January 22, 2002
Empowering Local Government Institutions in the MENA Region

Participants focused on six different aspects of decentralization by collecting case studies, assessments, and comparative analyses of local governments in the MENA region. The workshop raised issues related to the ability of municipalities to effectively manage their legal, administrative and fiscal frameworks as well as their relationship with the central state. Additionally, participants examined the capability of local government structures to inform their constituencies about their activities, projects, and decisions.
Discussions contributed to better understanding how decentralization could significantly affect the institutional framework and critical determinants of development within a country.
The workshop was organized by the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies in preparation for the Fourth Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF4) that took place in Amman in October 2002.