Strengthening ties in the ICLEI network: Africa and Oceania forge closer collaboration on sustainability action

Relations among city partners and regional offices within the ICLEI network were further strengthened yesterday in Cape Town. ICLEI Africa and Interim Regional Director for Oceania, Ms Kobie Brand, and ICLEI Oceania’s Operations Manager, Mr Luigi Zarro, initiated plans for an official visit by the City of Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews, to the City of Sydney in May 2025. The discussions, held in the Mayor’s Chambers, mark a significant step in fostering collaboration between the two cities.

For Deputy Mayor Andrews, this visit represents a unique opportunity to connect with and learn from one of Australia’s leading cities for tangible action on urban renewal, water management, biodiversity and indigenous relations. During the visit, Deputy Mayor Andrews is also expected to meet with the City of Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore, one of the world’s leading mayors instrumental in overseeing a decades-long tenure that has raised Sydney’s international profile. 

With the support of ICLEI Oceania, this official visit will include briefings from the New South Wales Government on its groundbreaking urban renewal initiatives in Sydney’s city centre and waterfront. Key engagements are being planned with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, which oversees major projects in the city, like Barangaroo, as well as with its specialist agencies like Landcom, a state government enterprise leading sustainable land and built environment development.

This collaboration underscores the ICLEI network’s commitment to fostering knowledge exchange and partnerships that drive sustainable urban development.

ICLEI Oceania’s Operations Manager, Mr Luigi Zarro, City of Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews, and ICLEI Africa and Interim Regional Director for Oceania, Ms Kobie Brand.