Fourth World summit of Mayors opens in Accra

The Fourth World Summit of Mayors and leaders from Africa and of African descent opened in Accra Monday, with a call on the participants to work together to reduce the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Africa and the world to the barest minimum.

The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who made the call when he opened the summit, said Africa was the hardest hit by the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

The theme for the three-day conference is: “Cities leading sustainable human development and economic empowerment for Africa and the Diaspora”.

It is being attended by members of the Global Alliance Executive Committee and the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network, mayors, leaders from Africa and those of African descent.

Among some of the issues being discussed are:  Partnership between the Edison Learning Inc. and the Global Alliance; Challenges and opportunities for gender equality and women’s empowerment; youth employment and entrepreneurship as key drivers in the economic growth of cities and affordable services, as well as Enhancing child survival and development in the post-2015 development framework and the role of city governments.

Effective collaboration

The Vice-President said Ghana had seen a major reduction in HIV and AIDS infections in recent times due to the effective collaboration between the government and other stakeholders.

He pledged the government’s commitment to prioritise efforts to eradicate the HIV/AIDS pandemic or reduce it to the barest minimum.

He said world leaders should work together to bring the pandemic to an end and make life better lived and enjoyed by the people.

Mr Amissah-Arthur said the summit was timely and should serve as a platform to launch a new chapter for Africans.

Empowerment

For his part, the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, challenged world leaders to put in place strategies that would empower the people and called for an end to racism.

“We must confront racism and end it in all shapes and forms. We must fight for the full empowerment of girls and women in the socio-economic and political activities of our society,” he stated.

Jobs

He urged mayors to help create job opportunities and employment for their people in order to end restlessness in their cities and communities all over the world.

He charged mayors in Africa to stand up to be counted, adding, “This is the moment, let us seize it.”

Dr Vanderpuije called on all mayors to identify and share best practices, training programmes for professional groups, the development of their people, trade and investment opportunities for their people, scale up actions to end HIV/AIDS and provide water, shelter and food for their people.