H B Fuller : OSCE Mission and Prizren municipality launch Digital Platform for Public Participation

The Digital Platform for Public Participation, an online platform connecting residents and local institutions, was launched in Prizren on 22 January 2020 by Mayor Mytaher Haskuka and the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu.

The platform, funded by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, is a digital-based solution to increase public participation. It enables residents to flag problems online, express their needs, priorities and seek solutions from their municipalities in a proactive way. The platform provides municipal officials a way to join the discussion, convey official opinion or policy, and collaborate with residents productively.

'An active citizenry is crucial for the development of democratic, transparent and accountable institutions. We believe that the online access makes the digital platform a very convenient tool in the dynamic times we live in and will encourage public participation in policy- and decision-making processes,' said Ambassador Braathu.

'Considering the importance of language compliance in public participation, we are also very pleased that besides Albanian and Serbian languages, the platform will be available in Turkish as well, enabling residents from this community to use the platform in their native language.'

Prizren is the third municipality to utilize the digital platform. Prishtinë/Priština and Gjakovë/Ðakovica were the first two municipalities to launch it in 2016, and since then, they have had approximately 32,500 visits and over 830 requests and proposals, of which 39% were resolved.

In the coming period, the platform will also be launched in Junik and in Kamenicë/Kamenica.

To visit the Digital Platform for Public Participation, click here: www.platformadigjitale.com, www.digitalnaplatforma.com.