OSCE signs partnership agreements to further strengthen good governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, 12 March 2015 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina signed today in Sarajevo Implementing Partnership Agreements with the Associations of Municipalities and Cities of the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS).

The partnership agreements are part of the Associations of Municipalities and Cities Support (AMCS) Project which has been implemented since June 2013.

The agreements aim to strengthen co-operation between the Associations of Municipalities and Cities and local self-governance units, particularly municipal assemblies and councils.

Miroslav Lučić, Speaker of the Istočno Sarajevo City Assembly emphasized: “With this project and through the Associations, we want the voice of one of the government pillars to be heard – in particular through the exchange of experiences. In assemblies we have people with great experience in the field of local self-governance and this experience should be used to further reform local self-governance.”  

Secretary of the Ilidza Municipal Council, Azreta Grebović, said: “The Project has enabled communication and co-operation between municipalities and cities in the FBiH, as well as co-operation between the municipalities of the FBiH and the RS. By organizing conferences of speakers and secretaries as part of the Project, the Associations of Municipalities and Cities have become representatives of municipal councils and assemblies.”

The Mission co-operates with representative bodies at all levels in BiH. By signing the agreements with the Associations, the Mission pledges to continue supporting the initiative, which aims to further strengthen good governance in BiH.