Sharing best practices stemming from the implemented training of newly elected members of municipal councils is the focus of an OSCE-supported roundtable discussion that started in Skopje on Wednesday.

Participants of the discussion organized by the OSCE and the Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS) will discuss the training programme delivered to municipal councillors during 2009 and 2010 as well as the recommendations for this programme that were outlined in the 2011 OSCE Training Impact Evaluation Report. The participants will also discuss future training activities for local self-government in the country.

As a result of the OSCE capacity building programme, members of municipal councils from 82 local self-government units increased their knowledge about the process of decentralization and local government financing. Participants of the training programme improved their skills in working with municipal bodies and involving citizens in decision-making.

"Local self-government representatives play an important role in the process of decentralization, which is the cornerstone of the Ohrid Framework Agreement,” said Ambassador Ralf Breth, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje. “The OSCE Mission invests substantial effort in implementing programmes for local administrations and especially elected officials responsible for making decisions to help ensure the well-being of all citizens in their municipalities."

Nevzat Bejta, the Local Self-Government Minister, said: “Proper management at the local level implies a democratic, transparent and responsible government, which involves citizens in making decisions, and effectively implements these decisions through a highly professional and competent local administration.”

The discussion is part of the Mission’s work to support decentralization through capacity building within its mandate to monitor the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement.