High-level delegation from European Committee of the Regions in Kyiv to step up cooperation between the EU's and Ukraine's cities and regions on reconstruction.
At the International Summit of Cities and Regions in Kyiv on 20 April, the European Committee of the Regions called for local democracy and good governance to be foundation stones of Ukraine's reconstruction.
Olgierd Geblewicz, President of EPP-CoR and President of West Pomerania Region said: "We must support the cities and regions of Ukraine as much as possible in rebuilding what was brutally destroyed. From the first day of the war, Poland and the region I represent - West Pomerania - have been involved in humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Thousands of refugees found shelter here. We want to build the future of Europe together with them. We hope that soon our Ukrainian friends will be safe in their home again. Helping the Ukrainian people is our moral duty. Military support is still needed, but the coming years will bring great challenges in rebuilding a ruined country. We need to start with the reconstruction of housing, schools, hospitals, infrastructure and help in the social, economic and cultural heritage protection areas is also very important. Local and regional authorities are a proven friend and they are natural partners in this process."
Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, the Mayor of Gdańsk highlighted that "The medieval Golden Gate is one of the symbols of Kyiv. In Gdansk shipyard gate is a symbol of peaceful fight for democracy, freedom and human rights. We, Gdansk and other EU cities and regions have to help to open the Gate of EU integration. The Gate of hope and better future. We have to be strong and united, together keep the Gate open for Ukraine, its cities and regions and citizen."
The International Summit of Cities and Regions was an opportunity to further discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine and how our local and regional authorities can support this endeavour. Strengthening local democracy and pursuing an effective decentralisation reform will be a key success factor for the implementation of the reconstruction. Ukrainians are paying the highest price to defend our common European project. Cities and regions in the whole of Europe support them and continue to stand in solidarity, no matter what it takes or how long it takes."
The summit was also an opportunity to exchange on an initiative coordinated by the CoR, the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which brings together cities, regions and territorial associations from the EU and from Ukraine committed to facilitating peer-to-peer reconstruction efforts, and to advocate for the governance of the reconstruction process to fully integrate the local perspective in order to 'build back better'.
The estimated costs of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine are now put at €383 billion, according to a joint assessment in March by the government of Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the United Nations.
The International Summit of Cities and Regions – convened by Ukraine's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities – included mayors and regional governors from around the world, members of the Ukrainian government, and representatives of Ukrainian civil society, business, and think-tanks. In addition to President Zelenskyy, Ukrainian speakers included Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov, whose responsibilities include innovation, education, science and technology, and Ukraine's digital transformation, and Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories.
The summit – convened under the banner 'Partnership for Victory' – identified housing, energy, transport, social services, and humanitarian aid among the principal areas where the experience of international partners could help municipal and regional administrations in Ukraine. CoR members spoke about the reconstruction management system, synergies between stakeholders, planning for sustainable development, investment and the development of public-private partnerships, and culture as a means of supporting the post-war recovery of human capital.
On 19 April, the CoR delegation visited the towns of Irpin and Bucha, and the villages of Hostomel, Borodyanka, Andriivka, Makariv, and Dmytrivka, where they had an opportunity to see first-hand the damage wreaked in the region by the Russian invasion.
Photo credit: © European Union / Wladyslaw Musiienko
Notes for editors:
- Photos from the mission can be downloaded here. The photos include pictures with President Zelenskyy, photos from the summit and the study visit to towns and villages devastated by Russia's invasion.
- Audiovisual material can be downloaded here and here. The videos include speeches and interviews with members of the CoR's President and delegation.
- The summit can be re-watched here.
- The speech of President Cordeiro is available here.
- The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine was launched in June 2022, bringing together territorial associations from Ukraine and Europe, individual cities and regions, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe , the Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy , Energy Cities, and a range of public- and private-sector organisations. The Alliance forms part of the broader EU and international effort to mobilise and coordinate emergency and long-term support for Ukraine. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is serving as the secretariat of the Alliance. The Alliance will on 25 May hold a conference – " Putting the Lugano Principles into Action: Strengthening the Role of Local and Regional Governments in Ukraine's Recovery and Reconstruction Process, and on the road to EU Membership " – in cooperation with the European Commission , the Government of Ukraine, the Government of the United Kingdom, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- The CoR's own institutional ten-point support plan for Ukraine includes a set of proposals intended to provide institutional support to Ukrainian local and regional authorities as the country prepares for EU membership. These include: offering working space for Ukrainian LRAs in the CoR premises; peer-to-peer capacity-building programmes; training and secondment programmes; the inclusion of young Ukrainian leaders in the CoR's Young Elected Politician programme; and pre-observer status for local and regional politicians. The CoR's ten-point plan includes specific efforts to support a sustainable reconstruction, such as help for municipalities in developing climate-neutral strategies and in twinning with EU cities participating in the EU's initiative to support 100 cities become climate-neutral by 2030.