Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, ILDG), First Vice-Chair of the Congress Monitoring Committee participated in the online OSCE Conference “Local Governance Conference - The Work of Cantonal and Municipal Assemblies / Councils during the Covid-19 Crisis” on 8 April 2021. The event brought together more than one hundred participants of Cantonal and Municipal councils in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Stewart Dickson presented the main findings of a Congress report on ensuring the respect of the European Charter of local Self-Government in times of major crisis situation and the effect of the pandemic on key aspects of the European Charter of Local Self-Government: the scope of local self-government; administrative supervision; local financial resources; consultation of local authorities, and participation in the affairs of local authorities.

He highlighted that despite good practices at all levels of governance there is a certain tendency to recentralise. At the same time he noted that the pandemic has led to strengthening multi-level cooperation, inter-municipal cooperation, and the role of local associations in consultation process.

Stewart Dickson drew attention to the Congress human rights handbook for local and regional authorities, in particular the second volume on social rights which presents good practices at local and regional level on these issues, including in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He took the opportunity to present the ongoing Congress project “Building democratic participation in the City of Mostar”.

Congress report addresses the compliance with the European Charter of Local Self-Government in major crisis situations and captures the concern of Congress members, who are confronted daily with the consequences of Covid-19 in their cities and regions.

For more information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oscebih
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OSCEBiH/status/1380081454206611459