Sustainable local development requires synergy and interaction among all actors

The representative of the Kosovo Local Government Institute (KLGI), Valmir Gashi, presented at the three-day conference ‘Energising local governance in Kosovo through citizen participation’ held in Berlin, organised by the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.

Present at this conference were representatives of line ministries, mayors, representatives of international organisations, representatives from Croatia, representatives of the Federal Foreign Office and representatives of the South East Europe Association.

In his presentation, Mr Gashi outlined the system of governance and the challenges/gaps that municipalities in the Republic of Kosovo face, ranging from legal ambiguities and inconsistencies, inter-institutional cooperation and coordination, the functionality and sustainability of municipalities, public enterprises, limited capacities and efficient service delivery.

Most municipalities in the Republic of Kosovo, if not all, face problems in implementing the laws that affect local governance. Moreover, the relationship between the central and local levels remains fragmented. This in turn prevents institutional actors from launching a well-planned process of local government reform, which would be reflected in better functionality and performance.

Regarding the functionality and sustainability of municipalities, Mr Gashi stressed that there is a lack of human capacity as well as a lack of advanced practices and procedures. This therefore leads to unforeseen consequences in relation to the management of public human resources, public finances or efficient service delivery.

Mr Gashi concluded that any work on the ground requires the involvement of civil society, non-majority communities, local media, experts and professionals. Furthermore, in separate meetings with the actors present, Mr Gashi agreed to continue cooperation and to organise meetings to address key topics in the field of local governance.