Mitrovicë / Kosovska Mitrovica hosts inaugural Forum annual conference

From 24-28 May 2010, municipal officials and civil society representatives from ten cities will spent a week in Mitrovicë / Kosovska Mitovica, discussing how they solve problems and overcome obstacles in cities in transition.

At the final session of the Mitrovicë / Kosovska Mitrovica conference, delegates from the eight participating cities unanimously agreed that the conference had been an extraordinary endeavour, expressed again their appreciation to their hosts, the Mitrovica Forum, but more importantly to the citizens of both Mitrovicë / Kosovska Mitrovica for welcoming them into their communities and allowing them to share in the experiences of their daily lives in the face of practical and political obstacles beyond their immediate ability to resolve.

In accordance with the mission statement of the FCT, the emphasis in the inaugural conference was on the realization of practical outcomes that would assist Mitrovicë / Kosovska Mitrovica improve the daily lives of their citizens add to the quality of life and enhance engagement between officials, NGOs, and residents of Mitrovicë / Kosovska Mitrovica.

Following extensive multilateral and bilateral deliberations, both in formal and informal sessions, a set of outcomes of the Mitrovica Forum conference and unanimously adopted.

The conference was supported by: Cultural Heritage Without Borders, the Dutch Government Kosovo Civil Society Fund, Kosovo Foundation for Open Society, Minister of Local Government Association, the Municipality of Kaduna, the Municipality of Mitrovicë, Olaf Palme International Centre, Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the United Nations Development Programe.

Forum Director, Professor Padraig O'Malley, discusses the Mitrovica conference with WBUR on 16th June 2010: