Knowledgeable, skilled mayors needed to drive change in Ethiopia’s cities

Abstract

A three-day multi-stakeholder capacity development workshop to support the building of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels of the Ethiopian urban governance system opened in Addis Ababa today under the theme Transformational Leadership for Sustainable Urban Development. In a speech read on his behalf, Ethiopia’s Urban Development and Construction State Minister, Tazer Tazer Gebre-Egziabher, hailed the United Nations for hosting the workshop that he said will no doubt help his ministry in developing and shaping the country’s urban leaders. The workshop, he said, will also allow the participants to learn more about the sustainable development goals and share experience in implementing them, adding his ministry will continue to work with the UN to strengthen the urban leaders’ experience. For her part, Alessandra Casazza, representing the UN, said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides an unprecedented and unique opportunity to deliver a more prosperous, just and greener world to everyone. The workshop aims to prepare city officials to contribute towards the building of democratic good urban-governance and promoting active engagement of the urban population.