United Nations Development Programme

1
Inter-Municipal Cooperation in the context
of Gender and the Human Rights Based
Approach Holger Osterrieder
Policy analyst, Democratic Governance 
UNDP, Europe and the CIS Bratislava Regional
Centre Joint CoP meeting, Yerevan,
13-15 June 2006
United Nations Development Programme
2
Challenges

• Provide efficient and legitimate services
• Adapt local administration to the needs of the
  citizens and not vice versa
• Local authorities are often better positioned to
  address human and gender-specific needs, but
  often face resource shortages, high levels of
  inequality and inefficiency due to their small
  size.
• Fragmentation can lead to the ineffective
  protection of human rights.

3
Inter-Municipal Cooperation

• Creates economies of scale for more effective
  service delivery without diluting local-level
  political participation
• Pooling of resources for more effective and
  equitable distribution and use
• Increased institutional capacity via sharing of
  best practices and combining expertise
• Responds to the needs of the citizens

4
Success in Macedonia
5
Success in Bulgaria

• Association of Danube River Municipalities- 24
  mainly rural municipalities
• Collaborated for better regional waste management
• Partnered with private sector
• Economic benefit
• Environmental benefit reduced air pollution
• Social benefit better services delivered
• Capacity building Municipalities were able to
  strengthen their regulatory role
• Effective public awareness campaign
• Increased capacities of policymakers by
  strengthening collaborative ties

6
Key External Conditions

• Incentive system in funds allocation include
  elements of human rights and gender
  considerations
• Enabling legal environment identification of
  responsibilities
• Devolution of competencies to the municipal level
  together with administrative and fiscal
  decentralization -- promote a comprehensive
  vision of decentralization

7
Steps to Follow

• Assess needs and opportunities
• Human rights and gender analysis
• Identify partners
• Include civil society, the poor and
  excluded men and women
• 3. Determine objectives and clarify expectations
• Focus on human rights and gender aspects
• 4. Agree on modality

8
Steps to Follow

• 5. Establish cooperation agreement and necessary
  institutions
• Clear objectives and responsibilities (equitable
  to all partners)
• Clear and fair cost allocation
• Work plan and schedule of activities
• 6. Implementation
• Gender sensititity
• Inclusion of all parts of society
• 7. Performance monitoring and evaluation

9
Conclusion

Intermunicipal cooperation offers several points
of entry for a gender and human rights approach.
10
Thank you!
11
Success in Portugal

• Building infrastructure on an individual basis
  was inefficient
• Municipalities formed associations
• Partnerships with private firms
• Lower prices
• Gains through economies of scale
• Significant reductions in water losses.