ALDA

ALDA – The European Association for Local Democracy, is dedicated to the promotion of good governance and citizen participation at the local level. ALDA focuses on activities facilitating cooperation between local authorities and civil society.

ALDA was established in 1999 at the initiative of the Council of Europe to coordinate and support the network of Local Democracy Agencies, which are self-sustainable, locally registered NGOs acting as promoters of good governance and local self-government. Today, ALDA is a key stakeholder in the field of local democracy, active citizenship, and cooperation between local authorities and civil society.

ALDA is a membership based organisation gathering more than 300 members (including local authorities, associations of local authorities, and civil society organisations) coming from more than 40 countries.

Where do they work?

Most of the Local Democracy Agencies are located in the Western Balkans, which gives a natural focus on that area. But ALDA is also becoming more and more active in the European neighborhood. In the Eastern Partnership countries, Local Democracy Agencies have been established in Kutaisi (Georgia), in Gyumri (Armenia), in Dnipro (Ukraine), and in Cimișlia (Moldova). The first LDA in the Mediterranean Area was established in 2017 in Kairouan (Tunisia), as well as the LDA Mariupol in Ukraine. ALDA is working towards the establishment of a further LDA in Morocco, leading several other projects and developing partnerships in other countries like Belarus, Algeria and Turkey, in addition to Morocco.