In his report to the mayors on the May 10-21, 1999 Mayoral Mission to Senegal and Ghana in West Africa, Conference President Mayor Wellington E. Webb of Denver stated that, "This historic event launched the Conference of Mayors’ CITIES/2000 millennium initiative."

Impetus for the trip, Mayor Webb noted, arose from the Conference of Mayors’ long-standing international involvement, including study missions to Israel, Singapore, Taiwan, Argentina, Poland, and other nations through the years, and also from the impetus of the "Summit on Africa," held at the Conference’s January 1998 Winter Meeting.

An additional reason for the study mission was to give the mission’s members an opportunity to serve as delegates to the "Fifth African-African American Summit" in Accra, Ghana, May 16-21, created by The Reverend Dr. Leon Sullivan.

In addition to Mayor Webb, leader of the delegation, the other members were Mayors Charles Box of Rockford, Joseph P. Ganim of Bridgeport, James A. Garner of Hempstead, Patsy Jo Hilliard of East Point, Sharpe James of Newark, David Moore of Beaumont, Marilyn Murrell of Arcadia (OK), Jesse Norwood of Prichard (AL), Don Plusquellic of Akron, Kurt Schmoke of Baltimore, and James H. Sills of Wilmington. J. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director of the Conference of Mayors, accompanied the delegation.

Goals of the trip included identifying specific needs and challenges of mayors in Senegal and Ghana in order to forge a long-term sustainable relationship with them, Mayor Webb noted.

Tribute to British Airways for Its Support

Mayor Webb paid special tribute and thanks to British Airways for its important support for the mayoral mission to Africa. "On behalf of The U. S. Conference of Mayors," he said, "we deeply appreciate that British Airways was a sponsor of the trip and provided free transportation for the mayoral delegation to and from Africa. Their support helped make this historic mission possible," he emphasized.

Mayors Leadership Institutes in Ghana and Senegal

Mayor Webb pointed out that the Conference of Mayors’ delegation conducted a Mayors Leadership Institute in each nation, exchanging information on a variety of issues, including economic development, financial management, decentralization of power to central governments, association-building, and development of Sister City relationships.

In Senegal, the mayor of Dakar, The Honorable Mamadou Diop, was an active part of the mayors’ seminar. In Ghana, the mayor of Dakar, The Honorable Samuel Victor Addo, was also a key participant and contributor to the discussions.

"Our goal in working with mayors in Senegal and Accra was not only to share information but also to lay the groundwork for cooperation on specific projects, in areas such as solar energy, water, waste management, and the environment," Mayor Webb emphasized..

Mayor Webb praised Mayor Sills for work he had already undertaken during the preceding year with a village in Ghana. While in Ghana with the delegation, Mayor Sills traveled to that village, delivering a check for $10,000 for specific water projects.

Of the interactive seminars with Ghanaian and Senegalese mayors, Mayor Webb said, "Without question, the spirit of our work in Senegal and Ghana will lead to collaborative relations in the immediate future."

"We left as slaves. We came back as Mayors of America’s cities."

He pointed out that on an emotional level, many members of the delegation, which included mayors both Democratic and Republican, both black and white, felt that they had returned home. In Dakar, Mayor Webb had stated, "In 1619 we left here as slaves. Today we have come back as mayors of American cities." He noted that the delegation’s visit to GorČe Island in Senegal had also been a powerful and moving experience.

On a professional level, he noted, "We plan to contribute to democracy-building, economic development, and to encourage increased trade and investment. One such way is for us to continue to support the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which passed the House of Representatives last year, but died in the Senate. We must continue to work for passage of that legislation."

Mayor Webb concluded his report, expressing his determination that mayors become more effectively involved in U.S. foreign policy toward Africa. To explore that issue, he noted, he had organized a panel in the International Affairs Committee’s meeting in New Orleans, which included Robert L. Mallett, Deputy Secretary of the U. S. Department of Commerce, and Herb Tyson, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, U. S. Department of State.

"We shall continue to focus upon follow-up steps from this historic mission to Africa by the U. S. Conference of Mayors," he said. "I ask for your help on this initiative as we move forward into this next year."