A five-member delegation of Guyanese municipal leaders participated in the 28th Inter-American Conference of Mayors and Local Authorities, held in Miami-Dade County, Florida, from September 29 to 30.
Guyana’s delegation included Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore, Linden Mayor Dominic Blair, Linden Deputy Mayor Wainwright Bethune, New Amsterdam Mayor Wainwright McIntosh and New Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Kirk Fraser.
Held under the theme “Governance in Transition: Cities Leading in a New Global Era,” the conference brought together local government leaders from across the Americas to discuss municipal governance, economic development, innovation, infrastructure and international cooperation.
Mayor Mentore participated as a speaker on Panel 3, “Reimagining Sister Cities for Economic Impact,” where discussions focused on using city-to-city relationships to create opportunities for trade, investment, institutional cooperation and knowledge exchange.
Mentore’s participation also builds on the relationship between Georgetown and Miami-Dade County. The two jurisdictions signed a Sister Cities International Agreement in 2025, establishing a framework for cooperation and exchanges.
The participation of mayors and deputy mayors from Georgetown, Linden and New Amsterdam provided Guyana with representation from three of its major municipalities and an opportunity to highlight the challenges and development priorities facing local authorities outside the national capital.
The delegation also had an opportunity to engage with municipal officials and development partners from other countries, with discussions potentially opening avenues for technical cooperation, training, investment and future city-to-city partnerships.
The conference concluded on September 30 following two days of discussions among municipal leaders and other participants from across the Americas.
