The III International Forum of Agglomerations in Ukraine opened in Lviv, bringing together more than 100 participants: representatives of local and national authorities, European metropolitan areas and international organisations to discuss inter-municipal co-operation as a driver of sustainable development, resilience and recovery.
Under the main topic “Cooperation of Communities in Functional Territories” the two-day forum focuses on metropolitan governance in Ukraine, European models of inter-municipal co-operation and practical approaches to addressing shared challenges across administrative boundaries.
Cecilia Dalman Eek, Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and President of its Chamber of Regions, took part in the opening and discussions on the future of metropolitan governance in Ukraine. She also contributed to the panel discussion “International Experience in Inter-Municipal Cooperation: Recommendations for Ukraine”, highlighting the importance of coordinated action by local authorities in managing shared water resources.
“People’s lives cross municipal borders, and so must public services”, – she stated. The discussion underlined the importance of coordinated planning and partnerships between municipalities to address common challenges, including spatial planning, water management, transport and mobility, waste management and infrastructure development.
The forum provides a platform for Ukrainian communities and European partners to exchange experience and explore governance arrangements that can strengthen local democracy, improve public service delivery and support Ukraine’s recovery.
Cecilia Dalman Eek emphasised, that the Congress’s Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance offers a practical toolkit that guides municipalities step by step. It covers identifying shared needs, choosing a legal form, agreeing on financing, and evaluating results. The Centre has also prepared a number of opinions to help inform the development of a future legal framework for metropolitan governance and intermunicipal co-operation.
The event is organised by the Association of Local Authorities “Lviv Agglomeration” and Lviv City Council, in co-operation with and with the support of the project "Strengthening Multi-level Governance and Local Democracy to Support Ukraine’s Recovery." This project is implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2023–2026: "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction”.
