OSCE Mission to Montenegro, ODIHR-supported conference highlights importance of transparent and accountable local governance

A two-day regional conference on public integrity at local level,  organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the  Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities and the Council of Europe was held from 5 to 6 May in Budva.

The conference gathered some 40 participants and  representatives of local and central governments, municipal associations  and NGOs from  South-East Europe, , as well as representatives of the OSCE field operations and international experts.

“The importance of supporting local level institutions in their on-going efforts to serve the public interest by creating transparent, accountable and reliable systems of local governance should not be underestimated,” said acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Dan Redford.. He stressed that the concept of public integrity remains fundamental for the promotion of good governance practices in public administration, particularly at the local level.

Participants learned about the role of civil society in promoting transparency and public ethics and the need for citizens to be well-informed so that financial policies and priorities can be properly understood, monitored and evaluated.  Conflict of interest issues relating to locally elected officials and civil servants was also discussed.

Secretary General of the Montenegrin Union of Municipalities Refik Bojadzic, said: “The decentralization process increases the importance of local governance units and their responsibilities, enabling citizens to get involved directly in policy creation and decision making.”

Codes of conduct, asset and interest disclosure regimes, and public education and awareness campaigns were identified as necessary tools for effective detection and prevention against such conflicts.  A set of concrete recommendations and follow-up actions for the region were developed by the participants.