UCLG’s 21st Century Maritime Corporation Committee Conference hosted by the Mayor of the Municipality of Fuzhou, China.

21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) is a committee of United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), jointly initiated by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government. 

It was established after approval in April 2017 at the UCLG ASPAC Executive Bureau Meeting held in Catbalogan, the Philippines. It is a non-profit international organisation composed of the members of UCLG and other cities and organisations that accept the Charter of the Committee. The site and the secretariat of the Committee shall be permanently located in Fuzhou, Fujian, China. Here are some specific objectives;

1. To promote strong and effective democratic local self-government throughout the region/world by fostering unity and cooperation among members. 

2. To ensure effective political representation of local government to the UN and other international communities. 

3. To be the worldwide source of key information on local government, learning, exchange, and capacity building to support democratic local governments and their associations. 

4. To promote economic, social, cultural, vocational and environmental development by enhancing the services to citizens based on good governance. 

5. To promote race and gender equality, combating discrimination, promoting decentralised cooperation and international cooperation between local governments and their associations. 

6. To promote twinning and partnership between local governments and peoples. 

Small island nations in the Caribbean are among the countries in the world most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and stronger.

A contingent of three experience Local Government Practitioners were selected to attend this annual conference. The 2023 edition of this conference was being hosted face to face for the first time since the end of the Covid 19 restrictions. The members of the contingent included former Councillor Paul Leacock, Councillor Kwesi Antoine and Alderman Henry Awong the Chairman/Mayor of the Couva/Tabaquite Regional Corporation. Chairman Henry Awong attended the conference on one previous occasion while former Councillor Leacock represented TTALGA on two previous occasions. 

TTALGA’s Office staff made and confirmed all the travel arrangements and ensured that a small stipend was made available to each member of the contingent. The travel time totaled just over 23 hours. Layovers were required to ensure that there was little chance of missing connecting flights due to unexpected delays or immigration processing. The longest layover was required en route from England to Shanghai and England to New York on our return. The contingent was hosted by Mr. & Mrs. Ja Ja Din Garnes and Marcia Leacock Garnes and Family, a Trinidadian family resident in London. We sincerely thank the Garnes family for the hospitality and warmth extended to us.