Development Partners Dialogue Session: Open, Solution-Oriented Discussion Between WBs Public Administrators and Development Partners Toward Strengthened PAR
26 November 2024, Skopje, North Macedonia
As part of the annual Western Balkans High-Level Policy Dialogue, a key annual initiative that strengthens political and leadership support for public administration reform in the region, the Development Partners Dialogue strived to foster coordination and engagement with regional and international development partners.
Director Handjiska-Trendafilova opened the session by stressing the importance of regional cooperation and alignment between needs of national governments and support provided by development partners. She emphasised that such synergy is essential for “designing impactful reform strategies that address the evolving challenges of governance across the Western Balkans”.
Genti Xhaxhiu, ReSPA Programme Coordinator, outlined the strategic direction for ReSPA’s work from 2025 to 2030, focusing on fostering a more resilient and effective public administration in the Western Balkans. His presentation framed the Dialogue’s discussions around shared priorities and strategic action points.
High-ranking public servants across the Western Balkan region discussed challenges, current initiatives, and shared needs They presented ongoing projects implemented in the field of PAR and institution building,, focusing on policy planning, better regulation, building capacities for EU integration, human resources management, digitalisation and service delivery, public finance management, local governance and quality management. Participants underscored the importance of targeted support that aligns with regional challenges and public administration systems' evolving needs.
In return, development partners, including Sandra Laquelle from the European Commission’s DG NEAR, Faustine Bentaberry from France’s DGAFP, Elda Bagaviki from the Embassy of Switzerland in Albania, Arben Salihu from GIZ, and Robert Bauchmuller from the Center of Excellence in Finance, shared their ongoing projects and priorities, outlining available resources and support mechanisms. Their presentations offered valuable insights into mechanisms for assistance and underscored potential synergies in future initiatives.
This session fostered collaboration and exchange among all stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of contributing to better-targeted support for public administration reform processes across the region.
Jelena Mrdak, ReSPA Programme Manager, underscored the region’s collective commitment to advancing public administration reform as a cornerstone of good governance and EU integration. “By fostering open dialogue and aligning resources with regional needs, today we marked a significant step toward building stronger partnerships and ensuring more impactful support for the Western Balkans”.
The brief conclusions from the Development Partners Dialogue session were later presented at the Ministerial Session of the HLPD, contributing to the ongoing efforts to enhance public administration across the Western Balkans and foster the region’s integration into the EU.
