Back Grants to local authorities for better inter-municipal co-operation and help with welcoming refugees

Grants to local authorities for better inter-municipal co-operation and help with welcoming refugees

“What we cannot do alone, we can achieve together.” Local leaders and economic development officers from 42 Armenian local authorities expressed optimism about the potential for inter-municipal co-operation to help deliver better services to citizens, during a series of workshops organised by the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance (CEGG) in Yerevan.

The workshops followed the recent awarding by the CEGG of 11 grants to local authorities in Armenia to develop feasibility studies into opportunities for intermunicipal cooperation.

On 11 April 2024 – the same day as the launch of the Council of Europe’s comprehensive response package to the refugee influx in Armenia – a dedicated workshop on Resilience Building Strategies (ReBuS) was organised to support communities in developing effective responses to the influx of refugees from Karabakh. The Resilience Building Strategies approach is in line with the recent Congress Recommendation 510 (2024) on Local and regional responses to natural disasters and climate hazards: from risk preparedness to resilience, adopted in March 2024. At the same time, a deadline for communities hosting refugees from Karabakh to apply for a grant to address immediate and mid-term needs was extended until 19 April 2024.

These activities were organised under the Democratic Development, Decentralisation and Good Governance in Armenia - Phase 2 project and the “Support to Communities Hosting Refugees in Armenia” project, implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance at the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026, with funding from Austrian Development Cooperation. The project aims to support the adoption of revised legislative framework for local self-government in line with European standards to reflect the new territorial-administrative map of Armenia and develop the capacities of local authorities of the newly enlarged communities to fulfil the competences and deliver the services entrusted to them under the decentralisation strategy.

YEREVAN, ARMENIA 11 APRIL 2024
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Start date: December 2022

Duration: 37 months

Budget: 1 100 000 EUR

Donor: Austrian Development Cooperation

Partners: RoA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, local authorities in Armenia, local government associations, civil society organisations

Contact Person: Ms Ani Dallakyan, Senior Project Officer

The Project “Democratic Development, Decentralisation and Good Governance in Armenia – Phase II” aims to support the adoption of revised legislative framework for local self-government in line with European standards to reflect the new territorial-administrative map of Armenia and develop the capacities of local authorities of newly enlarged communities to ensure they can assume new responsibilities and competences. It also seeks to further raise awareness of good governance principles and promote cross-border co-operation (CBC), inter-municipal co-operation (IMC) and economic development at local level.

Thanks to the project, Armenian citizens will benefit from more inclusive, effective, and resilient institutional structures at local level, which are capable of delivering improved public service and promoting sustainable economic development as a result of an improved legislative framework. 

It is expected that as a result of the Project:

  • Active and substantive participation of communities and civil society in policy development and local governance processes is ensured.
  • Local economic development policy is adopted to support financial decentralisation and deliver increased fiscal autonomy at local level.
  • Revised Law on Local Self-Government and relevant constitutional amendments is adopted in light of stakeholder contribution and in line with European standards.
  • Improved accessibility to and provision of public service at local level support equal access to resources for women, youth, and vulnerable people.
  • Start-up grants support the completion of feasibility studies into inter-community cooperation and the establishment of intercommunity arrangements to support shared service delivery.
  • Start-up grants on cross-border cooperation support the establishment of cross-border economic development initiatives.
  • Platform for exchange of experience and best practice in inter-municipal cooperation, cross-border cooperation and economic development is established to facilitate peer learning among Communities.