Council of Governor’s Chair Anne Waiguru has been elected to the executive bureau of
world’s largest organization of regional governments in the world.
Waiguru was elected as a member of the Executive Bureau of ORU Fogar at the
elections held on Monday during the Annual General Assembly.
The position drew interest from many regions and sub-national governments in Europe,
Latin American, Africa and Asia.
The role of the Executive Bureau is to manage the activities of the organization with the
support of the Secretary General.
ORU Fogar/United Regions Organization is an international organization which aims to
bring together regions from all over the world and represent them before other
international organizations in order to boost a global policy of
balanced development and territorial cohesion with its headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.
ORU Fogar draws its membership from Regional Governments in Europe, Latin
American, Africa and Asia. The Council of Governors has been a member of ORU
Fogar since 2014.
During the elections Rachid El Abdi, President of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional
Council (Morocco), was elected as ORU Fogar’s President. Ahmed Youssouph
Bengelloune from Kaolack, Senegal; Karl-Heinz Lamberts, President of European
Committee of Regions; Juan Luis Mansur, Governor of the province of San Miguel de
Tucumán, Argentina; and Marcelo Carrasco, the president of the National Association of
Regional Councilors of Chile (ANCORE) were elected as Vice Presidents of ORU
Fogar.
ORU Fogar’s founding objectives include to: raise the voice of regions and sub-national
governments in international decisions; defend a new global governance where regions
have a relevant role in encouraging the participation of regional governments in the
creation of new policies; work for regions in order for national governments to take into
account the regional dimension and cultural diversity, through the promotion of
competitiveness and sustainable development.
Earlier, ORU Fogar held an executive bureau to review the activities of the organization for
the past one year.
In his remarks, President of ORU Fogar Rachid El Abdi noted the rising strength of the
network and the rising presence of ORU Fogar in the global agenda.
He emphasized that driven by its founding mission, ORU Fogar must be the voice of
Regions and therefore must represent the interest of devolved governments.
El Abdi stressed on the need for the regions to remain in solidarity in the wake of the
rising geopolitics, climate change and disasters such as the recent Covid-19 which have
greatly impacted economic development.
In her remarks during the General Assembly, Governor Waiguru lauded the various
programmes implemented by the organization and called for enhanced partnership
between regions particularly in the areas of food security, climate change and
community empowerment.
She encouraged regional and sub-national governments to create an enabling
environment for businesses to thrive by developing and implementing policies that
encourage entrepreneurship, investment, and job creation.
The Chair noted that, as stewards of the local environment, Regional and sub-national
governments need to develop policies that protect natural resources, promote clean
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