Conference of mayors on cooperation in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 15 et 16 juin 2006

Speech by Ian Micallef, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities,
at the conference of mayors on cooperation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar, 16 June 2006

Mr Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear friends,

Any politician knows that all politics are local. Indeed, it is at grassroots level where democracy first appeared – at Agora square in ancient Athens. It is at the local level where people gain their first democratic experience, and it is at the local level where the citizens’ participation is the most tangible. But it is also at the local level where disenchantment with democratic institutions begins, which we are witnessing today in many places in Europe.

This is why the active political life at the municipal level is so important, as is cooperation between municipalities and an exchange of innovative practices and ideas between them. We should always remember that municipalities operate at the level closest to the citizen and are best placed to deliver good governance and high-quality public services, thus boosting democratic processes and restoring people’s trust in democratic procedures and structures.

The cooperation between cities and towns in South-East Europe, and especially the Western Balkans, takes on a particular importance because of the need not only to restore confidence in democratic government but also to reduce ethnic tensions and build trust between communities ravaged by war in a not so distant past. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, which I represent, has been paying close attention to this issue for quite some time. Twelve years ago, we launched a project of setting up local democracy agencies in the former Yugoslavia, aimed at strengthening local self-government and carrying out confidence-building measures. This project has evolved into a network known as the Association of Local Democracy Agencies, ALDA, which is now being extended to South Caucasus.

Another initiative of the Congress was the establishment of the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South-East Europe, NALAS, launched last year, which brings together local authorities representing some 60 million people. Its objective is exactly what this conference is about – to reinforce local self-governance and cooperation, not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but across the whole South-East Europe, and to uphold the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in this region.

As far as Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular is concerned, the Congress has been working to ensure progress on the issue of territorial reform, especially given the fact that some of the existing municipalities in this country are hardly sustainable because they were created as a result of the splitting of the former bigger local authorities after the Dayton agreement. We are pleased to note that, as a matter of principle, all political forces agree with the need to strengthen local self-government and harmonise the legislation on local authorities in the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to harmonise cantonal legislation inside the Federation. The Congress stands ready to assist and provide advice and expertise in this matter, and I know that other Council of Europe bodies – such as the Venice Commission on Democracy through Law – are also involved.

However, we are not pursuing reform for the reform’s sake. Empowering territorial communities – local and regional, transferring competencies and financial means to them reflects the reality of today. All across Europe, we are witnessing a shift of power, both political and economic, towards inter-territorial level. As the European integration process deepens and state borders begin to disappear, new Euro-regions are being created which transcend national boundaries. These include Euro-regions of a new generation, in the establishment of which the Council of Europe Congress is actively involved and which bring together all levels of government – national, regional and local authorities from both EU and non-EU member states. The first such Euro-region, the Adriatic Euro-region, was launched in February this year, with the notable participation of the countries of the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we deliberate at three round tables during this conference and make – I hope – innovative proposals, let us keep in mind that behind any innovation there is a core objective which remains unchanged: putting the citizen in the centre of our concerns, working to improve the stability and prosperity of our communities. Let us remember that strong and prosperous communities, strong municipalities make strong regions, and strong regions make strong states.

As I said at the outset, democracy began at Agora square in ancient Athens. Back then, at the Athens Golden Age, Pericles said: “They will say of us that we have built the happiest and most beautiful of the cities”. I would like us to be guided by these words as we build prosperous and sustainable communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I wish this conference every success as we strive towards this ambitious aim.

Thank you.