Presented results of partnership cooperation between local self-government units and civil society organizations in 16 cities across Serbia
15/12/2022Today in Zira, the results of 16 projects to strengthen partnership cooperation between local self-government units (LGUs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) throughout Serbia, implemented during the previous year as part of the project “For an active civil society together- ACT” supported by the Swiss government, were presented.
The OGD and LGU partnerships aimed to implement and promote reforms in local self-government that improve citizen participation in decision-making processes, transparency, accountability and inclusiveness of local authorities. The supported projects offered creative solutions that enabled a more effective implementation of the novelties of the Law on Local Self-Government, which refer to the participation of citizens in the creation and decision-making at the local level.
In the ceremonial part, the director of the Swiss Cooperation Agency, Richard Colley, and the international team leader of ACT, Snežana Mišić Mihajlović, spoke. Koli pointed out that the cooperation of civil society organizations with local self-government is deeply rooted in Swiss culture and is a prerequisite for democracy, and he hopes that this cooperation of partner initiatives in these 16 municipalities will continue in the coming period. Snezana said that as many as 11 implemented projects contributed to greater participation of citizens in decision-making processes, while 5 projects related to the improvement of the provision of public services in the following areas: environmental protection, gender equality, inclusion and the needs of young people.
During the presentation of the results, advisor Danijela Božović announced that in the coming period, the three best partner initiatives will be financially rewarded in the value of: first prize – 600,000 RSD, second prize – 360,000 RSD and third prize – 240,000 RSD.