Newsroom
OSCE and Council of Europe launch local Self-Government Charter in Bosnia and Herzegovina
SARAJEVO 10 April 2003
SARAJEVO, 10 April 2003 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Europe (CoE) launched a campaign today in Sarajevo to boost the impact of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
By translating, publicizing and disseminating the Charter throughout the country, the OSCE Mission and the CoE aim at promoting an understanding of the document's provisions and at encouraging its implementation.
"This Charter provides the legal basis for a strong system of local self-government based on common European principles", said Ambassador Robert Beecroft, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, at the official launching ceremony. "Empowered local governments give real meaning to the concept of democracy and open up new opportunities for citizens to influence their own quality of life."
In her address, the CoE's Special Representative, Dr. Sonja Moser-Starrach, said that "The promise of Bosnia and Herzegovina will never be fulfilled without the commitment of local structures. The questions to be asked are not only where are we now, but also where do we plan to be in five years and how do we get there".
Dr. Moser-Starrach added that the signing and ratification of a legal instrument was only one step in an ongoing process, and that understanding should precede it and implementation needed to follow it.
The Charter's main provisions include:
The Charter and its recommendations provide a legal basis for a strong, sufficiently well-funded and democratic system of local governance. It will be an indispensable tool for local governments to lobby higher levels of government for effective local self-government in BiH. Also part of the publication are a number of recommendations from the CoE Committee of Ministers relating to citizen participation, codes of conduct for public officials and financial autonomy at the local level. Implementation of the Charter is part of BiH's post-accession commitments to the CoE.
The publication will be disseminated to municipalities and higher level authorities of the country's two entities in co-operation with the Association of Municipalities and Cities of Republika Srpska, as well as the Association of Municipalities and Cities of the Federation of BiH.
By translating, publicizing and disseminating the Charter throughout the country, the OSCE Mission and the CoE aim at promoting an understanding of the document's provisions and at encouraging its implementation.
"This Charter provides the legal basis for a strong system of local self-government based on common European principles", said Ambassador Robert Beecroft, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, at the official launching ceremony. "Empowered local governments give real meaning to the concept of democracy and open up new opportunities for citizens to influence their own quality of life."
In her address, the CoE's Special Representative, Dr. Sonja Moser-Starrach, said that "The promise of Bosnia and Herzegovina will never be fulfilled without the commitment of local structures. The questions to be asked are not only where are we now, but also where do we plan to be in five years and how do we get there".
Dr. Moser-Starrach added that the signing and ratification of a legal instrument was only one step in an ongoing process, and that understanding should precede it and implementation needed to follow it.
The Charter's main provisions include:
- Citizens' right to participate in local decision-making;
- Limitations for administrative supervision from higher level governments;
- Financial autonomy at the local level;
- Legal protection of local self-government through right to judicial remedy;
- Right of local governments to be consulted and to establish associations.
The Charter and its recommendations provide a legal basis for a strong, sufficiently well-funded and democratic system of local governance. It will be an indispensable tool for local governments to lobby higher levels of government for effective local self-government in BiH. Also part of the publication are a number of recommendations from the CoE Committee of Ministers relating to citizen participation, codes of conduct for public officials and financial autonomy at the local level. Implementation of the Charter is part of BiH's post-accession commitments to the CoE.
The publication will be disseminated to municipalities and higher level authorities of the country's two entities in co-operation with the Association of Municipalities and Cities of Republika Srpska, as well as the Association of Municipalities and Cities of the Federation of BiH.