A significant honour was bestowed on the Law Trust Chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University, Professor Thuli Madonsela, when she was elected as the Chairperson of the Management Board of the Cities Alliance during the Assembly meeting convened earlier this month.
The new Management Board is composed of 15 members. At the same event, Anibal Gaviria of Colombia was re-elected as President of the Assembly.
The Cities Alliance is a global partnership fighting urban poverty and supporting cities to deliver sustainable development. The Cities Alliance is hosted by UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services), an agency dedicated to implementing infrastructure and procurement projects for the United Nations System, international financial institutions, governments, and other partners around the world.
Madonsela is the former South African Public Protector and Law Commissioner and a member of the African Academy of Sciences. She was one of the drafters of the South African Constitution and the founder of the Thuma Foundation for Democracy Leadership and Literacy. As the new chairperson of the Cities Alliance, she succeeds Clare Short, former UK Secretary for International Development, elected by the Assembly in 2016.
Madonsela said it was a honour and privilege to be appointed chair of the management board of the Cities Alliance. She praised the work of the Alliance in promoting long-term programmatic approaches that support national and local governments to develop appropriate policy frameworks, strengthen local skills and capacity, undertake strategic city planning, and facilitate investment.
“I am exceptionally honoured by the trust bestowed on me to chair the Cities Alliance. There is a strong synergy between our social justice work of establishing a society and world that is fair to all and the essential work done by Cities Alliance to ensure no person or family lives in squalid subhuman conditions.
“I look forward to working with the amazing leaders in this collective to contribute towards housing solutions aligned to the UN’s global Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
The chairperson of the South African Cities Network (SACN), Councillor Xola Pakati, congratulated Madonsela on her appointment.
He assured Madonsela of the SACN’s commitment to a continued partnership with Cities Alliance in contributing to sustainable development.
“I wish to congratulate you on this critical appointment, given the challenges of urbanisation facing our country, the African continent, and the world. Our partnership with Cities Alliance dates back more than a decade. As we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the SACN, we look forward to meeting and interacting with you in pursuit of beneficial urban development,” Pakati said.
The Cities Alliance Board provides operational oversight and supports the decision-making processes within the Partnership. The newly elected board comprises 15 members drawn from four constituencies:
· Governments: Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, France, Uganda, and South Africa.
· Multilateral Organisations: United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) and The World Bank.
· Local Authorities: United Cities and Local Governments and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum.
· Civil Society: Slum Dwellers International (SDI), Habitat for Humanity International, Reall, and Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO).