Programme

The first part of the Forum will be organised around panel discussions, while the second part is built on an interactive “Open Space” methodology “, clustered around the 5Ps of the New European Consensus.

In this session, participants will be able to discuss topics of their interest, interact and generate insights and recommendations directed to the European institutions, through cross-fertilization of ideas. This participatory approach will ensure the ownership of all stakeholders and allow them to actively shape the event conveying policy recommendations to the European Institutions.

We really look forward to meeting you in Brussels on 4-5 February 2019!

Forum Agenda

MONDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2019
8:00 – 9:00	Registration and welcome coffee
9:00 – 9:45	Opening Karl-Heinz LAMBERTZ, President of the European Committee of the Regions Neven MIMICA, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission Souad BEN ABDERRAHIM, Mayor of Tunis, Tunisia Peter KURZ, Mayor of Mannheim, Germany, and member of the European Committee of the Regions Chair: Laurent THIEULE, Director of Legislative work, European Committee of the Regions Venue: Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic and Ukrainian
09:45 – 10:45	International policy framework for urban/local sustainable development El Hadji Malick DIOP, President of the Economic and Financial Committee, Council of Local Governments, West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) Carla MONTESI, Director of Directorate for Planet and Prosperity, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), European Commission Franco IACOP, Member of the European Committee of the Regions and Friuli Venezia Giulia Council Joaquim OLIVEIRA MARTINS, Deputy-Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD Victor KISOB, Assistant-Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director UN-Habitat Moderator: Sascha GABIZON Venue: Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic and Ukrainian
10:45 – 11:00	Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30	Successful partnership initiatives between cities and regions Partnership Phnom Penh – Paris: Nuon PHARAT, Vice-Governor of Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Elodie CUENCA, International Relations General Delegation, City of Paris, France Nicosia Initiative for Libyan municipalities: Abdlraouf BEITELMAL, Mayor of Tripoli and Saqr BUJWARI, Mayor of Benghazi, Libya Partnership Buenos Aires – Madrid: Francisco MUGABURU, General Director, International Cooperation of the Buenos Aires City Government and Antonio ZURITA CONTRERAS, Director General, International Action and Global Citizenship, City of Madrid, Spain Ukraine-EU Peer-to-Peer Cooperation: Arnoldas ABRAMAVICIUS, Member of the European Committee of the Regions, Deputy Mayor of Zarasai Municipality, Lithuania PLATFORMAwards laureates Dogbo – Roeselare: Vincent ACAKPO, Mayor of Dogbo, Benin and Henk KINDT, Deputy Mayor of Roeselare, Belgium Moderator: Sascha GABIZON Venue: Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic and Ukrainian
12:30 – 13:00 12:50 - 13:00	First call for proposals on Local authorities: Partnerships for sustainable cities: Main features Paolo CICCARELLI, Head of Unit Cities, Local Authorities, Digitalisation and Infrastructures, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission Moderator: Sascha GABIZON Venue: Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic and Ukrainian Quick introduction of the afternoon session
13:00 – 14:00	Lunch break Venue: Atriums 5 and 6
14:00 – 18:00 Coffee will be served during this open space session	Open space discussions on partnerships for sustainable urban development The debates aim at generating policies recommendations for the EU institutions. Participants will discuss relevant topics on partnerships for sustainable urban development, identified by them under the 5 Ps. Below are some examples of subtopics to be discussed: Partnership (Strengthening urban governance at various levels of administration): • Integrated urban planning • Public finance management • Land management • Rural-urban and primary and secondary cities linkages • E-governance, databases, municipal digitalisation • Territorial Approach to Local Development People (Social dimension of urban development): • Urban poverty • Forced displacement and migration • Education and training • Food security / Territorial food policy Peace (Inclusive and safe cities): • Inequalities and social exclusion • Local/Regional authorities cooperation in contexts of state fragility • Urban violence • Gender equality and women empowerment Planet (Green and resilient cities): • Urban mobility • Energy efficiency and transition • Water and waste services • Environmental protection Prosperity (Prosperous and innovative cities): • The role of private investments in urban sustainable development • Investment climate at local level • Boosting business development and job creation locally and regionally Moderators: Team of facilitators Venue: Introduction in Room 62 for English speakers, Room 52 for French speakers and Room 51 for Spanish speakers
17:00 – 18:00	The private sector as catalyst for sustainable development Participants from all the open space groups are free to continue their discussions up to 18:00 or join this session Sergio PIAZZARDI, Policy Officer, Competitive Cities and Innovation Unit, Private Sector Development, Trade, Regional Integration, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), European Commission Ben WHITE, Co-Founder of VC4A Venture Capital Platform Moderator: Silke TÖNSHOFF, Head of Unit, CIVEX Commission, European Committee of the Regions Venue: Room 62 Interpretation: English, French and Spanish
18:00 – 18:30	Keynote speech on Development and Migration: Future demographic challenges for African cities Stephen SMITH, Professor of African Studies, Duke University Venue: Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French and Spanish
18:30 – 20:00	Networking Reception Venue: Atriums 5 and 6

TUESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2019
9:00 – 10:30	Discussion among participants on the recommendations stemming from the open space discussions: Rapporteur on Partnership: Jean-Pierre ELONG MBASSI, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments Africa (UCLG-A) Rapporteur on Prosperity: Rosa BALAS TORRES, Director-General for External Action, Regional Government of Extremadura, Spain, Alternate Member of the European Committee of the Regions Rapporteur on Planet: Frédéric VALLIER, Secretary General, Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) Rapporteur on People: Christophe ROUILLON, Mayor of Coulaines, France, and Member of the European Committee of the Regions Rapporteur on Peace: Marie Alexa LOUIS, Director of External Relations, Municipality of Port-au-Prince, Haiti Moderator: Katrina SICHEL Venue: Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French and Spanish
10:30 – 10:45	Coffee break
10:45 – 12:15	High-level debate between local and regional authorities and EU Institutions building on the participants’ recommendations Linda McAVAN, Chair of the Committee on Development, European Parliament Hans JANSSEN, Member of the European Committee of the Regions Stefano MANSERVISI, Director-General of the Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), European Commission Normunds POPENS, Deputy Director-General for Implementation, DG REGIO, European Commission Moderator: Katrina SICHEL Venue: Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French, Spanish, German, Romanian and Arabic
12:15 – 12:45	Closing Călin STOICA. Permanent Representative of Romania to the Political and Security Committee of the European Union Vincenzo BIANCO, European Committee of the Regions Carla MONTESI, Director of Directorate for Planet and Prosperity, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), European Commission Moderator: Katrina SICHEL Rooms 62, 51 and 52 Interpretation: English, French, Spanish, German, Romanian and Arabic
12:45 – 14:00	Lunch and end of the Forum Venue: Atriums 5 and 6

Additional activities organised alongside the Forum will include:

NETWORKING ACTIVITIES

An exhibition with stands presenting relevant decentralised cooperation initiatives
Venue: Foyer 6^th floor
Le Conseil des Collectivités Territoriales de l’Union économique et Monétaire
Ouest Africaine (CCT-UEMOA)
The Covenant of Mayors
European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA)
The Global Village City Hall
The IntegriCities project
International Urban Cooperation (IUC)
The Nicosia Initiative
UNDP

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A networking area allowing representatives and practitioners from local and regional authorities in the EU and partner countries and EU institutions to meet and match their interests
Venue: JDE Foyer 6^th floor, time (tbc)

SIDE EVENTS

Associated events organised by partners after the main event at different premises, to maximise synergies:

Blue-green infrastructures for urban resilience: Partnerships to turn policy into urban resilience practice –Wetlands International Side Event
5 February 2019, 14:00 – 16:30, Aloft Schuman Brussels, Room Tactic 2, Place Jean Rey, 1040 Brussels,
Please find the agenda HERE
To register, please click here

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Presentation of the book "The European Decentralised Cooperation: Acting for development engaging local authorities and civil society", Author Antonella Valmorbida, Edition Peter Lang – Side event organised by ALDA
5 February 2019, 14:30 – 15:30, CoR documentation centre, JDE 1^st floor
To register, please contact Francesco Pala by clicking here

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Coopérer autour de la Migration – Side Event organised by CGLU-Afrique
5 February 2019, 14:30 – 18:00 hrs, Institut International des Sciences Administratives (IISA),
Rue du Commerce 96, 1040, Brussels,
Room number 121, in French and English
Please find here the Concept note
To register, please contact Claire Mandouze by clicking here

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A New Way for Cooperation Policy in More Developed Countries: Technical Cooperation on Decentralized Policies to Promote Innovation and Competitiveness – Side event in Spanish and English co-organised by EURADA and INFYDE:
Organised in the framework of the INNOV-AL project platform funded by the European Parliament Preparatory Action “EU-CELAC cooperation on territorial cohesion”
5 February 2019, Hotel Leopold, rue du Luxembourg, 35, 1050 Ixelles from 14:30 to 18:00
Please find the agenda HERE
Simultaneous interpretation English-Spanish
To register, please contact EURADA and Infyde by clicking here

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Dinner with the screening of “No child without birth certificate!” from 2018 PLATFORMAwards laureates: Dogbo and Roeselare – A side event organised by PLATFORMA
5 February, from 19:00, Thon Hotel EU, Room France | 75, Rue de la Loi, 1040 Brussels
To register, please contact Olivier Baumard by clicking here