THE 12 PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE AT LOCAL LEVEL

Principle 1:  Fair Conduct of Elections, Representation and Participation

• Local elections are conducted freely and fairly, according to international standards and national legislation, and without any fraud.
• Citizens are at the centre of public activity and they are involved in clearly defined ways in public life at local level.
• All men and women can have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediate bodies that represent their interests. Such broad participation is built on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association.
• All voices, including those of the less privileged and most vulnerable, are heard and taken into account in decision-making, including over the allocation of resources.
• There is always an honest attempt to mediate between various legitimate interests and to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the whole community and on how this can be achieved.
• Decisions are taken according to the will of the many, while the rights and legitimate interests of the few are respected.

Principle 2:  Responsiveness

• Objectives, rules, structures, and procedures are adapted to the legitimate expectations and needs of citizens.
• Public services are delivered, and requests and complaints are responded to within a reasonable timeframe.

Principle 3:  Efficiency and Effectiveness

• Results meet the agreed objectives.
• Best possible use is made of the resources available.
• Performance management systems make it possible to evaluate and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of services.
• Audits are carried out at regular intervals to assess and improve performance.

Priniciple 4:  Openness and Transparency

• Decisions are taken and enforced in accordance with rules and regulations.
• There is public access to all information which is not classified for well-specified reasons as provided for by law (such as the protection of privacy or ensuring the fairness of procurement procedures).
• Information on decisions, implementation of policies and results is made available to the public in such a way as to enable it to effectively follow and contribute to the work of the local authority.

 Principle 5:  Rule of Law

• The local authorities abide by the law and judicial decisions.
• Rules and regulations are adopted in accordance with procedures provided for by law and are enforced impartially.

Priniciple 6: Ethical Conduct

• The public good is placed before individual interests.
• There are effective measures to prevent and combat all forms of corruption.
• Conflicts of interest are declared in a timely manner and persons involved must abstain from taking part in relevant decisions.

Principle 7: Competence and Capacity

• The professional skills of those who deliver governance are continuously maintained and strengthened in order to improve their output and impact.
• Public officials are motivated to continuously improve their performance.
• Practical methods and procedures are created and used in order to transform skills into capacity and to produce better results.

Principle 8:  Innovation and Openness to Change

• New and efficient solutions to problems are sought and advantage is taken of modern methods of service provision.
• There is readiness to pilot and experiment new programmes and to learn from the experience of others.
• A climate favourable to change is created in the interest of achieving better results.

 Principle 9: Sustainability and Long-term Orientation

• The needs of future generations are taken into account in current policies.
• The sustainability of the community is constantly taken into account.
• Decisions strive to internalise all costs and not to transfer problems and tensions, be they environmental, structural, financial, economic or social, to future generations.
• There is a broad and long-term perspective on the future of the local community along with a sense of what is needed for such development.
• There is an understanding of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which this perspective is grounded.

 Principle 10:  Sound Financial Management

• Charges do not exceed the cost of services provided and do not reduce demand excessively, particularly in the case of important public services.
• Prudence is observed in financial management, including in the contracting and use of loans, in the estimation of resources, revenues and reserves, and in the use of exceptional revenue.
• Multi-annual budget plans are prepared, with consultation of the public.
• Risks are properly estimated and managed, including by the publication of consolidated accounts and, in the case of public-private partnerships, by sharing the risks realistically.
• The local authority takes part in arrangements for inter-municipal solidarity, fair sharing of burdens and benefits and reduction of risks (equalisation systems, inter- municipal co-operation, mutualisation of risks…).

 Principle 11:   Human rights, Cultural Diversity and Social Cohesion

• Within the local authority’s sphere of influence, human rights are respected, protected and implemented, and discrimination on any grounds is combated.
• Cultural diversity is treated as an asset, and continuous efforts are made to ensure that all have a stake in the local community, identify with it and do not feel excluded.
• Social cohesion and the integration of disadvantaged areas are promoted.
• Access to essential services is preserved, in particular for the most disadvantaged sections of the population.

Principle 12:  Accountability

• All decision-makers, collective and individual, take responsibility for their decisions.
• Decisions are reported on, explained and can be sanctioned.
• There are effective remedies against maladministration and against actions of local authorities which infringe civil rights.