OREANDA-NEWS. May 8, 2008. The interagency workgroup and the international consultants held a working meeting within the framework of the Local Self-Governance Development in Turkmenistan Project implemented in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) at the Mejlis of Turkmenistan. The meeting brought together the deputies of the Turkmen Parliament, the specialists of the national ministries and departments, the experts of the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan.

Co-operation in improving the national laws on local self-governance is a priority trend of Turkmenistan-United Nations constructive partnership. In particular, the project is aimed at studying the best international practice, promoting institutional and functional development of the self-governance bodies, increasing professionalism and improving the activity of archins and gengshis, actively involving the population in local social and economic development.

The interagency workgroup established under the aegis of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan consisted of the deputies of the Turkmen Parliament, the specialists of over 15 national ministries and departments and the members of the public organisations. The meetings, seminars and trainings had been conducted in six pilot gengesh selected in the Ahal, the Balkan and the Lebap Velayat to conduct the programme activities. Last year the workgroup made a study tour to the Republic of Latvia.

According to UNDP Permanent Representative in Turkmenistan Inita Paulovich, this joint project was of particular importance for building a new model of the state structure responding to the modern realities. Endued with the real authority the self-governance bodies ensured comprehensive implementation of the people’s interests that was the node point of Turkmenistan’s national policy at the current stage. During the meeting the international consultants – the chief municipal development specialist of the Louis Berger Group Consulting Company and a lecturer on social policy from the Oxford University (Great Britain) presented the key principles and the specific activity of the self-governance institutions in some countries of America, Europe, Asia and CIS.

Touching upon the process of decentralization in Turkmenistan – a country with the dynamically developed industrial and economic potential and abundant natural resources the experts emphasized that this process was aimed at strengthening the democratic basis of the Turkmen state, establishing the principles of genuine sovereignty of the people in the society. Those speaking at the roundtable noted that this aspect served as a key principle of the constitutional reform initiated by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The participants called for further study of the best international practice, development of close co-operation to improve local budgeting techniques, taxation and planning systems as well as to introduce the effective forms and methods of the local self-governance activity.