Despite relentless bombing and widespread destruction, the regions of Ukraine most affected by the war are demonstrating their resilience on a daily basis and have adapted to these exceptional circumstances: their initiatives can serve as an example to other European regions, as demonstrated by the debates held by the Chamber of Regions on 29 October 2025 during the 49th session of the Congress.

‘We have learned to defend ourselves, and our experience can help you do the same,’ explained Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, Deputy Head of the Kherson Military Administration, before presenting some of the achievements in his oblast, 70% of whose territory is still occupied. Whether in terms of restoring digital services, consolidating damaged buildings or installing anti-drone screens, the Ukrainian regions have expertise to share, which is of increasing interest to other neighbours of Russia, such as the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, because ‘the whole of Europe may one day be threatened,’ the speaker reminded the audience. Ievgen Ivanov, who holds a similar position in Kharkiv, detailed the construction of fully equipped underground schools and hospitals, as well as ways to quickly repair damaged infrastructure, particularly energy infrastructure. The President of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, Mykola Lukashuk (Ukraine, R, GILD), showed how his region has set up rapid and reliable warning systems for residents, while his staff work in secure rooms or remotely to limit risks and ensure the continuity of public services. In addition, he pointed out that the oblast is helping displaced persons, while also participating in the rehabilitation of 80,000 wounded people who now have to live with prosthetic limbs: ‘We are an example of regional resilience and we want to share that with you,’ he told the Chamber, before the Ukrainian youth delegate, Yelizavata Kaidash, highlighted the role played by young people in contributing to this resilience. While the country is under martial law, youth councils are among the few democratic institutions that have not been suspended. Another symbol of young people's commitment to defence and reconstruction is the city of Lviv, which was the European Youth Capital in 2025, as its mayor Andriy Sadovyi pointed out. Mr Sadoviy also presented the City of Lviv's initiative, strongly supported by the Congress, to bring together 12 municipalities in the Lviv metropolitan area into an association aimed at facilitating cooperation between local authorities in the management of the metropolitan area. This cooperation is organised in traditional areas such as urban mobility and water and waste management, but also in the care of people displaced by war. The Unbroken initiative is also an exemplary ecosystem of health and educational services offered to those who have suffered most from the war, particularly those who have been injured or disabled by it.

What is happening on Oxford Street?

In another debate on relations between regional and local levels, the Vice-President of the London Assembly and Vice-President of the Congress, Andrew Boff (United Kingdom, R, CRE), shared his thoughts with the Congress following the complicated renovation of Oxford Street, one of the British capital's main thoroughfares. The projects were to involve both ‘Greater London’ as a region and the capital's 36 ‘boroughs’ (made up of local elected representatives). However, cooperation between the two structures proved to be much more complex than expected, with overlapping responsibilities and sometimes divergent interests, which ultimately left everyone dissatisfied. ‘I realised that it was really time to improve communication between these two levels of government, but also that regions should not encroach on the remit of local authorities, so I wanted to ask Congress members how this worked in their different countries,’ he explained. This ‘real question’ immediately prompted a number of responses showing that the United Kingdom is far from being the only country to encounter this type of problem. Finnish youth delegate Lumi Reichenbach discussed a recent reorganisation of municipal and regional powers in the areas of health and emergency services in her country, but noted that, at least initially, ‘no one really knows who is responsible for what anymore’. Other countries, such as Spain and Germany, believe they have resolved the issue more harmoniously, through more precisely defined levels of governance.

Multi-level governance promotes regional competitiveness

In addition, the Chamber heard a statement from Nadim Ahmad, Deputy Director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, which recently examined ‘strengthening regional policy for resilient places’. This work, which emerged from a ministerial conference held in Warsaw in May 2025, highlighted that while inequalities between countries are tending to decrease, inequalities between regions within the same country, particularly between capital cities and their surrounding regions, are not diminishing. This leads to real losses in competitiveness that affect the whole country, further accelerates the desertification of certain areas, and exacerbates the discontent of the populations in these regions. The OECD believes that effective multi-level governance, on the contrary, can help develop less prosperous regions. It is also essential for a successful transition to digital and green technologies. For all these reasons, the ministers of the 38 OECD member countries wish to give new impetus to their work on the development of regional policies.