Interaction between civil society and municipalities strengthens local democracy

The Kosovo Local Government Institute (KLGI) held the next regional meeting, bringing together civil society organisations at the local level in the Prishtina region to discuss strengthening civil society mechanisms and increasing demands for effective accountability from local institutions.

The regional meeting is organised within the programme ‘Support for Stronger and More Sustainable Municipalities (SSSM)’, and its purpose was to identify the challenges and problems that civil society organisations at the local level encounter in their functioning, and also to identify opportunities and exchange good practices for their advancement.

Beyond this, it aimed to strengthen structured communication between local actors in reinforcing joint agendas for continuous cooperation. By strengthening the civil society platform at the local level, demands for accountability and the responsiveness of decision-makers increase.

In this context, local civil society organisations must find the best form of organisation among themselves in order to be properly represented as a sector in relation to municipal public authorities — a platform that would include all civil society organisations, the media and other local actors, through which the aim is to increase the role of civil society by strengthening clear mechanisms for action.

There was common agreement that it is necessary to establish bodies that coordinate and establish structured communication between civil society and municipalities. This would extend to two levels: first, structured communication, and second, the joint coordination of activities.

Beyond this, it serves to strengthen democracy at the local level, where civil society, on the one hand, articulates problems and, on the other, offers professional support and oversight of policy implementation.

This joint meeting was also a good opportunity to create networking and possible cooperation across the activities of civil society organisations operating at the local level.

This activity is being carried out within the project ‘Support for Stronger and More Sustainable Municipalities (SSSM)’, funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kosovo.