FIRST STABILITY PACT CONFERENCE IN YUGOSLAVIA ESTABLISHES CO-OPERATION AT LOCAL LEVEL The first international conference held in Belgrade under the auspices of the Stability Pact on November 13-14 focused on direct assistance to towns and municipalities in Yugoslavia and city to city partnerships. The aim of this Consultative Forum with Yugoslav Municipalities was to recognize the key role local authorities have played in bringing about democratic change and building viable and accountable public institutions in Serbia and Montenegro. The conference provided an opportunity for mayors directly to advise participants on practical conditions and issues at local level and their primary concerns on immediate and longer-term needs. In that the meeting was keyed to galvanizing international donors to address most urgent requirements on a timely and effective basis. City to city partnerships were identified as the most effective way of directing assistance to where it is most needed in a timely and effective manner. The conference established an orderly process of city-to-city relations within South Eastern Europe and between cities in South Eastern Europe and other Stability Pact countries. A number of cities have pledged practical assistance under the framework of Stability Pact partnership programs. The Meeting was meant to provide a forum for consultations and cooperation between local authorities and representatives of the international community. According to the preliminary results of a comprehensive municipality survey by the United Nations Humanitarian Co-ordinator presented at this meeting, energy emerges consistently as the most urgent priority for humanitarian assistance with particular focus on heating and electricity. The report also mentions sanitation, refugees, health and education as essential areas of concern in view of the upcoming winter. Participants declared their intent to assist Yugoslav towns and municipalities with up to Euro 500m of emergency assistance. Major contributions were announced by the European Commission and the US. These funds would be mostly directed toward energy supplies, heating oil and electricity, public sanitation facilities, education and public transport resources. In that the conference provided important input for a donors co-ordination meeting scheduled for mid-December, which will be led by the European Commission and the World Bank. The Consultative Forum with Yugoslav Municipalities, jointly cosponsored by the Stability Pact, the City of Belgrade, the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities of Yugoslavia and the Hungarian Government involved over 60 nations and institutions and nearly 300 representatives of Yugoslav municipalities.  The meeting was addressed by President Vojislav Kostunica and Special Co-ordinator Bodo Hombach, as well as by Foreign Ministers Goran Svilanovic (Yugoslavia) and Janos Martonyi (Hungary). Minister of Interior and President of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities Zoran Zivkovic also addressed the meeting.