‘In this present time and present situation, we as mayors and “gamgebelis” have the responsibility to lead behavioural change in our municipalities. The transparent and proactive approaches that we incorporate into our work will enable our citizens, and indeed our communities as a whole, to understand the ethical rules and the steps that need to be taken overcome the recurring challenges faced” emphasised the mayors committed to attending the continuation section in the two-part workshop on “Mayors, leaders for change”, organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, in close
co-operation with the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, in Tbilisi for 23 – 25 February 2016.
Focusing particularly on local values and ethical behaviours, the mayors are currently engaged in exchanging views on their day-to-day challenges and their roles and responsibilities as leaders of change. Discussions have been dedicated to the sharing best practices, and knowledge of good governance and ethics, with importance played throughout on the need to plan effectively and strategically. As the Mayor of Tbilisi and Head of the Georgian Delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Davit Narmania, asserted in his welcoming intervention “the challenges that local self-governments face today can be tackled through the sharing of experience between regions and the practical application of interesting projects that reflect a change in perspective”. In this regard, the mayors were particularly interested in the perspective of Robert Biedron, Poland (L, SOC) who briefly presented a series of initiatives that he has implemented in his municipality with the aim to change behaviour and lead innovative change.
These workshops are part of a peer-to-peer programme which aims to provide the mayors selected on the basis of their commitment to implementing concrete initiatives at the local level in the area of ethics, and to reflect balanced gender, territorial and political representation, with a platform for exchange on local democracy. The exchanges held and work developed will set the basis for the regional seminar on Public ethics: from vision to implementation at local level, which is to be held in April 2016 in Kyiv, Ukraine with their peers from the Eastern Partnership countries.
While addressing the mayors, Anna Zec, Deputy Head of Office of the Council of Europe in Georgia, reflected on new cycle of programme planning which will be adopted by the Council of Europe and the Georgian authorities for 2016-2019 and the important role that Congress will play in contributing to the strengthening of capacities at local level.
Click below for more photos from the workshops:
This workshop is the fourth country-based event organised within the thematic programme “Strengthening institutional frameworks for local governance”. This programme is funded jointly by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, through the Programmatic Co-operation Framework (PCF) for 2015-2017 for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. Targeted co-operation activities aim at reinforcing the capacity of Eastern Partnership countries to put domestic reforms into effect in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Georgia joined the Council of Europe on 27 April 1999, and signed the European Charter of Local Self-Government on 26 October 2004 and ratified it on 8 December 2004 with entry into force on 1 April 2005, with “reservations” on Article 4 paragraph 6, Article 5, Article 6 paragraph 2, Article 9 paragraph 6 and Article 10 paragraphs 2 and 3. Countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter imposes compliance with a minimum number of rights, which are the European bedrock of local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe ensures respect for these principles.
Contacts:
- Ion Beschieru, Programme Manager, Strengthening Institutional Frameworks for Local Governance Programme, +372 81591799; [email protected]
- Marité Moras, Head of Unit, Co-operation Activities, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe, + 33 650392907; [email protected]
News reports on the workshop:
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