On 1 April 2024, 10 years after the approval of Government Resolution No. 333-r on the launch of the decentralisation reform, a special meeting of the Board of the Association of Ukrainian Cities was held.
The meeting was opened by:
Vitaliy Klitschko, Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Mayor of Kyiv,
Mathieu Mori, Secretary General, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, addressed the participants of the special meeting with welcoming words.
Rémi Duflot, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union in Ukraine.
“I am happy to celebrate today with the Association of Ukrainian Cities the 10th anniversary of a decision to launch decentralisation reform. A few weeks after the Revolution of Dignity it was a strategic, even geo-political choice of the Ukraine leadership. decentralisation was a driver of social and economic reforms in the country with municipalities being a pillar of resilience of Ukraine under the full-scale russian invasion. The role of local self-government will remain essential for two strategic processes in Ukraine: the EU enlargement and recovery.”
Along with the members of the Board, the meeting was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organisations, as well as senior officials who initiated, conducted and are implementing the decentralisation reform.
Discussions focused on successful steps in implementing the decentralisation reform and the necessary steps to preserve and develop local government:
Serhii Vlasenko, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government in 2014-2019,
Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services in 2014,
Oleksii Chernyshov, Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine in 2020-2022,
Oleksandra Azarkhina, Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine,
Andrii Sadovyi, Head of Lviv Regional Office of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Mayor of Lviv,
Vitaliy Klitschko, Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Mayor of Kyiv.
Words of support were addressed to the participants of the meeting:
Fabrizio Rossi, Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions,
“Attending the board meeting of the Association of Ukrainian Cities is a great opportunity to emphasise the importance of decentralisation and local self-government in building strong and resilient local communities. The council of European Municipalities and Regions has been working closely with the Association of Ukrainian Cities for many years. Our efforts have intensified since the start of the russian aggression against Ukraine.”
“Today “reconstruction” has become a central topic of interest for various business and organisations. It is crucial to emphasise that reconstruction efforts will only succeed if they are driven by the genuine needs of local communities on the ground. Reconstruction involves more than just building roads and bridges. It is primarily about restoring hope to the people in the affected areas.”
Patrick Molinoz, Member of the European Committee of Regions, Vice-President of the Association of Mayors of France, Vice-President of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (France),
“Ukraine should not step back from its commitment to decentralisation. Instead, it should build on the achievements before the start of the war and consider the reform as a means to further strengthening democracy and improving the effectiveness of the country in the context of recovery and reconstruction processes after the end of this unjust war.”
“For us the involvement of empowered local and regional authorities in Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation is the best guarantee for an efficient spending of the money, providing added value on the ground and being sustainable in societal, environmental and social terms.”
Dario Nardella, Member of the European Committee of Regions, Special Rapporteur on the opinion of the Council of the Regions on the "Ukraine Facility", Mayor of Florence (Italy),
“I would like to thank you all fellow colleagues, mayors of Ukrainian cities because during these past years you have set an example of relentless commitment to your country, your communities, your values for us all.”
“I do believe that now more than ever we can state the key role of local and regional authorities in supporting the reconstruction. You know how deep the belief that cites are the heart of our nations runs in my everyday activity, at national and at European level.”
Professor Georg Milbradt, Special Envoy of the German Government to Ukraine for Decentralisation, Good Governance and Public Service.
“The Ukrainian decentralisation reform was very successful, but is still unfinished. Important elements are necessary to make the reform irreversible and to stabilise its success. The russian aggression has dramatically changed the priorities in Ukraine. Now the goal is to win the war! Furthermore, the Ukrainian Constitution does not allow amendments during martial law which are for instance necessary to support and secure local self-government or to reorganise the rayon and oblast levels. Therefore, the constitutional amendments must be postponed until the end of the war. As Ukraine will become a member of the EU, all legal and administrative changes from now on should be in line with the European legal and institutional standards.”
“For a successful reconstruction process, it is necessary that the relations between the levels of government, especially the local level and the central level, are based on mutual trust. Before donor money for reconstruction is flowing, we should talk, how it will be distributed among the different levels of government in Ukraine. The municipalities must be included because they are in charge of repairing and reconstructing local infrastructure.”
Vitaliy Klitschko presented the Concept of Recovery of Local Self-Government in Ukraine, developed jointly with international partners and approved by the Board of the Association of Ukrainian Cities.
