Swiss Support Drives Environmental Governance at the Local Level

A formal ceremony was held today under the framework of the "PRO – Local Governance for People and Nature" Programme, officially marking the completion of activities aimed at improving environmental governance across cities and municipalities in Serbia.

Over the past three and a half years, the Programme has supported numerous initiatives that enhanced the environmental governance capacities of local self-governments, fostered cooperation with civil society organizations, and contributed to establishing sustainable partnerships at the local level.

"During the implementation of the Programme, UNOPS focused on building institutional capacities at the local level. This is essential for creating sustainable local systems and supporting broader, long-term reform processes. However, sustainable environmental governance depends not only on investments and infrastructure, but also on empowered institutions, effective coordination and the accountability that local authorities assume for the success of these activities. I am pleased that all these elements were integrated throughout the Programme’s implementation," emphasized Michela Telatin, Director of the UNOPS Multi-Country Office for South-East Europe.

The Government of Switzerland has a long-standing history of supporting reform processes dedicated to environmental protection in Serbia.

"As part of our environmental governance activities, we supported the development of 100 public policies and strategic documents across 20 local self-governments, and built the capacities of 564 local government representatives in the fields of environment and climate change adaptation. Furthermore, a unique dimension of this supported Programme is the strengthening of partnerships between local self-governments and civil society organizations through the implementation of 18 projects, alongside the active participation of nearly 13,000 young people in drafting local environmental policies," stated Rachel Fischer, Head of Governance at the Swiss Cooperation Office.

A key component of the program’s success lies in the establishment of a broad network of partnerships at both local and national levels, including the active support provided to program activities by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia.

"The Ministry is firmly committed to further strengthening local capacities and improving the environmental management system, as this ensures long-term results and more resilient local communities. Our role focuses on ensuring coordination, compliance with national regulations, and providing support to all relevant stakeholders during implementation," emphasized Mirjana Todorović, Head of the Department for Waste Management System Development and Cooperation with Local Self-Governments at the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Today’s event also provided an opportunity to publicly recognize and reward the local self-governments that made significant contributions to improving environmental governance through the "PRO – Local Governance for People and Nature" Programme.

The awards were presented to the following local self-governments:

First Prize: The Municipality of Knjaževac – Awarded for the project "A More Sustainable Tomorrow - Agriculture in Action," implemented in cooperation with the "Timočki Klub" Association. The project focused on promoting sustainable agriculture, with a specific emphasis on the safe collection and disposal of pesticide packaging in rural areas.
Second Prize: The Municipality of Prijepolje – Recognized for its collaboration with the "Kamena Gora" Mountaineering Association on a project to improve the management and preservation of the "Sopotnica Waterfalls" nature monument. This initiative established a Protected Area Users' Council, serving as a permanent joint management mechanism that unites the local self-government, tourism sector, civil society, and the local community.
Third Prize: The Municipality of Bojnik – Awarded for the project "Manage Waste for a Better Future - No Time to Waste!" implemented in partnership with the "Konektor" Association. The project enhanced waste management by introducing a Geographic Information System (GIS) to map illegal dumpsites and improve data-driven decision-making.