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A NEW PROGRAMME FOR NORTHERN KOSOVO JUST KICKED-OFF!

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With the participation of representatives of the Kosovo Government, the Embassy of Sweden in Kosovo, partner municipalities and civil society, Community Building Mitrovica, PAX and UN-Habitat marked the beginning of the programme "Fostering inclusive development and good governance in northern Kosovo" funded by the Swedish Development Cooperation. This kick-start meeting was held in a warm cooperative atmosphere on Tuesday, December 6 in Prishtinë/Priština, and attended by 75 participants.

The new programme aims to support strengthening local capacities for strategic planning, increasing local government transparency, responsiveness and accountability through civil society mobilization and engagement, as well as improving service delivery through inter-municipal and local-central coordination and cooperation.

Furthermore, this programme supports Kosovo's contribution in implementing the New Urban Agenda and striving for the "Urban" Sustainable Development Goal of the Post-2015 Agenda with a focus on enhancing inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management.

Introductory statements by the General Secretary of Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, the General Secretary of Ministry of Local Government Administration, representative of Ministry of Public Administration, the Embassy of Sweden in Kosovo and UN-Habitat, evidenced further the need for sustainable and inclusive planning and management and respective commitments in supporting this process to happen.

The kick-start meeting navigated between presentations and interactions on sustainable urbanization as an engine for prosperity and social cohesion as well as the role of the civil society in that process. The ensuing presentation of the programme, including the role of northern municipalities and civil society organisations in its implementation, sparked particular interest of the participants.

This event was characterized by a positive collaborative spirit, where the interest for inter-municipal cooperation based on common interests was expressed, as well as the support from the central level, and constructive participation and contribution of the civil society.

The programme "Fostering inclusive development and good governance in northern Kosovo" is being jointly implemented by CBM, PAX and UN-Habitat in seven municipalities, i.e. Leposavić, Mitrovica North, Mitrovica South, Skenderaj, Vushtrri, Zubin Potok, and Zvečan.

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