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PRESS RELEASESupporting Local Initiatives in South Eastern EuropeSzentendre, May 31, 2007 |
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The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) are organising an event entitled, "Roadmap for Local Sustainability in South Eastern Europe: Regional Conference on Local Initiatives.” This important regional event will be held in Becej, Serbia from June 3 to 5, 2007. For the past 17 years, the REC has been providing vital assistance to local communities in the region. REC's Programme for Supporting Local Initiatives promotes local sustainable development and decentralisation, strengthens local institutions and accelerates institutional reforms in local communities with a view to achieve relevant Millennium Development Goals. The REC's Local Initiatives Programme in South Eastern Europe (LISEE) provides concrete assistance for environmental planning by developing local environmental action plans (LEAPs), facilitates environmental investments that help communities achieve their strategic goals, and improves environmental management by providing direct assistance to local communities and their institutions. The programme has three components: Local Environmental Action Planning for Sustainability in the Western Balkans, Environmental Financing, and Sustainable Rural Development and Biodiversity. This conference will review recent efforts in supporting local initiatives in South Eastern Europe and its major expected outcome is the adoption of a Joint Statement of the Local Communities on the Future of Sustainable Development. It will gather representatives from bilateral donors, national associations of municipalities from the Balkan region, international organisations, and delegates from over 20 communities in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (territory under interim UN administration), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. More information about Local Initiatives can be found at <www.rec.org/REC/Programs/Localinitiatives> or from Srdjan Susic at ssusic@rec.org.
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