The Regional Program on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2) is a continuation of a regional project funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Program in six countries and territories countries in the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. *, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
ReLOaD2 works with local governments and encourages them to use public funding for CSOs in a transparent and development-oriented manner, recognizing local needs and adopting a project-based approach. ReLOaD2 will devote particular attention to youth by promoting the participation and engagement of young people in the decision-making process at the local level. Its total budget is $13.5 million (around $1.5 million in Albania).
In Albania, ReLOaD2 started its implementation in January 2021 and directly involves 13 partner municipalities. In this second phase, six new partner municipalities (Kamëz, Kavajë, Kukës, Lushnje, Patos and Saranda) are supported with funds to launch 4 public calls to CSOs. The second group of partner municipalities (Elbasan, Korçë, Roskovec, Përmet and Lezhë) is supported by mentoring and coaching events from the first phase. The municipalities of Shkodër and Tirana will play the role of mentor municipalities in this phase.
The Regional Program on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2) will continue to strengthen participatory democracies and the EU integration process in the Western Balkans (WB) by empowering civil society and young people to actively participate in decision-making by stimulating a legal and financial environment favorable to CSOs for the period 2021-2024.
Civil society organizations in the Western Balkans play an important role in the context of local governance, due to their contribution to inclusion, participation in public affairs and reduction of disparities within service delivery public. However, cooperation between local governments and civil society organizations is insufficient and NGOs have weak capacity. Civil society organizations remain largely dependent on funding from foreign donors, which is due to a combination of factors, including limitations on public funding and the lack of transparent fund disbursement mechanisms.
In Albania, the government is committed to strengthening cooperation with civil society, recognizing the important role of CSOs in responding to citizens’ needs. In this context, the government has adopted an updated policy roadmap aimed at creating a more conducive environment for the development of civil society. However, as noted in the Albania 2020 report, “the financial viability of CSOs remains a challenge due to unfavorable fiscal and legal frameworks.” Local governments have limited experience with CSO projects, mainly due to limited financial resources and lack of clear procedures.
The youth component of ReLOaD2 has aroused the interest of partner municipalities. This second phase provides for the creation of thematic youth forums in six partner municipalities. The aim of thematic youth forums is to identify issues vital to young people in local communities and to encourage young people to participate in community affairs and work closely with local authorities. The possible themes of the thematic forums are voluntarism, the involvement of young people in local affairs (governance and leadership), the integration and support of vulnerable groups, inter-community support mechanisms, etc.
The overall objective is to strengthen participatory democracies and the European integration process in the Western Balkans by giving civil society and young people the means to actively participate in decision-making and by stimulating a legal and financial environment favorable to NGOs.
Specific ReLOaD2 The aim is to strengthen partnerships between local governments and civil society in the Western Balkans by improving the transparency of NGO funding from local government budgets and promoting the engagement of young people and citizens in decision-making. decision-making and community development.
The project will support the implementation of 52 CSO projects in 6 partner municipalities. It is expected that 5,500 citizens will benefit from projects in local communities.
300 young people participate directly in thematic youth forums and undertake 60 initiatives.