---

CBM AND PARTNERS FOSTER DIALOGUE BETWEEN MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS AND CITIZENS IN SKENDERAJ

---

Community Building Mitrovica in cooperation with Skenderaj Civic Initiative (IQS) member of the Regional Monitoring Team, has conducted the debate "The importance of public consultation on local policy planning". The debate was held in Skenderaj Municipality and  aimed at fostering dialogue between municipal institutions and citizens, implemented within the framework of the "Inclusive Development Program" project, implemented in partnership with UN-Habitat and PAX.

In this debate, besides the different CSOs, local media and program partners - present were the Deputy Mayor of Skenderaj, Mr. Fadil Nura, Chair of the Municipal Assembly Mr.Ismet Salihu,  and other representatives of the executive body of the respective municipality.

CBM representative, Florentina Hajdari Hajra presented the program and the component of civil society within it. Further, Ms. Hajdari Hajra informed the participants about the involvement of local organizations in this program, the importance of civic mobilization in local policy making, and the subsequent activities of the program that will be implemented in cooperation with the Municipality of Skenderaj.

In his note, Deputy Mayor of Skenderaj, Mr. Fadil Nura, in line with the purpose the debate and the program in general, requested support from CSOs to increase civic participation in public debates organized by the municipality. While the Chairperson of the Skenderaj Municipal Assembly, Mr. Ismet Salihu in his addressing to the attendees emphasized that "it is in the interest of the municipality to involve as many citizens as possible, especially when drafting the policies."

The debate continued with the contribution of other participants, while among the main recommendations deriving from the discussion are:

• Use of innovative methods on informing citizens;
• Enabling active citizen participation not only in consultations but also in decision-making;
• Engage in this process various interest groups;
• Public meetings should be held in other locations to reach out to the citizens and not required every time for the citizens to go to the municipality;
• To find mechanisms for measuring how much the municipality incorporates the needs of citizens addressed in public consultations in the policies that it drafts and implements;
• Organize consultations on a regular basis;
• Initiate the process of electing village and other localities representatives, as in Skenderaj such representatives have not been elected for a long time, and almost this institutional mechanism does not work at all;

 

---