Medcities General Assembly 2008 Bolsters City Development Strategy Restart in Northern Lebanon

Aerial view of Tripoli, Lebanon, ancestral hometown of the Akouri Family

(TRIPOLI, LB)...An encouraging development and sign of hope in a war-torn region is the reopening of the city development strategy (CDS) in northern Lebanon for the Al Fayhaa Union of Municipalities that link three cities—Tripoli, El Mina and Beddaway. The Governor of North Lebanon, Mr. Nassif Kalouch, together with the chairman of the Union and the Mayor of Tripoli, Rachid Jamali, presided over the opening ceremonies and the launch that included a meeting of the CDS Committee, followed by a townhall meeting for local stakeholders, international partners, and the press.

In a show of support in connection with the reopening of the CDS, Medcities hosted its General Assembly 2008 in Tripoli, Lebanon from 29 January to 1 February. Medcities is a network of Mediterranean coastal cities created in Barcelona in November 1991 at the initiative of the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program (METAP). The goal of Medcities is to strengthen the environmental and sustainable development management capabilities of local administration. Medcities will, under the co-ordination of Barcelona, set up a working group to promote the use of sustainable city development strategies in the region.

The Al Fayhaa Union of Municipalities is looking to develop a CDS to promote economic growth, increase employment, improve governance, and alleviate urban poverty. The CDS will contain a local economic development strategy and investment plan for urban renewal and environmental management. The original start of the CDS was delayed due to political uncertainties and security concerns in northern Lebanon in 2006.