The Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT) has become the thirty-first ICMA international affiliate, joining a growing network of local government organizations worldwide.

The affiliation agreement was formalized on November 8, 2014, by ICMA President Jim Bennett, ICMA Executive Director Bob O’Neill, ALAT chairman Dr. Didas Massaburi, and ALAT secretary general Habraham Shamumoyo.

In the agreement, the two organizations agree to work together to share information and resources, seek opportunities to work cooperatively on international consulting projects, jointly promote the values and ethics of professional management, and participate in the International Management Exchange Program. ALAT will designate a representative to serve on the ICMA International Committee.

ICMA came to work with ALAT through the Durban-Dar es Salaam Climate Change Partnership which is enacted through the CityLinks program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The partnership paired experts from Durban, South Africa with officials from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to identify and address key climate change issues facing the city.

Most recently, the CityLinks team traveled to Dar es Salaam to facilitate a local government capacity building workshop in conjunction with the Durban Adaptation Charter (DAC) and ALAT. Workshop participants included directors, mayors, and chairpersons from Tanzania’s 168 local governments, as well as officials from other local governments in South Africa and Ghana.

During this workshop, ALAT reached an official resolution in support of advancing an integrated response to climate change within East Africa. This resolution comes at an especially poignant time, when so much of the world is gearing up for the 21st United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change occurring in Paris in just a few short months. Part of the resolution reads as follows:

“[All the local government political leaders and executives from across Tanzania] are:
…Recognising that Tanzania’s cities and urban centres are growing rapidly and by 2030 will host more than 50 per cent of the population; that this presents an opportunity to boldly re-think current urban development trajectories while also addressing vulnerabilities and risks to which African populations are increasingly exposed in both rural and urban areas;

“…Urging that the Tanzanian national government, and all others throughout Africa, commit to work collaboratively with local government and sub-national authorities to ensure they are able to access human and financial resources in order to fast-track the implementation of locally appropriate, pro-poor low carbon and resilient actions;

“…Committed to take action by signing and promoting the Durban Adaptation Charter, and have resolved to convene climate change regional committees and local committees, within every local government, within Tanzania to enhance climate change adaptation implementation, communication and coordination.”

This commitment to enacting change through regional climate governance models comes as a result of ALAT’s CityLinks supported effort. ALAT is an autonomous, membership-based organization that brings together 161 city and district councils on mainland of Tanzania. It was established in 1985 with its own constitution and is a registered civil society. ALAT is a unifying voice and representative body of local governments in Tanzania. The association works with the national government, parliament, and other regional government structures.

ALAT’s Annual General Assembly, which is the highest policy and decision making body, draws mayors, chairmen, and directors from 133 member councils as well as members of parliament from each of the 21 regions on Tanzania’s mainland.

To learn more about the CityLinks program, visit the CityLinks website and the Notes from CityLinks blog, follow us on Twitter at @ICMACityLinks, like us on Facebook, and join the climate change discussion in the Climate Preparedness, Adaptation, and Resilience group on the Knowledge Network. Visit ICMA the ICMA International site for additional information about ICMA’s global projects.