On 10 and 11 December 2024, 10 local authorities in Ukraine (Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Bilshivtsi, Dunaivtsi, Fastiv, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Kyiv, Poltava, Shpola, Ternopil and Zviahel), meeting in Lysnyky (Kyiv Region), shared experiences about their transformative local initiatives on democracy, open government and the localisation of human rights.

Through these initiatives, implemented with the Congress’ support, local authorities, civic leaders and community members worked together on innovative democratic practices amid wartime. These efforts have enhanced public trust, fostered participation and laid the groundwork for a more inclusive governance. A set of practical recommendations was developed on how to design and implement innovative projects on open government and human rights at local level with a lasting impact (in English and Ukrainian).

“The know-hows learned from your experiences can and should inform future initiatives, in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe. I am certain that your good practices will pave the way for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, as they not only show the key role of local and regional authorities in this process, but also demonstrate resilience and community cohesion,” underlined Congress Director Claudia Luciani addressing the meeting.

The event served to discuss the broader impact of these local initiatives on fostering transparency, accountability, and community empowerment. The participants reflected on the progress made, shared success stories, and explored pathways to make the initiatives sustainable over time and replicable in other communities.

The event was organised as part of the project “Strengthening multilevel governance, democracy and human rights at local level in Ukraine” implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026.