On the occasion of the 67th session of the Sumy City Council the deputies approved the 2020-2025 Strategy of Intercultural Development of the City. The Mayor of Sumy, Mr Aleksandr Lysenko, called the elected officials to support the document which defines a number of important dimensions of the city development.

The ICC Strategy-Sumy aims to:

- increase the participation and involvement of the national minority representatives and of people with foreign background in the everyday life of the city;

- encourage intercultural mixing in public spaces;

- support new ideas and creative projects for the development of the local community;

- reducing intercultural conflicts, discrimination and hatred towards “other” cultures, and

- improve security, protection and administrative services for all.

Sumy’s ICC Strategy sets out the basis for the inclusiveness of the future integration policy of the city. It regards diversity as an advantage, as a resource and a potential in the advancement of the following seven priority areas: education, business and employment, public space and administrative services, safety and security, culture and sports, intercultural competence, communication and media, in line with the ICC Index and recommendations.

As a regional center, Sumy attracts people from different cultures and countries : according to the Office of State Migration Services, in addition to the recent arrival of IDPs, asylum seekers and migrants, people from more than 50 countries come to Sumy for the purpose of business, studies or family reunion. Sumy universities annually admit about 1300 new students from 40 different countries. This places a huge responsibility on the city administration in terms of quality services for all, welcoming policies for the newcomers, and measures for the peaceful coexistence of the city residents. The intercultural approach helps the city to deal with these challenges.