Exchange of experience between Local Authorities from the Republic of Moldova and France in the Regionalisation of Local Public Services

The organisation of public services through inter-community cooperation, exchange of experience of local public authorities (LPAs) from France and the Republic of Moldova are the subject of the international conference ‘Inter-community cooperation in the provision of local public services: water, waste management, energy efficiency, transport and mobility’ which took place on 15-16 December in Chișinău.

The event was organised by the French Embassy in the Republic of Moldova, with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in partnership with the EU-funded programme ‘EU4Moldova: Focal Regions’, implemented by UNDP and UNICEF.

France is supporting improvements in the provision of local public services such as water, sanitation and waste management in a number of localities across Moldova. 

Opening the event, the Ambassador of France to the Republic of Moldova, Graham Paul said, ‘Beyond bilateral relations between states, the cooperation between local authorities, known as decentralised cooperation, offers concrete opportunities for action, as local as possible and as close to the people. The most effective and cost-effective response is not always to be found at the level of an isolated municipality, which is why we thought it would be useful to discuss the solutions that can be offered by inter-communal cooperation. It provides a legal and operational framework that allows local authorities to pool their resources to jointly tackle the identified challenges.’

The messages of the speakers and participants highlighted the importance of organising public services through inter-communal cooperation, which helps to rationalise, streamline and increase the quality of public service delivery, save resources and provide the necessary framework for the regionalisation of services. The organisation of local public services through inter-communal cooperation is one of the main elements in strengthening regional competitiveness.

‘Through our work at local and regional level, UNDP has extensively focused on improving public service provision for an inclusive and equitable growth of local communities. Today, we will be able to share our latest experience in supporting intermunicipal cooperation, as part of the EU4Moldova: Focal Regions Programme’, said Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova. 

The conference discussed the role of LPAs at district, city and commune level in the regionalisation of public services; the rights and obligations of LPAs in the management of public services, the challenges and solutions to the regionalisation of public services; the institutional framework and modus operandi, the challenges and solutions at different stages of development, the programs for the development of public services through inter-communal cooperation and regionalisation, etc. 

The conference ‘Inter-community cooperation in the provision of local public services: water, waste management, energy efficiency, transport and mobility’ brought together over 100 expert participants, development partners, representatives of local and central public authorities from France and Moldova.