The Board meeting is held once a year and is the main decision-making forum to agree CLGF’s policies, priorities and future work including developing its programme of work in Southern Africa.

The Board will also receive recent political developments in local government from around the Commonwealth, and discuss how CLGF can provide support in countries such as Pakistan where democratic local government is under threat.

CLGF Chairperson Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers, who is also Mayor of Belize City Council, said:

“We are very pleased that the government of Botswana is hosting our meetings for these important discussions.

“CLGF has an extensive programme of work to promote and support democratic local government throughout the Commonwealth including the regional programme in southern Africa building on current work in the region including with Botswana, Malawi, and South Africa.”

The week of events includes

·        a CLGF meeting with ministers of local government from southern Africa,  

·        a consultation meeting with CLGF’s African members on Wednesday to involve members in reshaping its mission statement and business plan to ensure that CLGF is responding to its members’ needs; this will be the first of a series of regional consultations to do this,

·        meetings of CLGF representatives with Botswana’s Hon Vice President Lieutenant General M S Merafhe and with the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba in Gaborone, and

·        the first ever Botswana local government conference where members of the CLGF joined Botswana local government colleagues to discuss strengthening local government which took place from 22-23 February: members of the CLGF Board took part in this two-day local government conference, officially opened by Hon Vice President of Botswana. CLGF former chairperson Basil Morrison gave the opening keynote address. Mr Morrison told delegates that local government must be accountable, and must have the confidence of its communities and central government if it is to be sustainable.  Cllr Dame Margaret Eaton DL, Chairman of the Local Government Association of England and Wales. made a keynote address on the role of local authorities in sustaining local economies.

Mayor Moya-Flowers  said:

“CLGF is a rich network of local government ministries, associations and councils. Many countries in the Commonwealth are developing or reshaping their local government systems, including in my own country of Belize, and we have a lot to learn from each other. We will all take away ideas with us which will help us enrich and review our own thinking including inputting into our major Commonwealth Local Government Conference which will be held in Cardiff in March 2011 with the theme of Energising local economies: partnerships for prosperous communities.”