Thirty four local self-governments from southeast and southwest Serbia, with support of the Swiss Government and the European Union, have taken big steps forward in the area of good governance with a view to becoming more equitable and transparent and improving their organisation and regulations as well as to increasing participation and inclusion of citizens in local communities, said participants in the session “Good governance at the local level” organised by the European PROGRES development programme.
“Switzerland firmly believes that the development of a country largely depends on how it is governed and it therefore helps Serbia and its local self-governments to better grasp and apply the principles of good governance,” said Ursula Läubli, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Serbia.
“Over the last 15 years, we have invested a great deal into knowledge and experience transfer in a manner that suits the needs of a local context. Once these principles are applied by local self-governments in their daily work, the quality of citizens’ lives and public services delivered to them will improve,” Ursula Läubli added.
22 municipalities have established an institutional framework, i.e. they set up good governance competence centres, while 27 representatives of local authorities have undergone training on five principles of good governance in practice and have thus become a permanent resource for sustainable development in the future.
By adopting and/or reviewing 21 pieces of regulation, 13 municipalities have implemented local governance reforms which, among other things, include promotion of transparency, planning and responsible management of human resources and public property. Also, 16 infrastructure projects have been successfully implemented through adoption of policies and regulations at the local level.
“Active role played by the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the support we receive from the European Union and the Government of Switzerland are a key to successful public administration reform. Over the past three years, thanks to their support we have managed to bring all the tasks set at the central level to their end-users, that is citizens in local self-governments,” said Ivan Bosnjak State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. Bosnjak added that the recently announced Swiss support in the area of local government fit the development of a new public administration reform plan.
The introduction of good governance principles at the local level was a genuine pioneering venture seven years ago when the Swiss Government first started to extend support for this process in local self-governments in south of the country, said Graeme Tyndall, European PROGRES Programme Manager, adding that good governance is an important requirement and an essential element in any society’s effort to achieve sustainable socio-economic development based on democracy, rule of law and human rights.
“It was not an easy task. Understanding and applying the principles of good governance takes commitment from all stakeholders. Also, it requires a shift in mind-set which gradually and eventually leads to positive changes in society for the benefit of all citizens,” Tyndall said.
“I believe that, with great support of the Swiss Government and the European Union and professional guidance from the Swiss Cooperation Office in Serbia, we have managed to turn the sometimes abstract concept of “good governance” into a very concrete and tangible output,” European PROGRES Programme Manager said.
The session also featured a presentation of examples of good practice in the implementation of good governance in the municipalities of Vlasotince, Bojnik and Babusnica. Maida Kasumovic Head of the Department of the Economy and Development in the municipality of Sjenica pointed out that thanks to a comprehensive training programme on good governance, trainees had a chance to learn from the best and thus create a firm basis for further promotion of good governance.
Milan Iskrenov Advisor on Business and Economic Development Affairs showcased the way the municipality of Babusnica, recognising the importance of two-way communication between citizens and the local self-government, adopted the Rulebook on Public Consultations and thus implemented a reform dealing with increased participation of citizens.
“The Rulebook regulates the process of public consultation in a comprehensive manner with a view to increasing civic participation and making the interests and needs of citizens known. Also, the Rulebook will strengthen accountability of administrative bodies to the public,” Milan Iskrenov said, adding that the local self-government will encourage people to exercise this right and make an impact on the development of the community.
“Individual activities are small steps on the path towards improved good governance. However, one thing is for sure: if made in the same direction, many small steps make up one giant leap toward good governance and offer guidance for future work,” said Mirjam Strecker, a good governance expert from Switzerland who passed Swiss knowledge and experience in this field on to local self-governments.
The representatives of local self-governments who have taken part in capacity building programme, made up of six workshops dedicated to the principles of good governance – accountability, transparency, participation, non-discrimination and efficiency and their implementation in practice – were awarded certificates for successful completion of the training.
The European Union and the Government of Switzerland support activities of the European PROGRESS programme which contributes to sustainable development of south and southwest Serbia, with a total of EUR24.46 million. Approved projects will be aimed at strengthening local administrations; creating an environment that fosters development of infrastructure and economy; and improving the implementation of social inclusion and employment policy. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS).
The municipalities included in the programme – Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in southwest Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in southeast Serbia.
