745th meeting – 14 March 2001
Item 12.3
Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe:
specific projects on local democracy and transfrontier co-operation
CLRAE Recommendation 74 (2000)
Draft reply
(CM/Del/Dec(2001)744/1.1, GR-EDS(2001)CB5)
Decision
The Deputies adopted the following reply to CLRAE Recommendation 74 (2000):
“The Committee of Ministers has considered with close attention Congress Recommendation 74 (2000) on the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe: specific projects on local democracy and transfrontier co-operation and agreed to forward it to their governments, as well as, for information, to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR), the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact, the European Commission, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The Committee of Ministers shares the opinion of the Congress that one of the main challenges facing Europe in the coming years will be to restore peace, stability, democracy and the rule of law in Southeastern Europe and agrees that reconstruction must not be confined only to security, economy and infrastructure, but should include society, the institutions, restoring the rule of law, also on the local level. The forthcoming Stability Pact Donors' Conferences will be an opportunity to present projects to the Donors' community.
As for points 14.i, 14.ii and 14.iii of the Recommendation, the Council of Europe Programme of Activities for 2001 foresees a continuation of the existing field presence of the Council of Europe in Pristina, which corresponds to the political priorities of the Secretary General and of the Committee of Ministers. Additional activities, for example, the establishment of Secretariat offices in Podgorica and Belgrade will be financed out of the general provision mentioned above on the basis of specific decisions of the Committee of Ministers.
As for point 14.v, the Committee of Ministers, at its 107th Session (9 November 2000), reiterated its support for the action of the Council of Europe in contributing to the Stability Pact and to the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 on Kosovo. The Ministers acknowledged the efforts and evaluation made by the Council of Europe in monitoring, with the assistance of 144 observers, the electoral process in Kosovo, FRY, leading to the local elections of 28 October 2000, following a joint request made to the Council of Europe by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and by the Chairmanship of the OSCE.
The Committee of Ministers encourages the Council of Europe to continue its ongoing work in the “Good Governance” Task Force of Working Table 1, whose sponsorship is assured by the Council of Europe. Close co-operation with the Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact, speedy implementation and high visibility are essential.
In the framework of Goal VI “Promoting partnership between towns and regions” of the Strategic Plan, a Forum of cities and regions of southeastern Europe took place in Skopje (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”) on 16-18 November 2000. This meeting is also regarded as a valuable contribution to the implementation of the objectives of the Szeged process.
The evaluation of these projects in view of the forthcoming rounds of consultations in the framework of the Stability Pact procedures is under way.
The Committee of Ministers takes note of the readiness of the Congress to continue to participate actively in the implementation of the “Local Democracy” projects of the Council of Europe.
It also notes the support that the Congress gave to democratic forces in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, particularly at town and municipal level, in order to help the country to develop local democracy (point 14.iv of the Recommendation), even before these forces' election successes created today's new situation in which closer relations are becoming a reality.”