From December 4^th - 8^th about 5000 participants, representing the public and private sector from all around the world, will exchange experiences and ideas during thematic sessions, special sessions organized at the request of institutions, agencies or networks wishing to work with local governments of Africa, and political meetings. This makes Africities the most important forum for dialogue on decentralization, local governance and development in Africa. As a platform for interchange of ideas and experiences, its 6^th edition focuses on: “Building Africa from its Territories: What challenges for the local governments?”

UNCDF’s Local Development Finance Practice supports decentralization, works on raising public investment at the local level and promotes gender equality in local development. UNCDF will share results and lessons learnt from experiences in these areas of intervention through several events:

• Special session on GELD (Gender Equitable Local Development programme), showing “the promising Results of Mainstreaming Gender into Local Authorities in Africa”. The Objective of this Special Panel is to offer a space to governments, civil society organizations, UN Agencies and delegates and the broader international community to discuss ideas and experiences for building a more equal world. (Tuesday 4^th December at 2.30PM - Hôtel des Almadies, Club);
• Special Session on “Financing Local Economic Development” where, experts and practitioners will look at the practicalities of financing Local Development, and its opportunities and threats from a public and private point of view. (Thursday, 6^th December at 9.00AM - Centre de Conférence Salle St. Louis 1^st floor);
• Launch of the “Local Cross Border Initiative” (LOBI), which will support and strengthen the governance of two West African cross-border regions through the definition of regional and national strategies and the piloting of cross-border local development processes to improve economic stability and human security in these regions. (Wednesday 5^th December at 10.30AM - UN Stand);
• Event on UNCDF’s «Système d’Analyse Financière et Institutionnelle des Collectivités Locales» (SAFIC), a support tool for local decision-making, sought to strengthen self-management capacities of rural communities and for effective decentralization in West Africa (Friday, 7^th December 10 AM - UN Stand).

UNCDF’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Marc Bichler, will participate in UEMOA’s High Level Panel on Thursday, 6^th December at 9AM.

Furthermore, UNCDF will participate in a number of sessions, like the Thematic Session on “African Spaces and Territories”, the Special Session on the « Territorial Approach on Local Economic Development in Africa», the Special Session on Women, the GIZ/ DeLOG meeting and the PPIAF/WB PEFA workshop.