The participants in the “Local Governance with a rights-based approach” programme come from Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Ukraine and Serbia.
The primary goal of the training is to assist ongoing and new reforms, and change management processes, to achieve socio-economic development by strengthening the capacity of the municipal administration officials who are taking part in the training programme.
The majority of the rights that nations undertake to maintain are realised at local level, i.e. in municipalities, county councils, and regions, e.g. in such purely practical areas as health and medical care, education, waste management, and social welfare. Municipalities consequently have an important responsibility when it comes to implementing and ensuring human rights.
During the course of the training programme, which runs over 18 months, the participants work in their home countries with change management programmes designed to increase civic influence and participation in such areas as town planning, construction processes, environmental issues, and equality planning.
The training gives the participants the chance to study the Swedish experience, to visit colleagues in Swedish municipalities, to make study visits, to take part in workshops and, not least, to exchange experiences with one another and expand their networks.