OSCE Mission to Skopje trains newly elected municipal councillors on good governance

SKOPJE, 24 September 2009 - An OSCE Mission-supported project to strengthen the institutional capacities of local government and promote good governance principles was launched in Skopje today.

The two-day event is the first in a series of training courses to be conducted by the end of the year as part of a project, initiated by the Local Community Foundation Development from Shtip and supported by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, which will help newly-elected councillors from 24 municipalities throughout the country to fulfil their elected leadership role.

"Decentralization aims to strengthen democracy at the level that matters most for the citizens - the local level. The Mission supports the capacity building of local government so they can perform their duties and responsibilities more effectively," said the Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Natalya Drozd.

Nevenka Longurova Girova, the Executive Manager of the Shtip Local Community Development Foundation, added: "The training sessions will contribute to promoting participatory governance and increase the level of citizen's participation in decision-making processes."

The project will also contribute to strengthening inter-ethnic relations and co-operation between ethnically mixed municipalities.