Bosnia and Herzegovina Beacon Scheme launched in Sarajevo today

OSCE

19 October 2005

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Europe, in partnership with the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the FBiH and the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the RS, launched the Beacon Scheme today in Sarajevo, on 28 September 2005.

Mihailo Jovanovic, Deputy Mayor of Brcko District and Chairman of the Steering Group overseeing the implementation of the BiH Beacon Scheme, delivered opening remarks. Opening remarks were followed by the statements by Ambassador Douglas Davidson, Head of OSCE Mission to BiH, Tim Cartwright, Special Representative of the Secretary General of Europe in BiH, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, Ambassador of United Kingdom to BiH and Didier Chassot, Charge d�Affaires, Embassy of Switzerland to BiH.

�I hope that the BiH Beacon Scheme will encourage municipalities to exchange ideas and assist each other. This will further reduce the need for external assistance and strengthen BiH�s own capacity to take the reform process forward�, said Ambassador Davidson in his address.

Ajay Jagatia, Head of the United Kingdom Beacon Scheme at the UK Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, gave an introduction to the United Kingdom Beacon Scheme, followed by presentations from members of the Beacon Scheme Advisory Panel.

The Association of Cities and Municipalities of the FBiH and the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the RS are implementing the Scheme in partnership with the OSCE Mission to BiH and the Council of Europe, with financial support from the British and Swiss governments.