BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Feb. 29, 2024
Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner has been elected as the new Chairman of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Executive Board at the most recent CLGF general meeting held on February 22, 2024. Mayor Wagner’s election to this new position comes at a pivotal moment, just ahead of the 2024 Municipal Elections scheduled for March 6, 2024.
Having been an active member of CLGF where he has represented the organization, the Belize Mayors’ Association and Belize City at numerous international conferences, Mayor Wagner brings a certain level of experience to his new role.
The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) serves as a platform for promoting and strengthening democratic local government across the Commonwealth, encompassing more than 200 members spanning 47 Commonwealth countries. This membership includes local government associations, councils, ministries responsible for local government, as well as associate members such as universities and professional organizations. CLGF represents regions across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, providing a unified voice to advocate for greater empowerment at the local level. In addition to the Commonwealth, CLGF also works closely with international partners such as the United Nations and the European Union.
The organization is governed by the CLGF Board, elected every two years at the General Meeting of members. The Board, which Mayor Wagner now chairs, is composed of a diverse set of representatives. In addition to Mayor Wagner, the newly constituted executive committee has two new Vice Chairpersons – Hon. Georges Elanga Obam, Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development in Cameroon, and Hon. David Kolade Alabi, representing the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria. Other members of the committee include Hon. Richard Frederick of the Ministry of Local Government in St Lucia, Councillor Jeannette Nyiramasengesho representing the Rwanda Association of Local Government and more.
The Amandala asked Mayor Wagner how he felt about this new position: “I am extremely humbled and filled with gratitude to have been chosen by my peers to serve for the next two years in the capacity of Board Chairman of this prestigious global Commonwealth body. I will undoubtedly continue as my predecessor did, to expand and strengthen the role of CLGF in advocating and building upon its call for sustainable development and urbanization within the Commonwealth. The existential threat of climate change coupled with sluggish efforts in localizing the SDGs will be treated as priority items on our agenda globally,” said Mayor Wagner.