Local authority leaders from 15 African countries have agreed to promote participatory budgeting in their respective municipalities and countries.

The leaders, who attended a seminar on Local Governance in Africa, convened in Saly, Senegal on 13-17 October by Partenariat pour le Développement Municipal, Environnement Développement et Actions dans le Tiers Mond, Innovations Environnement Développement en Afrique, UN-HABITAT, the World Bank and its partners, appealed to their African colleagues to introduce participatory budgeting as an open and structured local political and social platform.

The local leaders from Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauretania, Niger, Rwanda, and Senegal said participatory budgeting offered the opportunity to address challenges and responsibilities in local development, jointly with elected leaders, the civil society and development organizations.

They asked financial partner organisations to consider engagement with local leaders, and to develop mechanisms to improve, consolidate and scale up successful practices, in particular through field visits and exchanges.

They added that participatory budgeting was needed to eliminate misunderstanding, tension and violence, and to develop trust, collaboration and tolerance among the various actors.