UNMIK/PR/205
PRISTINA-At today's meeting of the Interim Administrative Council, the co-heads of the Department of Local Administration discussed with Council members the status of the Department and municipal structures.
Co-heads Blanca Antonini and Rame Buja briefed the IAC on the establishment of unified bodies in Kosovo's 30 municipalities. These include municipal councils, -- the advisory bodies to the municipal administration -- , and municipal administrative boards, which are responsible for delivering those services for which municipalities are responsible.
The Department of Local Administration is to support and assist municipal administrations by enhancing their capacities and designing policies that contribute to the development of autonomous, democratic and strong municipalities. In this initial period, the Department is facilitating the process of consensus-building leading to agreement by a wide spectrum of the community on setting up municipal bodies.
So far, the Department has developed the legal framework which defines the competencies of the municipalities, the role of elected officials, the protection of the rights of communities to essential services and the functions of the UN interim administration after municipal elections.
On a more long-term basis, the Department is to provide legal advice to the municipalities and technical support in the implementation of budget allocations and the development of local revenues.
The Department monitors the delivery of services by municipalities and makes recommendations on improvements. It also assists in coordinating international support for municipalities and in improving the management of local businesses from which municipalities derive benefits. Finally it develops policies to ensure the protection of the rights of minorities at the municipal level.
As the department has not yet been fully consolidated, applications for senior posts will be advertised in the Kosovo media in the very near future. Successful candidates will then be able to attend a training academy for civil administrators to be established by the OSCE.
The Department Co-heads briefed the IAC on the progress of establishing the municipal structures: In 22 municipalities, municipal councils chaired by UNMIK municipal administrators have begun to meet regularly, addressing major issues of concern to the local population. Councils in the remaining municipalities should be established in the next few weeks.
Municipal councils are set up after consultations with representatives of political parties and communities in the municipalities and are intended to be pluralistic, inclusive and broadly representative of the population. UNMIK administrators rely heavily upon their advice in taking decisions which impact the municipality.
The Councils also play a key advisory role in the review of administrative structures and appointments of senior positions on the administrative boards, as well as on the selection of personnel in the municipal departments. With their input, the Councils in many areas have helped establish broad community support for the administrative boards.
Co-heads noted that the main obstacle to the establishment of the unified structures has been the enmity dividing Albanian and Serb communities and the related security situation. Within the framework of UNMIK's Agenda for Co-existence, UNMIK municipal administrators seek to foster conditions that may lead to agreement, mainly through confidence-building measures.