June 6, 2003
Remarks by Ambassador Guest
Conference on Sustainable Development
Ploiesti, June 5, 2003
I want to thank my good friends Mayor Calota and Soknan Han Jung for the opportunity to share some thoughts with you today about the crucial role that local authorities like yourselves play in creating sustainable development.
I should begin by noting that my Embassy is proud of the work being done by the Federation of Local Authorities. The Federation was born barely two years ago, in July 2001, with significant support from USAID - both materially and in terms of ideas. We have watched, and indeed we have helped, as the Federation has grown in strength and maturity, and we are pleased at the Federation's efforts to improve legislation affecting local government, including its very sound recommendations on increasing local financial autonomy.
I also want to pay special tribute to Mayor Calota. Mr. Mayor, in my visits to Ploiesti, and in my meetings with you, I've seen first-hand your dedication both to the needs of your townspeople and to the growth of this organization. In many respects, the partnership you've established with other local government authorities and, most important, with the people of Ploiesti is a model for other cities and towns in Romania.
The same point can of course be made about many others of you in this room. And indeed, all of you have gathered here today to chart how your shared experiences at the local level can empower economic and social reforms and programs that matter to your citizens. I commend you for your spirit in pursuing that goal.
A few days ago, an NGO leader told me over lunch that real changes are underway in many areas of the country, regardless of what happens or doesn't happen at the national level. Now, I would argue forcefully that what happens in Bucharest remains crucial to success at the local level - and I'll elaborate on that in a minute. But change really is underway in many judets, and I hope you agree that steps to improve the lives of ordinary citizens can be accomplished without always waiting for the central government to take decisions.
As you know, United States assistance for Romania's development tends not to be channeled through Local Agenda 21. That said, our overarching goals are similar and mutually supportive. Local Agenda 21 brings what we call "stakeholders" together to prioritize local needs. The programs sponsored by my government aim to increase citizen participation in shaping those priorities, and to improve accountability among officials at the local level in response to these priorities.
The United States is, by many measures, a young country. But young as we are, the United States has had over two centuries of vibrant citizens' debate over what role the central government should play in the lives of the American people. That debate happened in salons and taverns even before my country's birth; it continues today, driven by politics and often by events. The net result of America's experience has been to affirm, quite simply, that local governments are usually best placed to understand local needs; to rank those needs in priority order; and to deliver needed services most effectively. That's the reasoning behind our devolution of authority for decisions from the central to the state and local levels in so many areas - from education to social services to many transport projects.
Another lesson in America's experience is that political leaders at all levels, including especially the local level, really must remain actively engaged with their constituents. After all, they've elected you to serve them. And your power comes not so much from your election as from the fact that you represent these people - that you know their concerns and that you speak for them. That is, of course, the heart of what democracy is all about.
I fully appreciate that many of you in this room today talk regularly with the people you represent. There are many ways for this to happen, of course: town hall meetings; dialogue with the business community or representatives of political opposition groups; meetings with concerned citizens; open budget hearings; and regular interaction with NGOs that have the knowledge and interest to help you carry out change. Even the act of reading and responding to your mail is, in some respects, part of this dialogue. Each time you meet a constituent, ask what one change would affect him or her most positively. Ask if you can count on his support - his partnership - in finding a way to achieve that goal. Again, don't wait for Bucharest to solve your problems. Instead, look for what you can do at the local level to speed the delivery of services, improve the quality of life of your citizens, increase the transparency of procurement and other administrative procedures, and devise new strategies to attract needed foreign investment. That is what you're really elected to do. And this kind of pro-active commitment to make a difference lies at the heart of sustainable development.
Some of you have complained to me that you don't have the financial means to meet your government-directed mandates, let alone to bring new initiatives to life. Though I can't solve this problem for you, two approaches stand out.
The first is written across the agenda of this conference - to widen the scope of public/private partnerships, in both the economic and social sectors. I've often said that America's experience doesn't always translate to other countries. This, however, is one area that I believe really holds strong promise for Romania. What better way to create the synergy needed to overcome the many problems you face, than to look for partners in the business and civil society sector that are committed to help?
The second approach is to join together, as the Federation of Local Authorities has done, to insist that decentralization be serious and sound. Clearly you need resources to carry out mandates. If new mandates are taken on or transferred to you, the first question should be what revenue source can help you carry out those mandates. In parallel, all of you need fair distribution of local-level funding, as well as the impartial partnership of national decision-makers in seeking to meet the needs of your constituents. As elected mayors, you are equal under the law. You should be helped in equal measure at the national level in your efforts to serve the people who have elected you to represent them. Your citizens have a right to expect that national politics should empower achievements at the local level, and certainly not impede those achievements. Each local success, after all, provides synergy to the national-level advancement that all Romanians surely want.
I suspect that some people who hear this message may try to read between the lines for some hidden and subliminal message. Well, none is there. All I'm doing is offering you my country's experience - the lessons we've learned over the course of what I suppose has been the world's longest continuous democracy. America still has its problems, and our democracy hasn't always proved perfect. You know that as well as I do. But three lessons which probably every American would agree we've learned are that government service is a public trust, not an entitlement; that streamlined but participative decision-making - whether in business or political life - tends to bear the fastest and best results; and that a genuine partnership between central and local officials and citizens is the best path to positive results. Clearly it's up to Romania to choose how to craft Romania's institutions, and how to define the respective roles of Romania's national and local authorities. But as you do so, these principles can empower Romania's development, at a faster speed and with clear accountability for results.
Building new institutions, a strong democratic system, and a vibrant market economy is not easy. As elected mayors, your role in this task is crucial. Draw upon the strengths of your communities - the talents of your citizens, the commitment and knowledge of your NGOs, and the sound business interests of your companies - to assist those individuals and groups that are working for real and sustained achievement across this country. You know who many of them are: work with them, and seek others out. And never be shy about representing the needs and the will of your citizens to authorities at the national level. Be an agent of change in your sphere. Help those who have elected you - those to whom you owe your title and your position. Help those around you - whether in your locality or at the national level - step up to needed decisions, in a spirit of partnership. And never doubt that you can count on my government for support.
I salute you as you begin this conference, and I join you in looking forward to achievements to celebrate as this wonderful country continues its path forward over the year ahead. Thank you for your attention.