The organisation of public services through intermunicipal cooperation, exchange of experience of local public authorities (LPAs) from France and the Republic of Moldova are the subject of the international conference “Intermunicipal cooperation in the provision of local public services: water, waste management, energy efficiency, transport and mobility” which takes place during 15-16 December in Chișinău.

The event is organised by the Embassy of France to the Republic of Moldova, with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in partnership with the EU programme “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions”, implemented by UNDP and UNICEF.

France supports the improvement of local public services such as water, sanitation, and waste management, provided at local level across Moldova.

Graham Paul, the Ambassador of France to the Republic of Moldova said in his opening remarks at the conference: “Beyond bilateral relations, the cooperation between local authorities, known as decentralised cooperation, offers concrete opportunities for action, as local as possible and as close to the people. The most effective and cost-effective response is not always to be found at the level of an isolated municipality, which is why we thought it would be useful to discuss the solutions that can be offered by intermunicipal cooperation. It provides a legal and operational framework that allows local authorities to pool their resources to jointly tackle the identified challenges.”

The messages of the speakers and participants highlighted the importance of organising public services through intermunicipal cooperation, which helps to rationalise, streamline and increase the quality of public service delivery, save resources and provide the necessary framework for the regionalisation of services. The organisation of local public services through intermunicipal cooperation is one of the main elements in strengthening regional competitiveness.

“Through our work at local and regional level, UNDP has extensively focused on improving public service provision for an inclusive and equitable growth of local communities. During this event we will be able to share our latest experience in supporting intermunicipal cooperation, as part of the EU4Moldova: Focal Regions Programme,” said Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

The conference discussed the role of LPAs at district, city and village level in the regionalisation of public services; the rights and obligations of LPAs in the management of public services, the challenges and solutions to the regionalisation of public services; the institutional framework and modus operandi, the challenges and solutions at different stages of development, the programs for the development of public services through intermunicipal cooperation and regionalisation etc.

The conference “Intermunicipal cooperation in the provision of local public services: water, waste management, energy efficiency, transport and mobility” brings together over 100 expert participants, development partners, representatives of local and central public authorities from France and the Republic of Moldova.

Download here the press-release in Russian.