Conference on sustainable development of the Carpathians

and other European mountain regions

Uzhgorod (Ukraine), 8-10 September 2010

Closing speech by Valery KADOKHOV

Vice-President of the Committee on Sustainable Development,

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe

Mr President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear colleagues,

This Conference on the sustainable development of the Carpathians and other mountain regions in Europe is coming to a close. We have had two days of interesting, constructive and thought-provoking discussions and exchanges of experience. We have again highlighted the diverse and particular challenges facing mountain regions, and reaffirmed that solutions to the specific problems of these regions also require the full involvement of strong and dynamic local and regional authorities capable of developing specific integrated policies at their level, policies which meet the needs of citizens and promote the sustainable development of their regions.

Events such as this are of paramount importance for raising international awareness of the situation of mountain regions and their citizens, the fragility of their ecosystems and the role they play in the European landscape. They are also important opportunities for the various stakeholders in these regions’ future to meet, share information and best practices and to network on specific topics of concern for local and regional authorities. I hope that we all have learned something from this Conference, and that we will go back to our communities, our regions and municipalities, with concrete ideas to implement.

After two days of discussions, we are ready to adopt the Final Declaration. This Declaration, much as this Conference as a whole, will be an important contribution to the continuing work of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe to improve the situation of mountain regions and ensure their sustainable development. This Declaration will provide further input for the report on this subject prepared by Mr Mykhaylo Kichkovskyy, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Congress who is sitting next to me. I wish to join Ms Gaye Doganoglu, President of the Committee who addressed this Conference yesterday, in congratulating Mr Kichkovskyy on accomplishing this important task.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I said “the continuing work of the Congress” because the Council of Europe Congress has been paying close attention to the sustainable development of mountain regions since it adopted its recommendation on a European Charter for Mountain Regions back in 2003. We regret the Charter did not become a legally binding European instrument, but this has not stopped our work on the problems faced by mountain regions. In our work on peripheral and sparsely populated regions, as well as on services of general interest in rural areas, we continue to draw attention to the problems faced by local and regional authorities in these regions, and offer proposals for possible solutions to the challenges.

So, what practical help can be drawn from the Congress’ work?

First, the legal framework. Although the Charter for Mountain Regions did not become binding, over the years the Congress has developed other instruments which lay down the principles aimed at promoting sustainable development and territorial cohesion. For instance, the European Charter of Local Self-Government, adopted in 1985, and the Reference Framework for Regional Democracy, adopted last year, both provide local and regional authorities with opportunities to develop self-governance and to promote policies which would give mountain regions the capacity to address their very specific issues.

Second, action to improve governance of our communities. We in the Congress are convinced that good regional governance can offer an effective interface between national issues and the local concerns of citizens. If the economic, social and environmental challenges in the Carpathians are to be solved, local and regional authorities need to strengthen their capacities and practices and build greater trust between public offices and citizens. Good regional governance should promote greater transparency and accountability, and citizens should be able to participate in the elaboration and implementation of policies which impact on their lives.

Third, action to establish direct co-operation between communities. Good regional governance in the Carpathians also means building bridges between regions in neighbouring countries. Transfrontier co-operation can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public services through the sharing of facilities and services. It can also contribute to the economic development of border regions through the development of clusters and the exchange of innovative ideas. In this regard, the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities and Authorities, offers a cooperation framework for regional development, environmental protection and the improvement of public services.

We are convinced that the local and regional authorities of the seven countries in the Carpathians need to make further efforts and work together in partnership in order to tackle the specific challenges facing their mountainous regions, and to achieve greater stability, prosperity and security of their populations. Interregional cooperation should be developed, working in synch with the Congress.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The situation of mountain regions calls for truly international attention and awareness, and we very much appreciate the efforts in this regard by the UNEP Interim Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention. I would like to use this occasion to congratulate the Interim Secretariat on the work already achieved and the steps already taken towards the conservation and sustainable development of this mountain range – including through initiatives such as the Carpathian Project and the Network for Protected Areas (CNPA).

At the same time, the Congress is convinced that local and regional authorities have a crucial role to play in implementing the Convention in accordance with the principle of subsidarity, and calls for their better integration in the definition and implementation of projects.

The Congress wishes to see as much European attention paid to the sustainable development of the Carpathians as has been paid to the Alps in the past. In this context, the Congress fully supports the call for the creation of a stand-alone ‘Carpathian Space’ within the European Territorial Cooperation Programme, similar to the ‘Alpine Space’, which would support the general objectives of the Carpathian Convention. Indeed, the ‘Alpine Space Programme’ has successfully created many projects, networks and tools for the economic and spatial development of the Alpine region, and this experience and knowledge could be of direct benefit to the Carpathians.

I would like to conclude by stressing once again one of the main points of this Conference: that mountains, and mountain regions, are not museums but home to many of our citizens.  They are also home to some of the world’s richest natural and cultural heritage, and some of its most fragile yet diverse ecosystems. This is why the importance of finding a balance between economic development and environmental protection, and the question of effective policies for mountain regions, are indeed a question of meeting the democratic and human rights of the people who live there.

Thank you.