" It is in the time of challenge that leadership becomes the most important currency. Leadership at this time needs to ensure confidence, promote positive options, be courageous and think beyond the obvious.  Capital Cities are the economic powerhouses of their nations and it is here that leadership must begin," Lord Mayor Éibhlin Byrne will tell the City Councils and political leaders of Europe's capital cities this evening Monday  October 13th, as Dublin hosts the 48th Annual General Assembly of the Union of the Capitals of the European Union.  

The Assembly gathers as the storm clouds of global economic difficulties   swirl around Europe and the world. The scale and import of these challenges necessitated the speaker due from the World Bank to remain at his desk in Washington. The Assembly focuses on the role of leadership in capital cities in terms of fostering creative economic activity, while also mobilising resources and skills of some of the worlds richest cities to help tackle the related challenges of climate change and third world development.

In these times many do ask what can cities do to change things. Lord Mayor Byrne observes : "It is a fact that Capital cities have power. Power of position in their nations, power of their economic and population base. If they work together they can have an impact of the economic future of Europe, the future impact of climate change, and the future of the developing world".   The Lord Mayor stressed that the key to dealing with difficult times is co-operation rather than competition. She referred to the Irish tradition of the "Meitheal" where neighbour would help neighbour. " There is always a danger at times such as these that we put up the shutters, lock the doors and close in on ourselves. It is however by doing the opposite, by reaching out, working with others and being imaginative and creative in developing new forms of economic organisation and activity that we can secure our future. The need for co-operation and joint action is, for example, only now dawning on the major central banks throughout the world. We as capital cities need to identify clear objectives for working together to address the challenges of the changing economy."

Her call for courageous leadership beginning at the level of the leaders of Europe's capital cities was supported by Liverpool's Prof. Michael Parkinson.

Delivering a keynote speech at the Assembly of  Europe's Capital Cities in Dublin, Prof Parkinson remarked : "Paradoxically it is at this very moment of global economic crisis that we need imaginative and creative leadership in our cities". Prof Parkinson emphasised that the current crisis was an opportunity well disguised .  He saw the possibility of cities rethinking their economies and seeking to collaborate with other cities rather than compete. Competition and the race to make money regardless of social cost had in large measure created the current crisis.

Prof Michael Parkinson is the author of the State of the Cities Report in the UK. Professor Parkinson is currently advising the British Government on the "credit crunch" dilemma.