Ten local self-government units representing all eight planning regions have been selected to join the fourth cycle of the second phase of the “Empowering Municipal Councils” programme. The municipalities—Novaci, Radovish, Shuto Orizari, Makedonska Kamenica, Kichevo, Demir Kapija, Vrapchishte, Rosoman, Kratovo, and the City of Skopje—were chosen through a restricted call, which attracted applications from 17 out of 27 eligible municipalities.
In this cycle, around 160 municipal councilors will participate in a Capacity Development Programme aimed at strengthening their knowledge and skills. The training covers key areas of local governance such as public finance, urban planning, good governance, anti-corruption, gender equality, environmental protection, inter-municipal cooperation, and crisis management.
Alongside training, each municipality will have access to grants of up to $15,000 to implement locally identified projects through Community Forums. These initiatives are designed to improve social services and support vulnerable groups while promoting inclusivity and equal access.
The programme also provides support to enhance transparency, accountability, and digitalization of municipal services, helping councils operate more efficiently and deliver higher-quality governance.
With this latest group, the programme has reached its goal of supporting 40 municipalities in its second phase. Together with 24 municipalities from the first phase, a total of 64 local government units have benefited from the initiative over the past decade.
The “Empowering Municipal Councils – Phase 2” project, valued at $6.9 million, is funded by the Government of Switzerland and the Ministry of Local Self-Government, and co-funded and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with national and local stakeholders.
