Local democracy, a key mechanism for interaction between stakeholders

The KLGI Institute held a workshop on “Presentation of the Legal Package on Municipal Transparency”, which aimed to bring together stakeholders from the central and local levels to discuss the Administrative Instruction on Transparency in Municipalities; the Administrative Instruction on Minimum Standards of Public Consultation in Municipalities; the Administrative Instruction on the Procedure for the Establishment, Composition and Competences of Standing Committees in the Municipality; and the Administrative Instruction on the Functioning of Citizens' Service Centres.

Participants in this workshop were officials from the Secretariats of the Municipal Assemblies.

The Administrative Instruction on Transparency in Municipalities aims to strengthen the transparency of municipal bodies; to inform the public and publish the normative acts, decisions and documents issued by municipal bodies that are of interest to citizens and other interest groups; and to increase citizen participation in decision-making processes.

Municipalities are obliged to make all decisions, activities and documents transparent and accessible to the public, and to implement mechanisms for involving citizens in decision-making processes. Above all, public spending and the collection of public revenue must be based on the principles of accountability, effectiveness, efficiency and transparency — principles that are basic constitutional obligations for every public institution that collects or spends public revenue.

Meanwhile, the Administrative Instruction on Minimum Standards of Public Consultation in Municipalities aims to have local authorities encourage and ensure the participation of citizens and other interested parties in the policy-making and decision-making process at the local level, to promote municipal transparency, and to contribute to the development of sustainable policies in the general interest.

The Administrative Instruction on the Procedure for the Establishment, Composition and Competences of Standing Committees in Municipalities regulates the procedure for the establishment, organisation and competences of consultative committees in the municipality. These are auxiliary bodies of the Municipal Assembly, through which it is guaranteed that municipal bodies are more transparent, more efficient and accountable to citizens. Above all, consultative committees in municipalities should create the opportunity for active participation of citizens and other interest groups in decision-making in the public interest.

During this workshop there were discussions and presentations on the above-mentioned topics relating to the legal package on municipal transparency.

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.