Good governance promotes local development in the South Caucasus

Programme description

Title: Good governance for local development (GGLD), South Caucasus
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Cofinanced by: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), European Union (EU)
Country: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Lead executing agency: Armenia (AM): Ministry for Territorial Administration and Infrastructure (MTAI); Azerbaijan (AZ): Ministry of Justice; Georgia (GE): Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure (MRDI); Ministry of Finance (MoF)
Overall term: 2020 to 2026 (component in Azerbaijan until 03/2023)

Context

Since 2009, as part of the Eastern Partnership, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have been committed to promoting stability, democracy, the rule of law and economic development through national reforms. In ratifying the European Charter of Local Self-Government, Armenia and Georgia have pledged to respect self-determination at the local level and make public administration more competent, democratic and responsive to citizens’ needs.

The German Government has been supporting corresponding reform efforts in the South Caucasus since 2005, including in the areas of public finance, municipal administration, and legal and judicial reform. However, with regard to the quality and provision of local public services, there is still much work to be done. In rural and remote regions, in particular, access to such services is often insufficient.

Objective

Public institutions in the South Caucasus are better equipped to provide citizen-oriented services.

Approach

The programme is strengthening the capabilities of the public authorities and personnel in state institutions and promoting regional and local administrations. It focuses on the following measures:

  • It supports the optimisation of legal and institutional framework conditions for citizen-oriented services.
  • It develops the capacities of key actors for citizen-oriented services and their funding and implements mechanisms for citizen participation as well as for gender sensitive service delivery.
  • The programme supports procedures, institutions and instruments related to regional development and local economic development.
  • It supports municipalities in implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
  • It fosters learning processes and the sharing of experiences across national borders.

In addition to support from Germany, the programme is co-financed in Armenia by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and in Georgia by the European Union. Since March 2023 activities in Georgia focus on the implementation of the EU-co-financed component through which economic development is promoted by income generation/economic activation in municipalities, tourism development and urban renewal activities. In Armenia, the programme is also supporting capacity building and support services of municipalities hosting displaced Armenians from the Nagorno-Karabakh region. 

Last update: February 2024

Additional information