Territorial governance: Dakar hosts UCLG Africa session, REFELA assembly, symposium – EnviroNews

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From June 10 to 12, 2026, under the high patronage of Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, Dakar will be the beating heart of African decentralisation. The Senegalese capital will host three major events:

• The 35th session of the Executive Committee of the pan-African organisation, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa);
• The international symposium of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA);
• The elective General Assembly of REFELA.

Organised by the Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS), which currently holds the presidency of UCLG Africa, these high-level meetings will take place at the King Fahd Palace. They mark the organisation’s first gathering since last March’s General Assembly in Nouakchott, which established the renewal of its political leadership.

Under the effective presidency of the Senegalese Head of State, the REFELA international symposium will be held on June 11, 2026, centered around the theme: “Women’s Leadership, a Factor for Sustainable Territorial Development.” It is supported by the GIZ and the Ministry of Urbanism, Local Authorities, and Regional Planning of Senegal. This symposium will be followed on June 12by the REFELA elective General Assembly, whose new executive bureau will serve a three-year term.

Ahead of this, the 35th session of the Executive Committee, scheduled for June 10, will constitute a highly strategic step. The discussions among local leaders will focus primarily on:

• The approval of the accounts for the 2025 financial year;
• The review of the strategic framework for the revitalization of the organization;
• The preparation for the participation of African members in the UCLG World Congress, to be held in Tangier (Morocco) from June 22 to 25, 2026.

The proceedings will be led by key figures in African territorial governance, including:

• Mr. Moussa Bala Fofana, Minister of Urbanism, Local Authorities, and Regional Planning of Senegal;
• Mr. Oumar Ba, President of the Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS) and President of UCLG Africa;
• Prof. Peter Anyang Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu and Vice-President of UCLG Africa for the East Africa region;
• Mr. Augustin Tamba, President of United Communes and Cities of Cameroon (CVUC) and Vice-President of UCLG Africa for the Central Africa region;
• Ms. Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayor of Banjul, outgoing President of REFELA;
• Ms. Thérèse Diouf Faye, President of REFELA Senegal;
• Mr. Sidi Alal Boussid, President of the Network of Young Locally Elected Officials of Africa (YELO);
• Mr. François Menguelé, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.

The Executive Committee of UCLG Africa is the body responsible for the political direction of the organization. It is composed of 18 members: 15 members elected by the General Assembly (three for each of the five regions of Africa), and three ex-officio members, namely, the President of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), which serves as the Standing Committee on Gender Equality of UCLG Africa; the President of the Forum of Regions of Africa (FORAF); and the President of the Network of Young Locally Elected Officials of Africa (YELO).