2026 | Namur, Porto-Novo and the UVCW sign a tripartite agreement as part of municipal international cooperation

A tripartite agreement between the City of Namur, the City of Porto-Novo (Benin) and the Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia (UVCW) was signed in Namur on 10 June 2026, during the visit of Rachadou Toukourou, Mayor of Porto-Novo, as part of the 107th Bureau meeting of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) hosted in Namur.

This partnership forms part of the Municipal International Cooperation Programme (CIC), coordinated by the UVCW and funded by Belgian Development Cooperation. The 2026 agreement is dedicated to preparing the 2027–2031 programme.

The programme aims to strengthen the capacities of partner local authorities around shared priorities such as local governance (land management, civil registration, finance and human resources), sustainable development and resilience to the effects of climate change.

Alongside this event, the inaugural meeting of the AIMF “Social Precarity” Commission was held in Namur, co-chaired by the City of Porto-Novo and the City of Namur.

Porto-Novo shares several points in common with Namur: both cities are members of the AIMF, have capital city status and are recognised as UNESCO Creative Cities, all of which reinforce the coherence and depth of their partnership.