Being the first female mayor in the country, it could be recalled that the BCC mayoress was recently elected as the president of African Capital Cities Sustainability Forum; (ACCSF).
In a brief interview with The Point, the BCC Mayoress Lowe commended the executive members of GPM for the trust and confidence they bestowed on her by appointing her to be part of the executive members of GPM, while assuring to live up to expectation.
“My objective has always and will always be supporting and uplifting Gambian women and that of Africa and the World at large. During my three years, I will do everything possible in ensuring that we achieve the objectives of GPM.”
The executive director of GPM, Caroline Schep was quoted as saying: “The GPM is very proud of the appointment of Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, the first Gambian female mayor and recently elected President of African Capital Cities Forum.”
“Mayore Lowe’s strong city leadership, her commitment to advance international cooperation and especially female political leadership will benefit the Global Parliament of Mayors in its endeavour to strengthen solidarity amongst mayors to take position on critical challenges that face humanity to create better solutions for the world and its citizens”.
About Global Parliament of Mayors
The Global Parliament of Mayors was established in October 2017, inspired by Dr. Benjamin Barber, the author of ‘If Mayors Ruled the World’ and renowned international political theorist. Today its members represent more than 83 million citizens worldwide – a number that is steadily growing as more and more mayors realise there is strength in unity.
The Global Parliament of Mayors is a governance body of, by and for mayors from all continents. It builds on the experience, expertise and leadership of mayors in tackling local challenges resulting from global problems. At the same time, it brings local knowledge to the table and thus participates actively in global strategy debates and underscores the needs for practical, action-oriented solutions.
The GPM is about local government, based on the city’s right to self-government. The GPM promotes collective city decision-making across national borders, addressing critical challenges that face humankind, and creating better outcomes for all.
With over half of the world’s population living in cities and metropolitan regions, an increasing number of tasks is being delegated from national governments to municipalities and regions. Cities contribute more than 85% of the Gross National Income (GNI) to their nations. Therefore, they need to be actively engaged in decision-making by international organisations.
The GPM aims to be involved in the debates about critical issues in cities and to participate actively in decision-making. Intervening in discussions at the UN, OECD and other assemblies, the GPM promotes proposals and demands of mayors, draws on successfully implemented policies and activities by mayors around the world and creates greater awareness of the crucial role cities play in our interdependent world.
