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OSCE BiH | OSCE | Resources | Contact | Press Corner |
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Local First “Empowering Citizens – Building Communities”
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The Local First initiative has been developed by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia In recent years the technical and financial assistance available to support the development of both civil society and local government in BiH has increased. However, it is also clear that some municipalities and citizens have benefi ted more than others and, as a result, progress in improving governance at the local level has been uneven. The EU integration process brings with it the prospect of further substantial investment and it is important that citizens and municipalities are able to take advantage of future opportunities. This requires efficient, effective and accountable local government and citizens committed to ensuring that such standards are upheld. Improving the quality of local government and deepening citizens’ engagement have been goals of the OSCE’s work for some time. However, the Local First initiative represents a change of approach because it has been designed to provide a fl exible programme of support that can be tailored to meet the different needs of both civil society and municipalities. This flexible approach will also ensure that the Local First initiative will be able to adjust and remain relevant as new sources of assistance become available. While the Local First initiative contains many new features, it also focuses very strongly on ensuring that processes and procedures that have been developed through previous projects become sustainable, especially by improving the level and quality of citizens’ engagement with municipalities. |
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Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
· Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
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