CONFERENCE ON CITIZENS' PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES

ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - Zagreb on Thursday hosted an international conference aimed at encouraging the European practice of engaging citizens in decision-making processes. In attendance were representatives of international institutions and NGOs. #L# The main objective of the conference was to encourage the creation of appropriate legal, institutional, and political frameworks that should step up citizens' participation in decision-making. The event was organised by the Institute for International Relations, Germany's Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and the Croatian government's Council for the Development of Civil Society. Opening the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Ante Simonic stressed the need for reinforcing dialogue between the government and civil society organisations. Simonic said the government had earmarked 17 million kuna (EUR2.3 million) from the budget for NGOs this year and that it was increasingly involving civil society organisations in political decision-making processes. He added, however, that even though the civil sector was more represented in decision-making than before, participation was not being carried out systematically. Assistant European Integration Minister Visnja Samardzija proposed linking Croatian associations with the European Union civil sector. Speeches were also delivered by the director of the Dutch Institute for Social Innovations, Guido Enthoven, and a British expert in the organisational development of the NGO sector and public administration, Libby Cooper, who is currently working as an advisor to the Croatian government. A representative of the European Commission Delegation in Croatia, Enrique Aguado Asenjo, spoke about citizens' participation in decision-making in the Commission. (hina) ha sb