The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is organizing a Workshop “Mayors Leaders for Change”, which will be held, from 15 to 16 February 2017 in Odesa, Ukraine, for Mayors elected in the October 2015 elections. The seminar will provide participants with the opportunity to exchange with international and Ukrainian politicians, experts, and members of the Council of Europe Congress. This workshop is arranged in the framework of the Project “Promoting Local Democracy in Ukraine” and the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2015-2017.

The main objectives of the workshop are to improve the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of mayors; to promote an inclusive and participatory decision-making process; to reinforce ethics in politics and decision-making and to develop leadership as well as management and communication skills. It is also envisaged that the workshop will foster networking between peers and strengthen relations with relevant associations. Additional support will be provided to selected municipalities in the implementation of local initiatives promoting a more efficient, transparent and ethical governance.

This call for application addresses all recently elected mayors from Odesa, Mykolayiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions who meet at least one of the following selection criteria:

• Political will and readiness of the city / town/ village mayor to participate and contribute to local democracy projects in their municipalities and/or settlements;
• Personal commitment and motivation to enhance local governance in their communities;
• Experience in implementing local projects with the participation of citizens and co-operation with local NGOs;
• Active membership in national associations of local self-government;
• Mayors from cultural and/or ethnic minority groups;
• Applications from young mayors and female mayors are highly encouraged in order to ensure age and gender balance.

To proceed with your application, please fill in the enclosed questionnaire and sent it to: [email protected] before 31 January 2017. Additional information regarding participation in the workshop will be provided to registered participants latest by 7 February 2017.