Photo: Jeremy Wonnacott, DOI, Malta
 

CLGF Secretary-General Dr Greg Munro has visited Malta to meet with the Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Dr Owen Bonnici, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr George W Vella, and Local Councils Association President Dr Marc Sant to discuss the preparations for the next Commonwealth Local Government Conference which Malta will host from the 21-24 November 2017 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. 
 

This is the first time Malta will be hosting this conference, after the successful CHOGM which was held last November. The theme of the conference is Fit for the future: capacity and resources for effective local government and the outcomes of this Conference will be presented to CHOGM 2018, which will take place in the United Kingdom. 
 

Secretary-General Munro, who also met with the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Stefan Buontempo, said that the Management Committee responsible for this Conference commend the work being done in Malta in preparation for this event. He underlined the fact that this event will be a good opportunity for Malta to showcase the work that is being done on a local level. He said that this Conference will focus on strategies aimed at boosting local governments’ resource base and capacity to improve its performance and service delivery and ensure it is fit for purpose to meet the demands of the future. Dr Munro emphasised that CLGF conferences are not ‘talking shops’, but result in practical policy recommendations for implementation by the members throughout the 53 Commonwealth countries.
 

Dr Munro, who was accompanied by CLGF Director of Communications Sue Rhodes,  thanked the Government of Malta for their support for a successful conference. Minister Vella said that he is looking forward to a fruitful conference, showing that the Commonwealth is still relevant for today and the future. Discussions with the Minister Bonnici and the Local Councils Association have focused on some of the innovations taking place in Malta local government which are very relevant throughout the Commonwealth, particularly the many small states in the 53 countries of the Commonwealth.
 

The Commonwealth Local Government Conference is a worldwide event which will provide an excellent opportunity for high-level exchanges between policy makers from around the world, including the United Nations, fellow ministers and also heads of governments. Some 500-600 top local government policy makers and other stakeholders, including heads of governments, ministers, mayors and council leaders as well as senior officials from development agencies, academia and civil society from all the Commonwealth are expected to attend and participate. The conference is held every two years and the last one was in Gaborone, Botswana in 2015.