Local and regional authorities are playing a key role in Ukraine’s resilience and capacity to meet some of the challenges posed by the Russian Federation’s terrible and ongoing aggression.
Here is how the Congress of the Council of Europe change the lives of Ukrainian citizens, which is the main aim of the Council of Europe visibility project. The Congress helps Ukrainian mayors face the daily challenges of war: from welcoming internally displaced people who had to flee their homes to increase their knowledge about open government in order to make lives of the citizens a bit less difficult in these difficult times. These cooperation projects implemented by the Congress have a concrete impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands Ukrainians.
The Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is working with Ukrainian authorities to implement the project Strengthening multi-level governance, democracy and human rights at local level in Ukraine, which was launched in January. It aims to strengthen dialogue, partnership, and consultation between different levels of government; enhance collaborative governance and citizen participation in line with the principles of local democracy and open government; and promote and guarantee the right to equality and non-discrimination at local level, for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. It is taking place within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026 and is the sixth co-operation project implemented by the Congress in Ukraine since 2014.
Borys Karpus is the Mayor of Novovolynsk in Volyn oblast situated north-west of Ukraine. Giving first hand testimony from his town, he highlighted the challenging task of assisting internally displaced people since the first days of the war.
“Our community, alongside many others in Ukraine, has displayed unwavering support and understanding towards the vital task of assisting internally displaced people since the first days of the war. I fully support the standpoint of the Association of Ukrainian Cities that all forcibly resettled persons have the right - and should actively be integrated - in the economy of our country. In this context, we extend our gratitude to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe for their support in strengthening the institutional capabilities of Ukrainian communities. Today, the mayors of Ukrainian municipalities face a challenging yet crucial mission: to transform the challenges and issues linked to the internally displaced persons into new opportunities for municipal growth and development", Mayor Karpus said.
In the northeastern city of Okhtyrka in Sumy oblast, which was under siege and ruined by Russian shelling and bombing in 2022, the Mayor Pavlo Kuzmenko testifies to the need for support from partners.
“War inflicts significant damages upon buildings, leaving behind a trail of destruction and devastation. Nonetheless, through the unwavering support of our partners, we derive strength and inspiration to embark on the path of recovery and development. The team of the Okhtyrka City Council express heartfelt gratitude to our partners and international civil society organisations for their invaluable support in the reconstruction efforts. We also extend thanks to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities for uniting the European communities against the enemy and aiding in the rebuilding of our beloved Ukraine's devastated cities and towns. Today, I wish to highlight a vital initiative aiding the swift and effective reconstruction of our municipality: the "e-platform of communication with the Okhtyrka City Council." This indispensable local online service enables us to promptly respond to situations and provide assistance to affected residents, making our community's restoration and revival more organised and efficient”, he said.
The initiative in Okhtyrka contributes to the implementation of the National OGP Action Plan, preservation and respect of European democracy standards and supports Ukraine’s international commitments and aspiration towards European Union integration. This, as many other similar initiatives in Ukraine, are a result of close co-operation between local and national authorities under the Platform for National – Local Dialogue on Open Government in Ukraine. It was established by the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC), with the support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
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