The conference was organised by the Croatian government, the Stability Pact and the Council of Europe.
The final declaration emphasises that the strengthening of democracy is a precondition for social and economic development of south-eastern Europe and must not be limited to the state level but should cover all levels of administration.
It notes that the Stability Pact member states have made progress in strengthening local administration, but that there is still much to be done.
The document points out the importance of cross-border cooperation between local communities and their authorities with the aim of promoting mutual understanding, sustainable development, and consequently reconciliation and stability.
The declaration cites criteria necessary for reform in administration in line with the European Local Self-Government Charter.
Starting from the principle of subsidiarity and the fact that the central government has to create conditions for effective democratic local administration, signatories to the memorandum confirm the importance of the full implementation of the principles of the said European Charter. The signatories also assume the obligation of drawing up as well as implementing platforms for better local administration in compliance with drafts proposed at the Zagreb conference.
Commending Croatia for the excellent organisation of the conference, the participants agreed in the final declaration to consider the results of the implementation of the platforms in the countries in question as well as at the level of the region at their new meeting, scheduled in 18 months' time in Skopje, Macedonia.