A Network of Municipal Associations
FROM SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
INITIATED IN SOFIA
As a result of the International Conference on The Role of Municipal Associations in Strengthening Local Democratic Governance held in Novotel Evropa, Sofia, Bulgaria, between July 7 and 10, 1998, an informal network among the associations of local authorities of South Central and Eastern Europe was created through a joint declaration, signed by all 110 participants. The network will enable them to learn from and help one another for the purpose of strengthening local self-government throughout the region. The conference brought together leaders of local government associations from Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania, the Federative Republic of Yugoslavia and Slovakia, who exchanged ideas and best practice with regard to the ways in which they can affect the quality and scope of local government in their respective countries. First of its kind, the forum contributed for increased cooperation among municipal associations in the region. For example, general agreements for mutual cooperation were signed between the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria and the associations of Slovakia and Albania.
Christopher Dell, Charge d Affaires of the US Embassy in Bulgaria, Stefan Sofianski, Mayor of Sofia and John Tennant, USAID Representative in Bulgaria personally addressed the conference participants.
Speakers and presenters at the conference included Karen Hotra, World Bank; Bob Dubinsky, International City/County Managers Association; Ann Graham, State University of New Jersey at Rutgers; Adrian Ionescu, Program Director of the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative of the Open Society Institute, Budapest; Larry R. Curtis, Former Mayor of Ames, Iowa and Board Member of the US National League of Cities; Heikki Telakivi, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities.
Conference participants addressed all four elements which are necessary for an association to establish an effective presence in the legislative and regulatory arena: identifying and addressing member policy needs; developing policy options and building consensus; building coalitions and lobbying decision makers; building an effective association. Working groups will address four policy issues important in the region: EU accession; decentralization of expenditure responsibility; decentralization of revenue collection responsibility; health services and facilities - redefining responsibilities.
The conference was organized by the US Agency for International Development, Johns Hopkins University, Cleveland State University, MEBAssociates Inc., USA and the Foundation for Local Government Reform, Bulgaria.