By Paul Bryan Sladek

In passing H.R. 434, the House of Representatives culminated a two-year effort of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in supporting legislation to help sub-Sahara Africa.

The Conference’s involvement with Africa can be traced back as far as the Fort Wayne Annual Leadership Meeting in September, 1997 where the Conference of Mayors passed strong resolutions in support of legislation to eliminate tariffs and other restrictions on trade with the 48 countries in sub-Sahara Africa.

The Conference took another major step forward when Denver Mayor and now Conference President Wellington E. Webb (then Chair of the Conference’s Advisory Board) led a day-long Mayor’s Summit on Africa January 28, 1998 during The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 66th Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.

"By expanding trade and investment in Africa, by contributing to the region’s political stability, by playing a constructive role in Africa’s ascendance into the global economy, the U.S. can transform a relationship marked by exploitation and extraction into one of partnership and mutual benefit", said Mayor Webb at that Summit.

Numerous political figures including Republicans and Democrats also shared Mayor Webb’s sentiments during the all-day summit. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, the President’s Special Envoy to Africa and President of The Rainbow/Push Coalition, told mayors attending the Winter Meeting that, "Today is healing, hope, and training time for Africa." Jack Kemp, Member of the Board, Constituency for Africa and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development also supported a U.S.-Africa trade alliance saying, "It is the type of relationship and principle that America has historically stood for."

The ambassadors of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe also addressed the Mayor’s Summit. They uniformly stressed the importance of a free market economy and international trade while urging an increase in the purchase of African imports. Likewise, Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger, National Security Advisor to the President, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater, and Congressmen Philip M. Crane (IL), Jim McDermott (WA), William J. Jefferson (LA), and Charles B. Rangel (NY) came to the Summit to express their support for new legislation opening trade with Africa.

As a result, the Conference passed seven major resolutions supporting the expansion of African trade, including one that said The U.S. Conference of Mayors "believes strongly in quick passage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act by Congress in 1998."

And, in fact, the House of Representatives did pass the African Growth and Opportunity Act 233-186 on March 11, 1998. Yet the Senate version of the bill failed, facing opposition from the Senators of southern textile-producing states who feared that the bill would lead to a flood of cheap imports.

The Conference took another major step this year when Mayor Webb (then Vice-President of the Conference) led a delegation of 11 other mayors and Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran, to Senegal and Ghana May 10-21. The mission to Africa launched the U.S. Conference of Mayors CITIES/2000 Millennium Initiative, which had been adopted by the Conference of Mayors’ Executive Committee in January 1999. CITIES/2000 seeks to join U.S. mayors and mayors from the world in efforts aimed at democracy building, increased trade, and the sharing of best practices.

During the historic Africa trip the delegation first went to Dakar, Senegal where they met with the U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and 40 Senegalese mayors. At that meeting, Mayor Webb said that, "We can share with you what has worked for us and hope to learn what has worked for you."

The mission then moved on to Accra, Ghana, where the delegation participated in the Mayors Leadership Seminar on Municipal Leadership along with 35 Ghanaian mayors. In addition they also attended the Fifth African-African American Summit. Mayor Webb delivered a major policy address at the Summit telling delegates that, "Together we can build on strategies that will allow Africa to emerge as a full partner in the global economy."

Most recently, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed 11 resolutions regarding Africa at the 67th Annual Conference in New Orleans June 11-15. Among the policy statements was one expressing that The United States Conference of Mayors "urges Congressional passage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act." With the House’s passage June 16, the bill’s possible enactment now moves to Senate consideration.

Continuing the pattern of Conference support for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, Mayor Webb also plans to hold a meeting in Denver this September with African heads of state to discuss development and democracy.