The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, jointly with the City of Mostar, organised a Citizens’ Assembly, which was inaugurated on 10 July 2021, as part of the first deliberative process of this kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the South East of Europe. The opening session and presentations by stakeholders and experts were live webcast on the dedicated website.
During four consecutive weekends, from 10 to 31 July 2021, the Citizens’ Assembly brought together a representative group of 48 randomly selected citizens who deliberated upon and make recommendations on the cleanliness of the city and maintenance of public spaces in Mostar. This topic was proposed by citizens of Mostar and chosen after consultations with civil society and the city authorities.
The Assembly is organised on the basis of a transparent and inclusive process tailored for Mostar. It allows citizens to be more engaged in local decision making, learn about the topic from relevant experts, exchange on experiences in other cities, and hear the views of local stakeholders and political representatives. It also gives an opportunity for the local authorities to address the recommendations of citizens. This deliberative democracy approach is being increasingly used in Europe to improve the quality of local governance.
The Assembly was inaugurated by Bernd Voehringer, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities within the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe; Bojana Urumova, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo; Salem Marić, President of the City Council of the City of Mostar; and Radmila Komadina, Advisor to the City of Mostar.
Ahead the Citizens' Assembly, a Memorandum of Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the City of Mostar, was signed on Friday 9 July at 10:00 am at the premises of the City Hall of Mostar.
The Citizens’ Assembly is organised in the framework of the project “Building democratic participation in the City of Mostar” implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2018-2021. The aim of the project is to create opportunities for citizens to engage in a deliberative process and increase their contribution to local decision-making. In turn, this process will foster dialogue at local level and contribute to the revitalisation of democratic processes in the City of Mostar.
All the information related to the Citizens' Assembly is available on the dedicated website www.mostargradimo.ba
