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Strengthening Democracy and Governance  USAID supports a number of programs to help Serbia deepen its democratic culture and practices. USAID provides funding and technical assistance to NGOs across Serbia so that they can mobilize citizens to understand and support necessary reforms, while also serving as watchdogs of national and local government operations. Assistance to independent, local media outlets makes reliable news and information available to citizens and helps ensure their longer-term sustainability. Support provided to democratic political parties emphasizes the need for internal party democracy, policy development, and citizen communications. A new program is helping the judiciary to manage its own financial affairs and to improve court efficiency, while also helping the parliament to develop a sophisticated budget and planning office. USAID also supports the participation of young politicians and women in parliament, while encouraging the better functioning of parliamentary committees, party caucuses, and cross-party forums. Current programs that contribute to this process include: Civil Society Advocacy Initiative (CSAI)
The Civil Society Advocacy Initiative (CSAI) seeks to support Serbian civil society in its ability to influence public policy, serve as government watchdogs, and conduct sustained advocacy campaigns on a wide variety of reform issues. CSAI nurtures a healthy and vibrant civil society by focusing on the sector’s capacity to successfully advocate at local and national levels, and to secure a legal and regulatory environment that fosters the long-term financial and operational sustainability of NGOs. Project components include: - Promoting civil society advocacy through grants, training and technical support to Serbian NGOs to develop institutional capacity and the ability to promote causes of relevance to Serbian citizens.
- Strengthening the non-governmental sector by helping NGO coalitions to improve the legal and regulatory framework and operate with maximum leeway in the current environment.
Media Assistance program
The $8 million, four year Serbia Media Assistance Program started in October 2008. It builds upon USAID’s previous media work, by providing support to the transition of the Serbia’s media into a legally sound, economically viable sector that provides professional and independent news and information to citizens throughout Serbia. The program focuses particularly on building sustainability and professional skills of select local and regional broadcast media, and advocacy and monitoring skills of media support institutions, and encourages quality media coverage of reform and other issues of concern and interest.
Project components include:
- Strengthening the legal and regulatory environment for media, particularly the role of media support institutions and other organizations in ensuring fair, timely, and transparent implementation of media laws
- Increasing the managerial and financial capacity of independent media outlets, particularly key local and regional radio and television stations
- Enhancing the quality and availability of information important to citizens with a focus on news and program production at the local and regional levels and coverage of reform issues at the national level.
Main program partners are local and regional broadcast media and media support institutions, though limited assistance will also be provided to local and regional print outlets, independent national outlets, as well as “new” web-based media. Political Processes
Political party programs help democratic parties build their capacity to reach out and represent voters’ interests and define unique, policy-based identities; promote more effective governance through work with elected officials; and encourage more inclusive political processes for women, youth and ethnic minorities
Project components include:
- Assisting democratic political parties to develop and communicate clear, coherent policy platforms that incorporate citizens’ concerns and promote effective governance
- Fostering greater inclusion of women, youth, and ethnic minorities in the democratic political process
- Enhancing the technical and political ability of parliamentarians to effectively and responsibly represent their constituents
- Supporting the capacity of democratic parties to conduct successful election campaigns and strengthen the capacity of domestic election monitors
Separation of Powers Program
The fundamental principles of Serbia’s 2006 constitution include the rule of law, separation of powers among the three branches of government and judicial independence. Gaps in these areas have been identified as fundamental obstacles to Serbia’s accession to the European Union and as reform priorities by the Serbian government: the Separation of Powers Program (SPP) is designed to help Serbia move closer to EU accession by strengthening the judicial and parliamentary branches of government. Project components include:
For its work with the judiciary:
- Assists the new High Judicial Council establish its own budget and long term planning office so Serbia’s judges can assume more control over their own affairs, track the income and expenses of courts more closely, boost their efficiency and make court operations more transparent and responsive to the needs of court users
- Works with a wide range of courts and officials to establish a training and career track for and placement of professional court administrators who can assist with long-term improvement of court operations.
- Helps reduce backlogs and court processing times in Serbia’s non-commercial, trial-level courts.
For its work with the Assembly: - Assists Members and Assembly staff establish its own budget and long-term planning systems, so parliament can be more responsive to the needs of Serbia’s citizens.
- Helps Assembly operations become more transparent.
- Provides advice on specific legislation pending before the Assembly.
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