561st Meeting - 14 March 1996

RECOMMENDATION 15 (1995) ON THE LOCAL DEMOCRACY EMBASSIES

Interim reply by the Committee of Ministers:

In response to Recommendation 15 (1995) on the local democracy embassies, adopted by the Standing Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), the Committee of Ministers has expressed its support for the local democracy embassies programme initiated in 1993 by the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and the other proposals to assist local and regional authorities in the areas affected by the conflicts in Bosnia, Herzegovina and Croatia. The Committee of Ministers is conscious of the challenges posed by the Peace Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina and wishes to confirm its support for an initiative that invites territorial authorities in Europe to make a practical contribution to the peace process by associating themselves with the embassies programme.

The Committee of Ministers has taken note of the potential role of the local democracy embassies in implementing the Council of Europe's activities within the framework of the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina. These bodies could make a particularly valuable contribution, particularly regarding the monitoring of democracy and human rights at the local level.

At their 554th meeting (January 1996, item 2.3) the Ministers' Deputies approved a series of urgent measures, contained in document CM(96)5, which are designed inter alia to support local democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and certain parts of Croatia. The measures include special assistance to each of the embassies operating in the areas concerned (Osijek, Sarajevo, Tuzla and, shortly, Sisak). The embassies' activities will be backed up by assessment visits charged with drawing up assistance programmes and identifying municipal facilities and buildings requiring reconstruction. The total assistance granted under the heading of local democracy is 1.3 million francs, 1 million of which is earmarked for the local democracy embassies. These Urgent Measures come under Vote IX of the Budget, as requested in paragraph 11.A.i.

The Committee of Ministers has also taken account of the urgent requests in paragraphs 9, 10 and 11. The Council of Europe has been involved in the co-ordination of international efforts referred to in paragraph 11.B.ii. The Committee of Ministers also hopes that the local democracy embassies programme will eventually receive additional financial and logistical support as part of the more ambitious measures that could be agreed in the near future (paragraph 10), in consultation with other international organisations active in the region and having regard to the financial resources that the Council of Europe makes available for that purpose.

The Committee of Ministers has asked the Secretary General and the members of the Monitoring Committee on Confidence-Building Measures to pay particular attention to the local democracy embassies programme (paragraph 11.A.ii).

The Committee of Ministers will resume its consideration of paragraphs 11 and 11.B.i to determine what further action to take, in the light of the outcome of the visits to assess the needs of territorial authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the regions of Croatia covered by the Urgent Measures.