Good Practice Seminar For Pacific Local Government Associations

SUVA, FIJI A seminar to exchange the good practices of newly established local government associations in the Pacific region will take place in Auckland from the 2-3 July, 2013 with the launching of the Pacific Local Government Associations (PLGA) Network hosted by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Pacific on the 4 July.

CLGF Pacific in partnership with the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI) will be part of the seminar hosted by the ARIAL Programme, a European Union funded initiative established to improve the quality of local government in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region. The seminar is an important part of the three year initiative and is one of four regional seminars happening across the ACP region which will aim to unite Local Government Associations to share and discuss good practices.

The Pacific Seminar will feature presentations from the newly established local government associations in the region:

Kiribati Local Government Association (KiLGA): “Action plan for political dialogue with development partners”

Local Authority Association of Vanuatu (LAAV): “LAAV learns the lessons of succession planning”

Marshall Islands Mayor’s Association (MIMA): “Marshall Islands Mayor’s Association promotes a model partnership”

With the exception of the Marshall Islands Mayor’s Association, the establishment of KiLGA and LAAV came as a result of successful funding grants under the ARIAL Programme.

The efforts of the ARIAL programme in the past three years has contributed to the strengthening of Local Government Associations (LGAs) at the national, regional, and intercontinental level in order to render them more effective partners in development for national institutions and international donors.

The Pacific Local Government Association (PLGA) Network Launch will take place at the Novotel Ellerslie, Hotel in Auckland on 4 July. It will be officially launched by President of Local Government New Zealand, Mayor Lawrence Yule who is also the Chair of the CLGF Board. The launch will be attended by local government representatives from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu together with CLGF partners FSPI, Local Government New Zealand and the Hunter Group of Councils from New South Wales, Australia. Also invited are members of the Executive Committee of the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel from Auckland Councils and CLGF’s Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Lucy Slack.

ENDS

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