Kosovo Municipalities 'Log in'

19 June 2006

UNDP will assist the Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM) to become member of the regional organization LOGINCEE, through funding a project which was signed on Frida y, 16 June between the UNDP Resident Representative, Frode Mauring and the President of Asociation of Kosovo Municiaplities, Ismet Beqiri.

The project, which supports the regional integration of Kosovo municipalities, promotes the professional development of local government officials and their staff and strengthens the capabilities of organizations that support the reform of public administration at the local level. LOGIN (Local Government Information Network) is an initiative founded by several international organizations including USAID, UNDP and the World Bank.

The LOGIN Board of Directors has recently decided to include Kosovo in this initiative. AKM, through the LOGIN project, will be able to increase information on EU integration to local level officials, create databases on network contact information and funding opportunities, etc.

�Today marks the beginning of a new partnership between UNDP Kosovo and the Association of Kosovo Municipalities. Through this grant, the Association, Kosovo Municipalities will have access to a far-reaching network of local government documents and practices throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union�, said Frode Mauring the UNDP Resident Representative in Kosovo.

The Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM) has been chosen as the local implementing partner, with UNDP supporting the implementation of the project. AKM will provide a project manager and assistant and provide the various services required to meet the requirements of LOGIN membership. The AKM will have to provide minimum of 250 documents related to local governance in Kosovo to the LOGIN database.

Documents will include: meeting reports, policy papers, research papers, comments on laws and draft laws, project documents, manuals and other training and educational material.