Kiev- Decentralizing national administrations is a necessary step towards boosting social and economic development in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, government and civil society representatives said today at the opening of a conference hosted by the Ukrainian government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The conference is bringing together more than 150 people more than 15 countries for two days of formal and informal discussions on how local governance can accelerate and strengthen countries’ social and economic development agendas.

Ukraine is in the midst of one of the most ambitious decentralization and local governance reform exercises Europe has witnessed in a decade. Its ongoing decentralization process was taken up as a priority by the post-Maidan government in 2014, and has included a comprehensive package of constitutional changes, fiscal decentralization and tax reform. As a result, the country’s leaders are in a unique position to share their plans and experiences in the region within the current geopolitical and economic context.

“Despite great challenges, Ukraine is moving forward developing democracy at the local level,” said Vyacheslav Negoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development of Ukraine.

“Decentralization can bring government closer to the people while at the same time increase its responsiveness, transparency, and accountability”, said Neal Walker, Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative at UNDP Ukraine. “Structural and institutional local governance reforms reinforced with capacity development, broad communications efforts and a system-wide, rather than a sectoral, approaches can improve peoples’ lives and build trust between the government and the people”.

Participants said local administrations have a major role to play in accelerating the delivery of services and allowing people to participate in local decisions, including vulnerable groups. That vision is embodied in Sustainable Development Goal 16, which specifically addresses the link between peaceful and inclusive societies on the one hand, and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions on the other.

Many countries in Europe and the Eurasian region are currently working towards putting in place local governments that meet citizens’ opportunities and aspirations, and ensure their voices and views are taken into account in local decisions.

For example, with the support of UNDP, Albania recently conducted a process of territorial administrative reform and local elections that reduced the number of local government units from 374 to 61, improving service delivery dramatically. Local elections, involving a new quota for women, were held in June 2015 which resulted in 61 municipalities that are slimmer, better staffed and composed of at least a third of women.

The conference also served as the launch of a new regional project that will support anti-corruption efforts in six municipalities in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia It will be supported financially by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by UNDP and Partners for Local Development in Romania.

About UNDP: UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

In Ukraine, UNDP’s support to decentralization and local governance reform aims to address all levels of the transformation process, - central, regional and local governments and, in particular, the community level. A particular emphasis has been made on community empowerment, building the spirit of activism and social inclusion and dialogue between local authorities and communities. Community-based approach initiatives are implemented all over Ukraine in more than 2 600 local communities, benefitting more than 1 million households. On the policy level, UNDP provides expert support for development of laws related to decentralization and provides a platform for public policy discussion on local governance reform.

SOURCE: http://www.ua.undp.org