From 13 to 15 May 2009, the Office for Cooperation with NGOs hosted a study visit on the part of the delegation from Montenegro whose aim was to get acquainted with the experience of the Republic of Croatia in creating environment conducive to the development of the civil society.
Montenegrin Office for Cooperation with NGOs was established in 2008 and is being presently dealing with preparation of new mechanisms for cooperation with civil society organizations. Therefore, the study visit focused on the Croatian Office’s experience in cooperation with NGOs, above all in terms of giving support to the Council for Civil Society Development and setting up the system of financing through the State Budget and the EU funds.
The Montenegrin delegation consisted of the following members: Ms. Danka Latković, the Head of the Office for Cooperation with NGOs in the General Secretariat of the Government of Montenegro, Mr. Ivan Šikmanovoć from the Ministry of Interior and Public Administration, Ms. Zorica Petrović from the Ministry of Justice, Ms. Snežana Zečević from the cabinet of the Vice-president of the Government of Montenegro for European integration and Antonella Balić from the Office for Cooperation with NGOs in the General Secretariat of the Government of Montenegro.
In the scope of the visit, the delegation acquired information on Croatian institutional and normative framework for co-operation between the government and civil society organizations as well as duties of the Croatian Office in the field of coordination of the work of ministries, central offices, governmental offices and state administrative organizations in terms of monitoring and advancing cooperation with non-governmental, non-profit sector in the Republic of Croatia. Moreover, it was acquainted with the international aspect of Croatian Office’s activities and its role in monitoring of the implementation of projects of civil society organizations financed from the pre-accessional EU funds.
The delegation also paid visit to the Central Office for Development Strategy and Coordination of EU Funds, where they were informed about their duties in the area of the coordination of programs of support to the project of the civil society organizations. This visit was followed by visiting Ministry of Regional Development, Forestry and Water Management which presented the possibilities of civil society organizations’ participation in the projects of cross-border cooperation. After that, the information on the ways of keeping registers and records of civil society organizations was given in the Central Office for Public Administration, whilst in the Ministry of Health and Social Care the guests learnt about NGOs’ projects and programs in the field of social care. Finally, the association “ODRAZ” hosted a meeting with the representatives of the Council for Civil Society Development, where one discussed about the duties of that body as well as the possibilities of establishing the similar institution in Montenegro.
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