Our association is so relevant that it is going to have to evolve a lot. This is a shared observation that emerged in 2023 following the Dakar conference, the Bogota Forum, the launch of the pilot project in Madagascar, and the various debates we had internally and with CODATU’s partners.
The initial idea of the founders and pioneers of CODATU in the 80s, 90s and beyond, whom we can never thank enough, was that of dialogue between actors, academics, professionals, decision-makers, from the North and the South, in order to better understand the problems of mobility in the cities of the South and identify solutions.
This dialogue must absolutely continue, and that’s why we’re stepping up and broadening our associative activities and the conferences and forums we continue to organise in new ways.
However, the rapid urbanisation of the global South, climate change, globalisation and the digital revolution all point to an immediate need for support for local players, so that the right projects can emerge and sustainable solutions can be found. CODATU is unique in the world in terms of its associative status, the diversity of its members, its history and its progressive achievements: training courses, publications, technical cooperation, pilot projects, etc.
Given the challenges and the historical situation of mobility in the cities of the South, we have a particularly legitimate role to play in supporting local and national governments, and influencing them where necessary. We need to position ourselves much more centrally in the game of international urban mobility players, which until now has not been sufficiently effective, as recalled in our Dakar Declaration in October 2022.
So, in 2023, the association launched its first reflections on an ambitious 2030 vision. This will be finalised in 2024, with all our members and partners. Throughout our 2023 activity report, you will find the foundations on which we will build this vision.
François DUROVRAY
