Bosnia and Herzegovina (3) -- Analyses-- January-March 2006

Signed agreement on enhancing capacities of general secretariat of Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers

29.03.2006

Representatives of the Delegation of the European Commission in BiH, the General Secretariat of the BiH Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France signed on Friday the Twinning Agreement that will provide for enhancing the capacities of the General Secretariat of the State Government. This project is funded by the European Union with 500.000 euros, and will be realized over the next 18 months by the General Secretariat and partners in France and Slovenia. During this period, representatives of the BiH Government will work together with officials from France and Slovenia on building the capacities for coordinating the formulation of policies and decision-making. In this way, the capacities of the General Secretariat and all services of the BiH Council of Ministers will be enhanced. This partnership agreement was signed by the Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Commission in BiH Renzo Daviddi, Director of General Secretariat of BiH Council of Ministers Zvonimir Kutlesa and representative of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gerard Bouscharain. Deputy Head of EC Delegation in BiH Renzo Daviddi stressed that public administration reform plays the key role in the transition process, while the role of the General Secretariat is very important in this process. He said that BiH lacks the administrative sector capacities at the central level and expressed hope that this project would enhance these capacities and provide for better cooperation among the BiH institutions. Director of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers Zvonimir Kutlesa said that designing of the plan of public administration reform would be completed in a month and that the General Secretariat would be the central body of conducting strategic planning and programming activities of BiH Council of Ministers, which has not been the case so far. French Ambassador to BiH Henry Zipper de Fabiani, who attended the signing ceremony, said that the BiH Government, which will be enhanced with the new constitutional reforms, requires an efficient secretariat for the purpose of having better coordination of activities.

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