There is not development without community and solidarity. The participants of the 50th Anniversary Assembly of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities reflected today on its main goal and task – associating local self-governments with the aim of growth and prosperity.
Local administrations are often the first point of contact in local communities. You play a very important role in the lives of the citizens of Serbia, said the Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, at the opening of the 50th Assembly of the SCTM in Belgrade.
“It is my pleasure to be with you the day after the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans met in Tirana. Yesterday, we heard messages of strong commitment as well as concrete actions that are being taken for the benefit of the citizens of the region. Undoubted commitment to the future of the Western Balkans in the European Union was confirmed yesterday. There were calls to speed up the accession process on the basis of credible reforms and common values”, said Giaufret and added:
“Let me remind you of some of the important projects that are being carried out for the benefit of the local communities of Serbia, and that are part of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans – the construction of children’s hospital in Tiršova Street in Belgrade, the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor, which enables better connection with the energy networks of Europe, the Railway bypass around Niš and the Development of high-speed Internet access in rural areas, which will have a positive impact on many local communities”, said Giaufret.
The Mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, greeted the participants of the Assembly on behalf of the host, assessing that this event is the most important gathering of representatives of local authorities in our country. This jubilee is an introduction to the next, even bigger one, because next year will mark seventy years since the foundation of the SCTM, Šapić reminded.
“Belgrade is one of the cities that initiated the founding of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, and the first, founding assembly was held in 1953, right here in Belgrade. Since then, the capital city actively participates and supports the work of our national organization. Municipalities and towns are the closest to citizens and are responsible for their key life problems, and every day citizens have the opportunity to evaluate and value our work”, said Šapić.
The Ambassador of the Switzerland to Serbia, Urs Schmid, reminded everyone that the local level serves as the necessary platform used to inform the citizens and the economy about the challenges of modernization.
“We work directly with local governments on various priorities, such as property taxation reform, financial management, good governance, social inclusion, gender equality, environment and many more,” emphasized Schmid.
The Ambassador of France to Serbia, Pierre Cochard, emphasized the importance of the role of local governments in solving the problems caused by climate change, especially in the context of energy uncertainty.
“You are doing it directly on the ground, managing public transport, water, waste, and also through activities that impact the improvement of energy efficiency of cities,” Cochard said.
Aleksandar Martinović, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government emphasized that in the past few years, the Ministry has undertaken a significant number of activities in the field of improving local self-government system and strengthening the capacities of cities and municipalities. He also pointed out that the Ministry has published three public calls to support the establishment or development of existing inter-municipal cooperation, within the Inter-Municipal Cooperation Fund, with the aim of further motivating them to join forces.
The President of the SCTM and Mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović, emphasized that the SCTM continues to advocate for strengthening local self-government, for responsibility, competence of professional capacities and full cooperation with all levels of public administration in order to achieve a better life for citizens..
Before the working part of the Assembly, the SCTM presented a new electronic portal that will enable easier monitoring of sources of funding for projects of local self-government units. During the program part of the Assembly, representatives of local self-governments, public utility companies and the EU Delegation in Serbia discussed the practices and perspectives of the development of local self-governments.
The SCTM Assembly is the most important gathering of local self-government representatives during the years, and in addition to representatives of towns and municipalities, the highest representatives of state authorities, governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions, international organizations, the diplomatic corps, donor institutions and other partner organizations and programs also participate in the gathering. The SCTM was established way back in 1953, as an association of Yugoslav cities. It soon became a member of the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA). This Assembly of the SCTM is organized within the project “Institutional support to the SCTM – third phase”, implemented by the SCTM, and supported by the Government of Switzerland.
The European Union’s support for the public administration reform in Serbia is worth over EUR 200 million, from 2000 to this day. The funds intended for public administration are used for the professionalization of administration, the development of electronic services, the management of public finance and the improvement of the work of local self-governments and independent institutions.
Public administration reform is one of the most important elements of Serbia’s EU accession process, and in 2014 it was also placed at the forefront of the negotiations. A modern and professional public administration is a key element for every EU member state in order to effectively implement laws and manage EU funds transparently.
