We are delighted to welcome our new members to the UCLG ASPAC community: the Kiribati Local Government Association (KiLGA) and the Municipality of Pangkal Pinang (Indonesia). The UCLG Executive Bureau Members unanimously approved their memberships during its meeting in Paris on 5 December 2015. It is our pleasure to introduce them to you in our E-Newsletter, starting from this January Edition. Our introductory article starts with KiLGA, an association supporting local councils in the Republic of Kiribati.
Kiribati Local Government Association (KiLGA)
Comprising 33 coral islands, the Republic of Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) is an independent republic located in the central Pacific Ocean, around 4,000 km southwest of Hawaii. With a population of 105,912 people (as of 1st January 2016), Kiribati is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and a part of the division of the Pacific islands known as Micronesia. The capital of Kiribati is Tarawa, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands. Meanwhile, Bairiki, an islet of Tarawa, serves as an administrative center.
Kiribati’s central government fully supports and assists local government. Kiribati has local governments represented across 21 inhabited islands, known as councils. Two types of local government exist across Kiribati: town (urban) and island (rural) councils.
Established on March 2012, the Kiribati Local Government Association (KiLGA) is led by Romano Reo, the Mayor of Betio Town Council. The Association plays an important role in assisting the Republic’s 23 Councils to serve their communities better in dealing with current issues and challenges. As a young association, KiLGA has strengthened itself through capacity building and training carried out both on site and by involvement in regional workshops, lobbying, and advocacy meetings. KiLGA has received support from the Local Government Associations (ARIAL) and its partners the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Pacific and the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI). Other developments partners include the LGAQ, LGMA, Canada Fund, UNDP, UNICEF and ChildFund NZ, have assisted or worked collaboratively with KiLGA.
UCLG ASPAC welcomes KiLGA and hopes they would be able to gain benefits being a member of the Organization, including better networking and peer-to-peer learning towards sustainable development in Kiribati.
Visit KiLGA’s website here:http://www.kilga.org.ki
