Dzhankoy, Schelkino (AR Crimea), Kalynivka (Vinnytsa Region), June: Dzhankoy, Schelkino and Kalynivka city councils launched official web-sites which were created owing to UNDP-led Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme under support of Canadian International Development Agency. Newly created web-sites will allow the citizens receiving universal access to information on activities of the city councils.
UNDP-led Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme (UNDP/MGSDP) contributes towards establishing an enabling environment for transparent local government with engaging communities to local decision-making process.
Local self-governments should observe principle of democratic participation at the local level, according to the Recommendation # 19 “On Citizens’ Participation in Local Public Life” approved in 2001 by the Council of Europe. It says that they must provide citizens with an open access to clear and comprehensive information about the community-related matters, ensuring their rights to express opinions about the most important decisions influencing their future. In line with this recommendation, the UNDP/MGSDP supports its partner municipalities in building their capacity through modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
ICT helps to increase access of the citizens to information about the activities of municipalities, as well as to other essential information in the sphere of local self-government, participatory governance, sustainable development, investment etc. Since 2004, UNDP/MGSDP provided this kind of support to 8 municipalities, including Saky, Zhytomyr, Novohrad-Volynskyy, Halych, Kirovske, Mohyliv-Podilsky, Kaharlyk and Ukrayinka. In 2009, UNDP/MGSDP supported creation of web-sites in Kalynivka (http://kalynivka-rada.org.ua), Scholkino (http://schelkino.org) and Dzhankoy (http://dzhankoi.org.ua) municipalities.
Principles of shared responsibility and cost-sharing were applied in this cooperation. UNDP/MGSDP supported creation of official web-sites of the municipalities and their placement in the Internet Network. The municipalities designed the structure of the web-site, prepared the information to be posted on it, and deputed the chief administrator of the web-site so as to ensure inter-departmental coordination for information updating and continuity of the website. The Programme supported the creation of the web-site and training for the officials and representatives from the municipality. For wider dissemination of the experience, the manual on web-site administration was prepared and published.
Development of official web-site facilitates establishing transparent system of local governance. In addition it facilitates democracy at the local level, improving cooperation between local communities and authorities, provoking public discussion of civil society and local self-government. Ruslan Golovko, Chief of Administrative Services of Executive Committee of Dzhankoy City Council said: “Creation of web-site allows bringing together local self-government bodies and local communities. Also, it creates opportunities for unbiased coverage of operation of the city council and its executive committee. Therefore, this support from UNDP/MGSDP is necessary and timely”, said Ruslan Golovko.
In 2009, UNDP/MGSDP will continue providing assistance in creation of official web-sites for partner municipalities with support of Canadian International Development Agency; as of now, respective official requests were received from Zuya, Krasnogravdiyske, Pervomayske and Nyzhnegorskyi settlements, AR Crimea.
For more details, please, contact Galyna Gulenko, Monitoring and Communications Officer of UNDP/MGSDP, by tel. 
+38 (... or via e-mail: galyna.gulenko at undp.org.ua.
+38 (... or via e-mail: galyna.gulenko at undp.org.ua.
