Serbia became a member state of the Council of Europe in 2003 and ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 2007. Since then, Serbia has benefited from Council of Europe initiatives that support its reform agenda, ensure compliance with European standards, and advance its EU accession process. The latest Congress monitoring report was adopted in 2017.

The Centre of Expertise has implemented a series of projects with the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities of the Republic of Serbia with the aiming of strengthening governance practice and introducing modern human resource management practice in local self-government.

Ongoing projects in Serbia

 Human Resources Management in Local Self-Government

The project helps local self-governments (LSGs) implement a competency-based Human Resources Management (HRM) system and ensures the sustainability of HRM and professional development reforms. It also supports the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the National Academy for Public Administration in refining policies based on real challenges faced by LSGs.

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Strengthening innovative democracy in South-East Europe

The project aims at enhancing local democracy and promoting more transparent and inclusive local public institutions in South-East Europe, building on increased awareness and evident demand in the region for more deliberative and participative democracy.  It focuses on strengthening capacities of local authorities, piloting Citizens’ Assemblies, and improving legal frameworks to embed participatory and deliberative processes as complement to representative democracy in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

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* All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.