UMM's Technical Assistance to Middle East

The UCLG Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Committee organized, together with UCLG Lebanon and Jordania/BTVL, the Committee of Lebanese Mayors and the Urban Community Al-Fayhaa, the regional seminar on "Decentralisation in the Near East", held in Tripoli (Lebanon) on 17-19 October.

The seminar was part of a series of training and awareness-raising activities of the UCLG Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Committee and wanted to raise awareness about the state of decentralisation in the region and, particularly, to analyze the decentralisation process in Lebanon in view of the discussions which are in course about a new bill of administrative decentralisation law.

The seminar was addressed to local elected representatives of the countries of this region and their associations to prioritize the analysis of decentralisation experiences of countries of other regions that may serve as example to Near East countries.

The Delegation of the Union of Municipalities of Marmara has attended to this regional seminar on "Decentralisation in the Near East" to share the best practices of the Union with Lebanese local authorities. The delegation of the UMM has expressed to the participants that the experience of Turkey on local governance could be considered as a good example to Lebanon while trying to realize local governance reform in the country.

Mayor of Bursa/Yenişehir of the UMM delegation expressed that UMM would like to assist to the Committee of Lebanese Mayors and the Urban Community in this process.

The meeting has been co-organized by Committee of Lebanese Mayors and the Urban Community, Governor of the Barcelona, UCLG Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Committee. The opening speech of the seminar was made by President of the Lebanon General Michel Sleiman. Prime Minister of Lebanon Mr Fouad Siniora and Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Mr. Ziad Baroud has attended the seminar.

The seminar hosted the representatives of the local and regional authorities, development and research institutes from Middle East, Turkey and Europe. The representatives of local authorities of Turkey to this seminar were Union of Municipalities of Turkey and Union of Municipalities of Marmara. Members of the delegation attended to the meeting to represent Turkey were Mayor of Bursa/Yenişehir, Member of the EU& International Relations Commission of UMM Assembly Mr. Bülent Hamdi Cingil, Director of the EU& International Relations Centre of the UMM Mr. Murat Daoudov, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Middle East Office Representative Mr. Adem Varıcı, Mayor of Nevşehir, Executive Committee Member of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey Mr. Hasan Ünver, UCLG-MEWA Project Manager Kerimcan Yıldırım.

Besides that the ambassadors of France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Head of the EU Delegation and representatives of the cooperation agencies of EU countries attended the meeting.

On the other hand Director of the EU& International Relations Centre of the UMM Mr. Murat Daoudov has expressed the advantages of the public institution model and explained about the local authority union model of Turkey. He mentioned about the cooperation ongoing together with the Union of Municipalities of Marmara and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs of Jordan and expressed that "we are ready to assist on this issue to Lebanon and other countries in Middle East". Mayor of Nevşehir Mr. Hasan Ünver stressed that; how the local government reform strengthened the local authorities of Turkey and carried to the development level of Europe.

Turkish delegation's high efforts to contribute and negotiate at the highest level, consequently resulted that in the accepted final report of the seminar, it is attributed to benefit from the best practices and experiences of Turkey

At the same time Turkish delegation has visited the Turkish and Lebanon Amity Association situated in Tripoli city of Lebanon and has been informed about the activities. The managers of the association has expressed that the role of the association between Turkey and Lebanon is crucial and has explained to the representatives of the UMM about the need for books published in Turkish to use for voluntarily organized language course.

Member of the EU& International Relations Commission of UMM Assembly Mr. Bülent Hamdi Cingil and Director of EU& International Relations Centre of the UMM Mr. Murat Daoudov visited the Mayor of Tripoli Mr. Rachid El-Cemali. Mayor of Bursa/Yenişehir Mr. Bülent Hamdi Cingil gave a souvenir from UMM to Mayor of Tripoli Mr. Rachid El-Cemali.

Mayors talked about the same characteristics of their cities both have. These cities both have clock towers are souvenir of Sultan Abdulhamid II. Mayor of Bursa/Yenişehir Mr. Bülent Hamdi Cingil has invited the Mayor of Tripoli Mr. Rachid El-Cemali to Turkey mentioned about the possible cooperation on common historical heritage.

Source: http://www.marmara.gov.tr/newsdetail.aspx?newsId=609