The Forum, whose working sessions will be held at the University of Illinois-Chicago's Conference Center April 28-30, is co-hosted by Mayor Daley and Chicago's sister city partners, Mayor Omar Maani of Amman, Jordan, and Mayor Mohamed Sajid of Casablanca, Morocco.
More than 50 municipal leaders from the U.S., Canada and the Arab world are attending the meeting including leaders from Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar and Yemen.
"As mayors and leaders of municipal government, we share the same challenges. And as technology continues to advance, we all are faced with the challenge and opportunity of living and working in a global economy," said Daley. "We are also on the front lines when it comes to dealing with issues like transportation, education, crime and the environment on behalf of our residents."
"That's why a meeting such as this one is important. The information we exchange here and the relationships we build will pay great benefits to all our cities and our residents in the time to come," Daley said.
In addition, Mayor Maani pointed out the importance of this forum by saying, "we are looking forward to share experiences and best practices with our colleagues from the U.S. and Arab cities. The municipal challenges are relatively the same among all cities and our gathering during this forum will give us the opportunity to learn and share best practices to better serve our citizens."
"By organizing this significant event, the city of Chicago is contributing to the strengthening of the relationship between local governments in the United States and Arab countries," said Mayor Sajid. "The objectives of our meetings are a dialogue and the exchange of good practices, a requirement for the promotion of durable and prosperous cities."
The conference agenda focuses on three major topics: Economic Development and Improved Quality of Life, Education and Youth and the Environment and Sustainability.
