“Third Conference of Mayors of Bosnia and Herzegovina” 15 and 16 June 2006

Speech by Tim Cartwright, Special Representative of the Secretary General

16 June 2006 Mostar

Prime Minister, Chairman and host Mr Beslic, Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great privilege and honour for me as Special Representative in this country of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to join you at this Third Conference of Mayors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I am delighted that I share representation of my Organisation here today with Ian Micallef, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities and with my friend and colleague Jean-Philippe Bozouls, who is Secretary of this august body.

The Council of Europe attaches enormous importance to local government. At first sight this may seem something of a paradox for a pan-European intergovernmental organisation, but it stems from our over-arching commitment to the development of pluralist democracy, and local government is where the governed get closest to the governing. Local government is the level of government most immediately responsible for ensuring an environment conducive to economic development and a strong civic society.

There can be no denying that local democracy represents a fundamental guiding principle within Europe and has helped to foster peace over the last sixty years. Peace in this country may be more recent, but we are approaching the eleven year milestone, and despite set-backs with constitutional and other reforms, it would be harsh indeed not to pay tribute to the achievements in this country since Dayton, including those in the level of local governance and leadership that many of you represent here today.

This guiding principle of local democracy to which I have just referred, is enshrined, as you all know, in the 1985 European Charter for Local Self-Government which lays down the right of local authorities to regulate and manage, within the limits of the law, a substantial share of public affairs under their own responsibility and in the interests of the local population. We also all know that Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the Charter early in this country’s membership of my Organization.

What we also all know however is that effective local government cannot be achieved just by signing up to European standards: it needs as well to be provided with both the means and tools to undertake the tasks it is most capable and suited to fulfilling. Only then will a truly accountable local democratic system emerge.

Some of these means and tasks depend upon decisions taken by authorities higher than your own. This is why, for example, the Council of Europe has recently been paying close attention and lending support to the new draft law on principles of local self-government in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to the associated amendments to the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We look forward to the completion of this parliamentary procedure. Without this new legislative framework, the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government cannot be fully implemented in domestic legal order.

The introduction of VAT has had obvious implications for local authorities, and I think we are all conscious that there is work still to do in refining the overall framework for clear-cut assignment of responsibilities to the municipalities and in building an effective and efficient system of inter-budgetary relations in BiH. Doubtless this will be the subject of discussion at this meeting.

But other aspects of building capacity in your field of competence depend also on sharing your own experiences – good and bad, the successful and the less so. This is why meetings such as today’s are so important. It is also why the Council of Europe, together with the OSCE and with support from the Swiss and UK authorities, is delighted to be sponsoring the second round of the highly successful Beacon Scheme for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is also why we are working with the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Republika Srpska and the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Federation of BiH – your associations to help them develop competencies that will allow them to better respond to your needs, and to offer sound professional advice and services.
I cannot end without expressing my appreciation to IPC and in particular to Ibro Spahic without whom this opportunity for exchange and development would not occur. From my perspective, it is vital that your local authorities have the possibility to share best practices among yourselves as you seek to deliver high quality services as inexpensively as possible. I think this is precisely the value of meetings such as this.
There is one last important thing I would like to share with you today, as you ponder how to best meet your democratic responsibilities. We all follow the ups and downs of the legislative process at State and Entity levels - the ‘will there, won’t there’ be constitutional and other reforms – and we sometimes don’t quite know in which future context we shall be operating. But what we can all be sure of is that what you are doing at the bedrock of democracy in your localities and municipalities will help build the confidence that will allow this country to agree a more functional constitutional arrangement.

Those who say that the future of democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina is being cooked up outside this country are truly and absolutely wrong. What you are doing and what you will be discussing over the next two days is fundamental for the future of your country. You have a heavy responsibility. I wish you success in these two days, and when you return to your local duties, and I thank you for your kind attention.