The Provincial Assembly of Vojvodina initiated this Conference to enable regular discussions, knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices among members of local parliaments (MPs) from 80 local assemblies coming from all parts of Serbia. More than 250 participants attended the conference.
At the ceremonial opening of the First Annual Conference in Novi Sad, the Head of Governance Domain at Swiss Cooperation Office/ Embassy of Switzerland, Sascha Müller, emphasized the importance of local assemblies as democratically elected bodies at the local level. She highlighted the Swiss support for the introduction of public hearings in local assemblies’. Such hearings, organized in partnership with UNDP, do not only enhance the transparency of local assemblies’ work but also contribute to citizen’s voices and needs being heard, thus ensuring more inclusive local decision-making. The Swiss Government also provided support to the introduction of e-parliaments, presented at the Conference as an innovative practice.
The UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Steliana Nedera, highlighted the importance of establishing a form of parliamentary union amongst local assemblies in Serbia as a contribution to the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 16 that calls for the creation of effective, responsible and inclusive institutions at all levels. Stronger parliaments play a key role in the efficient and timely implementation of the SDGs. Hence, relevant policies and development plans need to be drafted through participatory and inclusive processes, and reports submitted to parliaments for review, said Nedera.
The Deputy Speaker of Assembly of Vojvodina, Damir Zobenica stated that the Vojvodina Assembly initiated the Conference to familiarize the parliaments at all three levels of the government in Serbia - with new and modern opportunities and ideas for improving the work of the assemblies, all the while following the adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Mayor of Novi Sad, Milos Vucevic emphasized that the City of Novi Sad is honored to host such an important event aiming to improve the work of local assemblies and stimulate their cooperation, particularly having in mind that they are the first point of contact for citizens and in charge of executing a large number of decisions, not just from the local but also from the national level.
The Minister of Public Administration and Local Self Government, Branko Ruzic, underlined importance of the amendments of the Local Self Government Law. ‘The amendments will lead to increased citizens’ participation in the investment part of municipal budget, law and public policy making processes, and especially public debates. Therefore, we encourage citizens to create initiatives relevant for their community’.
Switzerland supports “Strengthening the Oversight Function and Transparency of the Parliament” Project worth 1.7 million EUR, with the aim of achieving a more transparent and efficient work of the National Parliament and local assemblies across Serbia.
