The Mayor of Cape Coast, Hon. Ernest Arthur has joined Mayors and Government representatives in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the 2024 ICLEI World Congress.
ICLEI-Local Government for Sustainability is a global network made up of more than 2,500 cities, towns and regions from around the world. It is the largest network of local and regional governments advancing sustainable development worldwide.
On Thursday, Mayor Arthur joined a panel discussion on the topic, centering human rights in equitable and just climate adaptation in the Global South. Mayor Arthur, talked about the interrelatedness of rights, and the importance of supporting citizens to understand their rights.
He also explained that Ghana’s policy of planting 6 million trees every year is based on a system of shared and equitable responsibility. In Cape Coast everyone from street vendors to city officials, businesspeople, plant trees without payment or compensation for loss of income on an ordinary workday.
To ensure the success of the tree planning programme, the city engaged with the entire community from the very beginning, informing them why trees were being planted, and inviting them to come on board to plant trees to ensure they take pride in the initiative, he added.
Other panelists include Vice-Mayor Isabella de Roldao, from the City of Recife, Brazil, Mayor Anil Kumar from the City of Kochi, and Mayor Tiago Lacerda, from Santiago, Brazil.