, Niger; Accra, Ghana; Kampala, Uganda; Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria; Gaborone, Botswana; and Cape Town, South Africa.
