Press conference by MAYOR OF PARIS

 

The Association of Local Authorities in the World was working on a proposal to assist in the provision of drinking water in parts of the world facing shortages, Bertrand Delanoe, Mayor of Paris and co-chairperson of the Association told correspondents this afternoon at a Headquarters press conference.

He was joined by Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, Mayor of Pretoria, South Africa, and the second co-chair of the Association, at the press conference called to brief correspondents on the importance of local governments in global governance and on the need to involve them in the work of the United Nations.

Mr. Delanoe said that, under the proposal, an additional centime would be added to the price of water and the money would be used to help the mayors of cities in areas such as Africa and the Middle East who might be facing water shortages.

He said everything the mayors did was geared toward objectives set by the United Nations, including solidarity in combating poverty and hunger.  The Association was not an NGO, and although the members were elected persons, they were not the same as parliamentarians.  Parliamentarians, he noted, made law while the mayors administered schools, hospitals, water, health, and so on.

The mayor pointed out that about half of the human race was represented in the Association, and said their visit to the United Nations was to hold discussions with the Secretary-General and his deputy.  They had discussed the role of local authorities in democratic globalisation.  The Association was seeking to establish a link with the United Nations and the Secretary-General but did not want that link to be excessively formal.  What it was seeking was dialogue and recognition. 

It had been agreed with the Secretary-General that each year, the Association would have him twice at its meetings, Mr. Delanoe announced.  The Secretary-General would be represented at the meeting taking place in São Paolo, Brazil, from tomorrow.  On Thursday, that meeting would address the issue of how local authorities could help implement the Millennium Development Goals.

Commenting on the discussions with the Secretary-General, the Mayor of Pretoria added that he found the encounter extremely positive and interesting.  The Association was beginning to change the mindset of certain governments and organizations toward local governments.  There were still some challenges in that; in some countries, local governments and municipalities were not really different from NGOs and civil society organisations.

He said the importance of local governments was in their proximity to people, in good governance and in the actual implementation of projects and programmes, not only nationally but also internationally.  The implementation of the decisions of the programmes of United Nations organisations could happen only at the local level.  The Association was, therefore, very pleased at the opening of a window of opportunity and dialogue.

He noted that because it represented more than 3.4 billion people around the world, the association was not a small insignificant body.  That meant that it had influence which could be used for the good of humanity.  Civil society organisations, NGOs, religious organizations, trade unions, business people, and other such organizations operated under areas over which mayors had jurisdiction and as such could not represent the mayors.  Mayors played a political role but greatly valued their partnership with the civil society.

In response to a question, Mr. Delanoe referred to the cities that had been chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as possible sites for the 2012 Olympics Games.  He said the IOC was trying to make cities to compete this time.  Paris had a real chance to win the hosting of the games but the decision would not be known until next 6 July, he said. 

Paris had many advantages, including the largest number of sites with the largest capacities.  Those sites were close to each other and the Olympic village would be 10 minutes from the sites.  The fact that 50 per cent of the capital equipment was already in place was an advantage.  In addition, the population was supportive and there was complete consensus at the political level, including the presidency, the Mayor of Paris, the sports associations, the regional associations, the trade unions and the socialist associations.  If the games were held in Paris, they would be the most environmentally-friendly games ever.  All of the facilities would be top-notch and there would be access for the disabled.  It would be a meeting for peace.

Paris would be an ideal place for the games, added Mr. Mkhatshwa.  He noted that the 2010 world soccer tournament would take place in South Africa, and Paris could learn some things from South Africa in its preparations.

On the chances of New York winning the hosting of the games, Mr. Delanoe said that it was not up to him to say what would be the advantages or disadvantages for New York.

Answering another question, Mr. Delanoe said that mayors were local managers and, at the same time, a representation of the citizenry.  Members of the association were pooling their experiences and capacities together and were making those experiences available to each other.

Mr. Mkhatshwa stated that all the 6.5 billion inhabitants of the planet lived in cities and towns and, as such, cities were getting ready for any eventualities through disaster management forums and programmes.  They were taking very seriously the challenge of terrorism, such as the September 11 attacks.  The mayors were concerned about the safety of their citizens because proper development of any kind was not possible in a situation of instability, fear or uncertainty.  It was necessary to identify the root causes of those uncertainties and fears around the world and to begin, together and in consultation with all concerned, to deal with the root causes and to find ways of either minimizing or removing them altogether.

Mr. Delanoe added that nothing was more important to the mayors than the safety of their citizens and their terrorism-prevention mechanisms.  In Paris, the State and the city worked well together on those issues.

Asked if the Association planned to apply for observer status in the ECOSOC, Mr. Mkhatshwa said that two proposals were on the table.  One proposal was for the United Nations to underscore the uniqueness of local autonomy as having a unique and distinct role that was complementary to the other spheres of government.  The other was that the Association should play an advisory or consultative role so that it would be asked to discuss all issues  related to governance, development, human rights, etc. directly with the United Nations.

* *** *