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Mayor, Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here today in Srebrenica. I have come to do something that is probably unusual for a representative of an international organization on a visit to this particular municipality. I have come to recognise the municipality’s achievements – in this case, in completing the OSCE’s UGOVOR and Municipal Administration Reform projects.
In the midst of so many other controversies involving this municipality, the commitment of Srebrenica to providing the best possible services to all those who live here deserves to be acknowledged. I am pleased that the OSCE has been able to support this municipality in this task.
The completion of the Municipal Administration Reform project is an important achievement. The results have been impressive. The work of the Municipal Assembly Commission for Budget and Finance deserves particular mention, for it has been instrumental in improving not only communication between the assembly and the executive but also the budgeting process as well. The municipality has also introduced measures to encourage new businesses by simplifying registration procedures, improving the information available and offering exemptions from some municipal fees. I hope that this will provide a much-needed boost to local economic development.
Completion of the UGOVOR project represents another milestone on the road to better governance, economic advancement, and greater prosperity here. This municipality has demonstrated a particular commitment to working in partnership with its residents. The development of the municipality’s strategic plan is proof of this. Both the Mayor and the Speaker played leading roles in the Municipal Development Planning Committee. That has not happened in many other municipalities.
Of course, such achievements are nothing unless they lead to further improvements in the lives of the people who live here. This has already happened in Srebrenica, thanks to the readiness of the authorities to introduced new ways of doing things and to change and reform.
The municipality has displayed a strong commitment to improving communication with its urban residents and to reaching out to those living in more remote communities. The citizens of Srebrenica Municipality have responded. Individually and in groups, they have played an active and essential role in achieving the standards required to complete these projects.
Now, as I just noted, improving public services is a continuous activity. Srebrenica cannot now rest on its laurels. There is always room to improve – even in international organizations. The OSCE will certainly continue work with you to build on what has been achieved and to help you develop even better services and higher levels of citizen participation.
Looking to the future, I believe that municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina can increasingly learn not from us but from each other and, in this way, become more responsible for defining and meeting their own needs. This is why we began the Beacon Scheme. And this is why we now hope to develop other, less formal, but equally effective means so that municipalities can exchange what we like to call “best practices.” In the future, when you hear employees of the OSCE talk about “learning networks,” you should remember that this is what they are referring to.
I would like to close by thanking Srebrenica municipality for its warm welcome here today and, more importantly, to congratulate you on your achievements in completing the UGOVOR and Municipal Administrative Reform Projects.
Thank you
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