Mayors’ Association to Play a Greater Role…

The implementation of the sustainable and child friendly municipalities’ initiative falls in line with the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The MDG’s were signed back in 2000; they focus on safety, education and health for youths. While the MDGs have been measured at the national level, it is only through the local authorities or local government that the goals to alleviate poverty and address the many other social issues can be realized. The Dangriga and the Punta Gorda Town Councils and the Belize City Council, though local authorities, have already embarked on initiatives within their respective areas that would foster child friendly municipalities. President of the Belize Mayor’s Association, Simeon Lopez explains.

Simeon Lopez, President, Belize Mayor’s Association

Simeon Lopez

“My wish is that the mayor’s association will play a great role in this initiative in the year or years to come. Today, as we sit in this room for this planning session, we hope that all of us will be able to gain more knowledge of what a sustainable or child friendly city or town is all about. The Belize Mayor’s Association should be able to continue with this initiative. With this thought then as I look at the screen here, I hope that in the future the logo of the Belize Mayor’s Association will also be placed on the screen or this thing here because we hope to play an important role in this particular initiative.”

Candelaria Saldivar-Morter

Candelaria Saldivar-Morter, C.E.O., Ministry of Local Government/Rural Development

“Even though it is a project for the sake of what is being done at the ministry, a project connotes a definite start and end date. So while there is a definite start and end date for the project management in the industry—the first of September 2014 to the thirty-first of December 2015—the effort, and energies towards sustainable and child friendly municipalities will continue where they matter most, in the municipalities. Earlier this year, the ministry entered into a partnership with the Mayor’s Association UNDP and UNICEF to pursue this initiative. As we all know, September is a busy month of the municipalities with all the activities leading to the tenth and twenty-first celebrations. Therefore, we decided that this introductory workshop be held today and the official launch of the municipal seal initiative be held on the twenty-sixth of September. This introductory workshop is aimed at sensitizing you as members of your councils and citizens living in the municipalities about this initiative. It is important for you all to understand the concept of the initiative so that you may be able to offer the necessary support to the administrators of this initiative.The municipalities will therefore have to find an appropriate point of entry for collaboration with the Central Government agencies to address the MDGs; this is the municipal seal….it is the localizing of the MDGs…exploring how the interventions of the municipalities can accelerate the achievement of the MDGs.”