The Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UOM) has submitted to all its member municipalities a document titled Guidelines for Improving the Participation of Citizens and Local Communities in Decision-Making in Local Self-Governments.
The Guidelines were developed with the aim of providing expert support to municipalities in implementing the obligations set out in the Law on Local Self-Government, as well as strengthening citizens and the non-governmental sector to participate in decision-making at the local level.
The Guidelines present the forms of citizen and local community participation in decision-making at the local level as defined by law (initiative, citizens’ initiative, referendum, citizens’ assembly, complaint/petition), and specify in which cases each of them is used, as well as new opportunities for their more effective and efficient participation in decision-making within local communities,” stated the Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities. Mišela Manojlović.
An integral part of the Guidelines are also written templates for the implementation of the aforementioned forms of participation by citizens and local communities. Mišela Manojlović expressed her belief that this document and the templates will be useful both to municipalities and to citizens in their proactive participation in decision-making at the local level.
The Union of Municipalities prepared this document in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), as a result of one of the planned activities envisaged by the Memorandum of Cooperation between the two organizations. By developing this document, the Union fulfilled an obligation defined under the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Open Government Partnership in Montenegro initiative for the period 2023–2024.
The Guidelines and all templates are available at the following links:
Guidelines for Improving the Participation of Citizens and Local Communities
Model Request for Convening a Citizens’ Assembly
