SUPPORTING THE PARTICIPATION OF SUB-SAHARAN CITIES IN THE COVENANT OF MAYORS

In October 2015, a new Global Covenant of Mayors scheme has been unveiled in Brussels (see www.eumayors.eu). In this framework, under the Development Cooperation Instrument of the European Commission (Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development), a new project covers Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This new Covenant of Mayors in SSA is inspired on the principles of the Covenant of Mayors in Europe (see the above mentioned website) which was launched in 2008 and now gathers nearly 7000 muncipalities. The main objective of the CoM SSA 4 year project –and which started last December - is to increase the capacities of cities to provide access to sufficient, sustainable and safe energy related services to urban and peri-urban populations (specially the poor). Special attention will be paid to energy efficiency and renewable energy as drivers for local low emission, climate resilient, sustainable development and increase of the local governments' planning capacities on urban design, mobility and energy. The consortium of ten partners (also known as "Local Authorities Platform") is already set up and the project now aims at selecting pioneering cities to be funded and assist them in the process of designing and adopting their SEACAPs. Therefore, the European Commission has published on 23rd December 2015 a Call for Proposals "Supporting the participation of Sub-Saharan cities in the Covenant of Mayors" that can be found on the official EuropeAid Website. In this framework, there will be four information sessions in SSA in February to inform cities on the call of proposals, to explain the CoM SSA project itself and to mobilize a maximum of cities to join this initiative in the coming years. In order to be able to deliver results towards the stated overall objective, the project will work along the lines set by specific objectives that are laid out as follows: 1) The capacity of Sub-Saharan cities to formulate and implement action plans and road maps for their energy, mobility and/or spatial organization is strengthened, and planning tools are made available; 2) The legal and institutional framework of local governments is improved as well as their technical and resource mobilization capacities enhanced; 3) Political ownership and best practice are adopted by Sub - Saharan Africa cities, thanks to dissemination through networks of cities under the extended and revised Covenant of Mayors initiative, and in synergy with other initiatives.

The workshops have been scheduled in Cape Town (12/2), Nairobi (15/2), Dakar (17/2) and Praia (19/2) for introducing both the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa project and the Call for Proposal. Sub-Saharan African cities are invited to attend the workshops. All information available through the following link to the call:

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/onlineservices/index.cfm?do=publ… Desc&searchtype=RS&aofr=150842