Newsroom
Conference on municipality infrastructure programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina
SARAJEVO 12 December 2000
SARAJEVO, 12 December 2000 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina held a conference on Friday and Saturday, 8 and 9 December, on the Municipal Infrastructure Finance and Implementation (MIFI) Programme which the OSCE has been implementing since December 1998. The conference, held at the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo, highlighted the work of the municipalities in the MIFI program over the past year, with particular focus on elements of good governance necessary to public administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as best-practice examples for the participating municipalities.
Over the course of its two years, the MIFI program has engaged 22 municipalities from throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina in intensive year-long trainings that have paired technical assistance on preparing sustainable capital projects with community participation in the development plans. In addition, these municipalities have received assistance in sound financial planning and transparent counting practices with in the financial management process.
"The issues of transparency and accountability in local administration are at the heart of the MIFI programme," said OSCE Head of Mission Ambassador Robert L. Barry, who opened the conference with a speech on Friday. "Too often, local governments have operated independent of the people they should be serving. What the MIFI program has worked so hard to do is empowering municipal administration by helping to develop the skills needed to serve the people. This is essential the long-term democratic development of the country."
With its focus on good governance, the MIFI programme has assisted the municipalities of Banovici, Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanka Krupa, Bosanski Petrovac, Buzim, Cajnice, Celic, Gorazde, Jablanica, Kalesija, Kljuc, Ljubuski, Novi Travnik, Novo Sarajevo (RS), Olovo, Rudo, Sipovo, Tesanj, Trnovo (FED), Trnovo (RS), and Usora in developing the mechanisms necessary for accountable, transparent and participatory governance.
At the conference the OSCE also announced a new group of twelve municipalities selected to join the MIFI program in 2001. They include: Ilijas, Pale (RS)/Pale Praca, Doboj, Gradacac, Maglaj, Kladanj, Lukavac, Bugojno, Velika Kladusa, Vitez and Gacko.
For more information, please contact OSCE Spokesperson Luke Zahner at ++387/(0)33 292-449 or ++387/(0)66 144-311.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
Over the course of its two years, the MIFI program has engaged 22 municipalities from throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina in intensive year-long trainings that have paired technical assistance on preparing sustainable capital projects with community participation in the development plans. In addition, these municipalities have received assistance in sound financial planning and transparent counting practices with in the financial management process.
"The issues of transparency and accountability in local administration are at the heart of the MIFI programme," said OSCE Head of Mission Ambassador Robert L. Barry, who opened the conference with a speech on Friday. "Too often, local governments have operated independent of the people they should be serving. What the MIFI program has worked so hard to do is empowering municipal administration by helping to develop the skills needed to serve the people. This is essential the long-term democratic development of the country."
With its focus on good governance, the MIFI programme has assisted the municipalities of Banovici, Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanka Krupa, Bosanski Petrovac, Buzim, Cajnice, Celic, Gorazde, Jablanica, Kalesija, Kljuc, Ljubuski, Novi Travnik, Novo Sarajevo (RS), Olovo, Rudo, Sipovo, Tesanj, Trnovo (FED), Trnovo (RS), and Usora in developing the mechanisms necessary for accountable, transparent and participatory governance.
At the conference the OSCE also announced a new group of twelve municipalities selected to join the MIFI program in 2001. They include: Ilijas, Pale (RS)/Pale Praca, Doboj, Gradacac, Maglaj, Kladanj, Lukavac, Bugojno, Velika Kladusa, Vitez and Gacko.
For more information, please contact OSCE Spokesperson Luke Zahner at ++387/(0)33 292-449 or ++387/(0)66 144-311.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.