With the aim of helping local CSOs to fulfill their role in a democratic environment by acting as an independent partner, monitoring the work of public institutions, increasing responsibility and transparency in policy development and decision-making processes in the field of environmental protection , green energy and sustainable economic growth UZOR in cooperation with NGO ALB Progress realized a workshop on April 13, 2023 in Podgorica. The workshop was intended for representatives of local CSOs, civic activists and citizens. Within this target group, the focus was on representatives of minority nations and other minority national communities, persons with disabilities and members of the RE population.

The topic of the workshops was citizen participation and mechanisms for citizens’ participation in the adoption and implementation of policies and decisions of local self-governments.  The goal of the workshops was to encourage the participation of citizens and local civil society organizations to fulfill their role in a democratic environment by acting as an independent partner in monitoring institutions, influencing responsibility and transparency in the development of policies and decision-making processes in the field of sustainable development. The workshop consisted of three segments:

1.  presentation of the project and activities; 
2. familiarization with the relevant legal and institutional framework, with a special focus on regulations and authorities of the Capital City; 
3. the practical part through concrete examples from practice and the creation of proposals for initiatives and civic initiatives based on the analysis of the situation in the Capital City. 

The workshops resulted in two concrete advocacy initiatives in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection, which will be presented to the business community and local government bodies as part of the Eco Festival. 

The workshop was conducted within the project “Partnership for the local community – strengthening the contribution of civil society to the development of local policies and practices”, which was supported through the III call of the program “CSOs in Montenegro – from basic services to policy formulation – M’BASE”, which implemented by the Center for Civic Education (CGO), in partnership with the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), the NGO Center for the Protection and Study of Birds of Montenegro (CZIP) and the NGO Politikon Network, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media and the Office for the European integration of the Government of Montenegro. The project is financed by the European Union and co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration.