By Kay Scrimger
February 9, 2004

Under the leadership of Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, the International Affairs Committee met on January 21. Mayors discussed a variety of international issues, including international activities by the Conference of Mayors over the past year, the U.S. Department of State as an important resource to mayors, and the upcoming celebration of the tenth anniversary of Nelson Mandela's ascension to the Presidency of South Africa.

Oberndorf outlined major international efforts of the Conference of Mayors during 2003, which included,

• The Second International Conference of Mayors, held in conjunction with the 71st Annual Conference of Mayors in Denver, June 5-7, 2003;
• Continuing cooperation with Barcelona Mayor Joan Clos, head of the international network of cities known as Metropolis, linking cities of a million or more inhabitants throughout the world; Advisory Board Chair Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill spoke at a Metropolis meeting on transportation in Istanbul in late September;
• The Conference of Mayors Mission to Africa 2003, in which a delegation of U.S. mayors visited South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, and Uganda in a collaborative effort with the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV/AIDS in Africa, which was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and coordinated with the U.S. Department of State.
• President Garner's appointing Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz to attend a London meeting in October on plans for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the end of apartheid in South Africa; and his asking Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis to attend a key meeting in Cameroon of African local officials concerned with HIV/AIDS in late November-early December; and
• Conference President Hempstead (NY) Mayor James A. Garner's participation in a multi-nation trip to Africa in late November, organized by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson in order to view the HIV/AIDS pandemic firsthand.

Nilda R. Pedrosa, Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U. S. Department of State, encouraged mayors to utilize her office. She and her colleagues work to support Secretary Colin Powell's effort to:

• Reach out to the American people with information about U.S. foreign policy,
• Raise the profile of foreign policy issues at the state and local level; and
• Be a catalyst in the exchange of information between officials at the state and local level and the Department of State.

"We want to work with and be a resource for all of you," Pedrosa emphasized. She noted that Ambassador John E. Lange, Deputy Coordinator in the new Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, would be speaking to the newly-formed Conference of Mayors Task Force on HIV/AIDS in Africa at the Winter Meeting. The State Department's Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, headed by Ambassador Randall Tobias, coordinates all international HIV/AIDS activities for all U.S. Government departments and agencies. Ambassador Tobias had hoped to participate at the meeting but was scheduled to be in Davos, Switzerland at that time.

David Freudenwald, Pedrosa's colleague in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, encouraged mayors to contact their office and take advantage of the services available for traveling overseas. For instance, the Department of State can coordinate country or issue briefings, networking opportunities with foreign officials or logistical assistance through its network of U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

Augusta (GA) Mayor Bob Young, a member of the committee, noted how helpful the Intergovernmental Affairs team had been to him during his recent trade mission to China. Oberndorf also noted the strong support and assistance of Pedrosa's office when the Conference of Mayors was planning the Mission to Africa 2003 and other efforts.

The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs can be reached by Telephone (202) 647-5358, Fax: (202) 647-1579, e-mail: paiga@state.gov or on the Internet: www.state.gov

Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the South African Embassy in Washington (DC), spoke about his country's goals and plans for celebration of the tenth anniversary of Nelson Mandela's becoming President, effectively marking the end of apartheid.

"This is an opportunity for us to take stock of where we are in terms of meeting the challenges that remain for South Africa," he said.

"We experienced great good fortune and leadership in 1994. It is given to very few countries to have a Nelson Mandela's moral leadership — to forgive, reconcile, and start a new nation.

"It was a singular opportunity. After ten years, and looking back, we are confident that we are beginning to forge a country that works. For example, we spend 24 percent of our budget on education. We still have challenges, especially HIV/AIDS, and we are working to meet those challenges.

"South Africa is a country worth visiting, worth exploring. We invite all of you to come," he said. "And we believe that this tenth anniversary will be a time for us to be thankful for what happened ten years ago and for the efforts of the last decade as well as to rededicate ourselves to meet the challenges that we face in the years ahead," he added.