This seminar was a unique opportunity to debate the results of recent local governance developments in Latvia in the light of experience from other countries, analyse the main obstacles met and identify ways to progress further.  In particular it compared the results obtained by new forms of governance experimented with in various parts of the Baltic Rim and addressed some critical issues related to their effectiveness in generating better economic and social outcomes.

The outcomes of the seminar will feed into the broader activity on local governance and employment of the LEED Programme and its Centre for Local Development in Central and Eastern Europe, based in Trento, Italy, where a major conference on these issues will be held on 6-8 June 2005. The results of work in Riga will be published in an OECD publication.

For more information, please contact Ms Ekaterina Travkina