Project “Strengthening Local Government Structures and Cooperation of
Local Elected Representatives in Albania – Phase II”

Seminar Building a platform of dialogue for local government in Albania

Fier - 3 April 2013 / Elbasan - 4 April 2013 / Lezhe - 5 April 2013

Programme

 9.30            Opening session

Baftjar Zeqaj, Mayor of Fier - Qazim Sejdini, Mayor of Elbasan - Viktor Tusha, Mayor of Lezhe
Erwin Mohr, Member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe,Member of the Wolfurt City Council, Austria

09.50           Building a platform of local government for supporting local and regional democracy                   Moderator: Owen Master, expert in decentralisation and local democracy

   Presentation of the project and results of the first meetings by members of the Executive Body of the Project: in Fier: Adelina Farrici, Mayor of Burrel – in Elbasan: Indrit Hamiti, Chair of Durres City Council - in Lezhe: Ilir Krosi, Mayor of Peskopia,

   Presentation of examples in Europe (Bulgaria, Austria, Estonia, Germany…)

                   Discussion

11:15           Coffee break

11:30           Cooperation between elected representatives for efficient local government

                   Moderator: Artur Kurti, former member of the Albanian Delegation to the Congress

                  

Introduction by Ginka Tchavdarova, Executive Director of the National Association of Municipalities of Bulgaria (NAMRB), Leader of the NALAS Knowledge Management Working Group on Finance

   Increasing revenues to a more efficient provision of services

   Local leaders working with citizens for better quality of services

                   Discussion

13:00           Lunch

14:15           Strengthening local and regional democracy in Albania: building a unified voice to be    heard

                   Moderator: Ulrich Bohner, expert in decentralisation and local democracy

   Challenges of decentralisation in Albania
Presentation by Artur Kurti, former Member of the Congress and former Mayor of Kuçova

   Building an institutionalised dialogue to foster local democracy in Albania
Introduction by Alba Dakoli Wilson, Albanian expert in local governance

Discussion

16:00           Conclusions - the way forward
                   Presentation of recommendations by Owen Masters and Ulrich Bohner

16:30           Closing words by Erwin Mohr, Member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities