SDC: EFFORTS ON CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING MOVE FORWARD

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Mongolia’s progress in the past few years in strengthening civic engagement has been remarkable. Citizens’ participation now has a real meaning in Mongolia with the introduction of the Local Development Fund (LDF). The introduction of the LDF provides citizens with the possibility to influence decisions about priority investments at the local level,” said SDC’s Deputy Director of Cooperation Diepak Elmer in his opening remarks at the Planning Workshop organized by the Office of the President and the Asia Foundation, its implementing partner for the Fostering Civic Engagement at Sub-National Level (FOCE) Project. The purpose of the workshop was to present the project’s fifteen months work plan to key stakeholders and develop action plans for the pilot sites for the duration of the project. Presentations were made on the Draft National Action Plan for Citizens’ Participation and the alignment of the project’s activities with this Plan, which is presently under discussion in Parliament. Mr. L. Dashdorj, Citizen’s Participation and Economic Advisor to the President, disclosed that the Office of the President has budgeted 450 million MNT to support civic participation in 2014. Fourteen local leaders from the projects’ seven pilot soums/khoroos gathered at the workshop, bringing their experiences in testing different ways to enhance the voice of citizens in decisions affecting their daily lives, as well as the challenges they faced. “The group who is here today consists of the pioneers in this new era of Mongolia’s development. Last September I was in Jargalant soum of Khovd aimag and I was impressed with the achievements I saw resulting from civic engagement” said Mr. Elmer. “I was impressed because last year was the first time that LDF was implemented through civic engagement and already now citizens have experienced real benefits.” The FOCE project supports efforts by the Office of the President to promote sub-national urban and rural governments that are democratic, empowered, and accountable to citizens, and which provide services responding to citizens’ needs. The SDC mandated The Asia Foundation for the implementation of the project, which is implemented in 17 selected sites including 14 soums and 3 khoroos of Khan-Uul district in Ulaanbaatar city.