UNION OF BULGARIAN BLACK SEA LOCAL AUTHORITIES (UBBSLA) is an independent non-governmental, voluntary, self-governing and non-profit organization established as a juridical person in 1992. As a union of local authorities, UBBSLA has built a regional network of 21 municipalities, located in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
UBBSLA co-ordinates the activities of its member in the sphere of local government, energy efficiency, tourism, culture, transport, environmental and sustainable development. The Association organizes the efforts of its member-municipalities in solving common problems in the Black Sea region.
Areas of specific expertise and competence:
- Conferences and international events. UBBSLA has significant experience in the organization and implementation of conferences, discussion forums, campaigns and seminars of regional, national and international level.
- Cross-border and interregional cooperation. UBBSLA conducts cross-border activities oriented to the establishment of open civil society, exchange of successful social development practices, encouraging the citizen participation in the process of economic, political, social and cultural dialogue.
- Technical assistance. UBBSLA provides technical support and assistance to member municipalities for solving specific problems arising in the municipalities and dissemination of good practice they gained in local self-government.
- Information campaigns. UBBSLA supports all public activities of its member municipalities to spread their successful practices and generate official information for the self-government development in the Black Sea region. UBBSLA prepares, prints and distributes leaflets, brochures, guidebooks, and a monthly Newsletter to all member municipalities.
- Project management and implementation. UBBSLA undertakes the whole project cycle – identification, development and planning, and then implementation, monitoring and evaluation as a whole mandate or as individual consultancy services.
- Innovative practices in the field of vocational training and education. UBBSLA provides trainings as direct response to the specific professional needs and problems of the municipal servants, NGO representatives, disadvantaged people, unemployed youth, students, teachers, etc. and enhances the professional initiative and opportunities for professional development, supporting the national policy for life-long education. Since 2003, UBBSLA has established Centre for Education and Training to improve knowledge and skills of municipal officials and councillors, NGO representatives, citizens, unemployed young and students, people with reduce mobility, etc.
Since 2009, UBBSLA is a supporting structure of the European initiative “Covenant of Mayors” to achieve common goals in energy efficiency and environmental protection. For more information: www.ubbsla.org