Final declaration of the 6th Forum of Cities and Regions of South-East Europe

SINAIA (Romania), 8-9 December 2005

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adopted on 9 December 2005

The participants at the 6th Forum of Cities and Regions of South-East Europe meeting in Sinaia on 8 and 9 December 2005 at the invitation of Prahova County Council, under the Romanian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and at the initiative of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, with the support of the Stability Pact for South-East Europe and Dexia,

1. Extend their thanks to Prahova County Council for its warm welcome;

2. Recognise that local and regional authorities in South-East Europe are to a high degree dependent on their geo-political framework and context and therefore:

3. a. Reaffirm the fundamental role played by local and regional authorities in South-East Europe in the promotion of democracy and stability, and therefore of economic development in the region;

4. Welcome, as a positive example for other countries in democratic transition, the conclusion by the Government of Romania of a set of laws on public administration reform – the result of an active partnership between the associations of local public authorities and the Ministry of Administration and the Interior and following consultation with the main opposition party. Thus, the adequate legal framework for increasing the decision-making power at local level has been established;

5. With regard to associations of local and regional authorities of South-East Europe:

6. Reaffirm the importance of the role of municipal banks in the strengthening of local and regional authorities’ capacity to finance local investments, and recommend that they:

7. Emphasise the importance of giving young people, from an early age, the opportunity to influence and shape decisions, thus facilitating their social inclusion, the development of their socio-political awareness, and improving citizen participation at local and regional level in South-East Europe and recommend that:

8. Affirm the importance, for true stability and democracy in the region, of developing sustainable minority communities in South-East Europe, and to this end believe that local and regional authorities should actively promote human rights and measures to counter discrimination against minorities and any population groups that may suffer from it, by:

9. Recognise the sustained activities undertaken in the abovementioned fields by the Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs) both individually and as part of the network formed by the Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA);

10. Encourage interregional co-operation in Europe, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, and are convinced that the cities and towns of South-East Europe should work together with the whole of Europe to develop co-operation for the sake of stability and democracy;

11. Encourage associations and entities such as the Euroregions whose objective is the development of co-operation between municipalities and regions of South-East Europe to continue their work, and ask the Congress to further develop links with them and, in particular, to:

12. Are grateful for the invitation to organise the 7th Forum of Cities and Regions of South-East Europe in Albania in 2006/2007.