Civil society oversight of municipalities necessary to improve public service, OSCE conference participants conclude

More than 25 civil society representatives from south-eastern Europe met on 15 and 16 July 2013 at an OSCE conference in Prishtinë/ Priština to exchange best practices on municipal oversight and participation in local decision-making.

“Our experience shows that municipalities tend to become inert if we, as civil society representatives, do not keep advocating and requesting the service that improves everyday lives, such as local economic incentives and road and water network repairs,” said Blerina Guga from the NGO, ‘Partners Albania’.

“That is why civil society oversight over municipal executive and legislative structure is not only important but necessary to further improve the delivery of municipal and public services, and provide for increased transparency and accountability,” she added.

The best practices discussed include: initiating municipal referenda; signing memoranda of understanding between non-governmental organizations and municipalities on the monitoring of the executive; increasing the number of public budget hearings; gender responsive budgeting; and the application of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.

In addition to taking stock of those practices that can be included in their day-to-day work, the participants also agreed to continue their co-operation through a common information exchange network.

The NGOs that took part in the event came from Belgrade, Bor, Gjilan/Gnjilane, Kičevo, Korçë, Niš, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, Novi Pazar, Peja/Peć, Podgorica, Prishtinë/Priština, Prizren, Skopje, and Tirana. The conference was organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and received support by the OSCE Missions to Montenegro, Serbia and Skopje, as well as the OSCE Presence in Albania.