Back MEDIA ADVISORY: Joint COE/EU programme on “Promoting good governance and ROMA empowerment at local level” to be launched in Podgorica tomorrow

MEDIA ADVISORY: Joint COE/EU programme on “Promoting good governance and ROMA empowerment at local level” to be launched in Podgorica tomorrow

On July 17th, the launching conference of the joint CoE/EU ROMACTED programme on “Promoting Good Governance and Roma Empowerment at Local Level” will take place in Podgorica.

Opening speeches will be delivered by Mr Leon GJOKAJ, the Director General of the Directorate for the Protection of Minorities within the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, Mr Hermann SPITZ, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation in Montenegro and Mr Marcos ANDRADE, ROMACTED Program Manager.

Immediately after the opening speeches, Memorandums of understanding will be signed by the Council of Europe, the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro and the following representatives of eight municipalities in which ROMACTED will be implemented in next two years: Ms Sanela LIČINA, Deputy Mayor of Bar, Mr Dragoslav ŠCEKIĆ, Mayor of Berane, Mr Petar SMOLOVIĆ, Mayor of Bijelo Polje, Ms Sonja NIKČEVIĆ, Deputy Mayor of Niksić , Representative of Capital Podgorica , Mr Stevan KATIĆ, Mayor of Herceg Novi, Mr Sinisa KUSOVAC, Mayor of Tivat a.i. and Mr Ljoro NREKIC, Mayor of Ulcinj.

The launching conference will start at 10:00 am on 17 July 2018, at the Hotel Centre Ville (Capital Plaza) in Podgorica. The meeting will be in English and Montenegrin with simultaneous interpretation. Media are invited to cover the whole event. Individual interviews can be arranged during the coffee break, between 11:45 and 12:15. Contact for media requests: Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, Ms Sanja Elezovic, [email protected]

Background Information:

The joint Programme between the European Commission (DG NEAR) and the Council of Europe ROMACTED is a regional programme implemented in Western Balkans and Turkey since May 2017. The Programme in Montenegro will be implemented over next two years.

The aims of the ROMACTED Programme are to:

  • build up political will and engagement of local authorities in order to enhance democratic local governance, to increase capacity and stimulate the empowerment of local Roma communities to contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of plans and projects concerning them;
  • empower the Roma community at the individual level (assisting people to practise their basic rights and to expand their capacity and skills), as well as at the community level (assisting people to get organised to voice their interests around community problem-solving);
  • improve and expand the institutions' commitment, capacities, knowledge and skills in working for Roma inclusion, putting into practice the concepts of good governance.

More information could be found at: https://pjp-eu.coe.int/web/roma-local-governance

 Download the Agenda

Podgorica, Montenegro 16 July 2018
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page

Action summary

ROMACTED, “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level”, is a Joint Programme between the European Union (DG NEAR) and the Council of Europe. The programme will be implemented by the Council of Europe’s Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma issues and the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and Turkey.

To build up political will and sustained policy engagement of authorities, to enhance democratic participation and empowerment of local Roma communities, to design and implement projects and to access national and external funds.

  1. To empower Roma community - on the individual level (assisting people to practice their basic rights and to expand their capacity and skills), as well as on the community level (assisting people to get organised to voice out their interests around community problem solving);

  2. To improve and expand the institutions' commitment, capacities, knowledge and skills in working for Roma inclusion, putting in practice the concepts of good governance;

The specificity of the actions would be to assist the local authorities to integrate Roma specific dimension/measures into the mainstream local policies, budgets and public service delivery in their agenda. 

Estimated results

The key assumptions for this support are based on the theory of change and are as follows:

  • Support to local authorities for ensuring openness, transparency and equity in dealing with local plans and budgets will lead to inclusive local plans and resource;
  • Enhanced capacity-building through training and coaching has a positive impact on public administration for delivering quality services to all citizens (including Roma citizens);
  • Municipality regulations and practices have an impact on the participation and empowerment of Roma: information is available, there is a recognition of the Community Action Group, participation is effective;
  • Community Action Group interventions will have a positive impact on presenting choices to be transformed into actions that will increase the ability of ordinary Roma citizens to assess their needs, contribute to the development of local public projects, watch-over their implementation, and monitor the local public budget;

Main activities

  • All Programme activities and incentives are meant to support strategic interventions (training, coaching, the implementation of participatory working cycles, advocacy actions, etc. during key moments of the municipal cycles: planning, budgeting, local decisions, projects etc.) which influence the attitudes, behaviour and actions of the local actors.
  • The Programme will adapt its actions and activities to each country and to each selected location from these countries, in order to fit in the policy cycle and to the dynamics and reality of each municipality, thus bringing an additional input to existing policies and practices for an effective and more inclusive functioning;
  • One of the leading guidelines in the methodology of the Programme is that participation in local governance can only be effective if it is context-appropriate. Thus, preliminary mapping, assessment, baseline survey and research are done in each selected municipality so as to facilitate the adaptation of the Programme and its support and monitoring of the process

This webpage has been produced using funds of a joint project between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

Project at a glance
  • Duration: 36 months (May 2017 – April 2020)
  • Beneficiaries/Partners: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey
  • Funding: The European Union and the Council of Europe
  • Budget: 3 750 000 EUR

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. 

Project Contact