Local elected officials from the Republic of Moldova will have a better knowledge of local public administration thanks to training courses organised by the Institute of Public Administration and the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova, with the support of UNDP Moldova and with funding provided by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic.

At the same time, local elected officials from the Republic of Moldova will exchange experiences with experts from France. A group of eight local elected representatives and officials from France visit our country during 3-6 June 2024. The agenda includes a study visit to Ungheni and participation in a session for trainers (experts from civil society, the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova and the Institute of Public Administration) în Chișinău.   

"France will continue to support the Republic of Moldova in its European integration efforts, including by strengthening the capacities of public administration and local authorities. We are convinced that change is more sustainable when it starts from the grassroots level, and that local and regional authorities are the bedrock of society. This is why we need strong and well-developed local and regional authorities, which are the vectors of progress,” said Maria Neagu, Cooperation Attaché at the French Embassy to the Republic of Moldova.

"UNDP Moldova and the Government of France have initiated a partnership to facilitate the exchange of experience and transfer of knowledge between local public authorities of the two countries, with the aim of contributing to a more efficient, transparent and accountable local public administration in Moldova, ensuring adequate training in public service for new local elected officials. Through this initiative we aim to contribute to the professional development of local elected officials in Moldova by providing comprehensive induction training through which they develop the skills and knowledge necessary to serve their communities effectively," noted Andrei Darie, Programme Specialist/Cluster Lead, UNDP Moldova. 

During the training, local experts, together with the French delegation, analysed the public administration system in Moldova and France. At the same time, they discussed the relations between different levels of public administration and cooperation in the common European space.

Local elected representatives exchanged views on the role of technologies and innovations in solving the problems of local communities, the involvement of people in decision-making processes, the competences and duties of local public administration, as well as ethics and integrity in public administration.

"The experience of local elected officials and civil servants in France has always been useful for us as a local public administration. We have something to learn and take from them. In this sense, the visit of the French delegation to Ungheni, facilitated by UNDP Moldova and the Government of France, was beneficial and very much welcome. We exchanged views, talked and got to know each other better. Thus, we took an important step towards creating new partnerships with our colleagues in France, which will certainly help us in our further work, because we want a governance that is as efficient as possible, for the benefit of the people. I am confident that we will continue the exchange and transfer of experience and knowledge, we will develop partnerships at the local level,” said Vitalie Vrabie, the mayor of Ungheni municipality .

"This mission is important for the city of Grenoble, twinned with Chișinău since 1977. Now we are preparing, with the French Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, in cooperation with the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, the next bilateral meetings. Experiences of participatory democracy of both countries can inspire our respective practices. This visit is an additional step to advance effective cooperation between our communities, including from the perspective of the integration of Moldova in the European Union," said Emmanuel Carroz, the deputy mayor of Grenoble.

The local officials from Moldova and France have also explored issues related to the management of public services, project management, including accessing European funds and project implementation.

Over the years, UNDP Moldova has supported capacity development efforts of local elected officials, especially those in their first term of office. In this context, the Local Elected Officials Guide will be updated and distributed later this year. New local elected officials will also have access to useful information on the e-learning platform of the Institute of Public Administration.