Ukrainian Mayors united to build trust and co-operation

Kyiv, 19 May 2016 - 20 mayors from four regions of Ukraine (Chernihiv, Rivne, Sumy and Volyn) shared their experiences as local leaders and discussed their role in the implementation of the decentralisation reform, in Kyiv on 18 and 19 May 2016.  “We should be more open and transparent as local authorities, only this sense, people will trust and trust is an integral part of a stable and prosperous community”, stressed one of the participants. Ukrainian mayors and their peers from Slovenia and The Netherlands shared views on what it entails to be a mayor. “Key to success for a mayor is co-operation and communication with the community” emphasised Congress Member Bernardka KRNC (Slovenia, GILD).

During a two-day seminar “Mayors, leaders for change”, mayors discussed their day-to-day challenges through interactive and practical sessions. They reflected on their roles and responsibilities as community leaders, the necessary skills needed to conduct inclusive decision-making processes and improve local political governance. This was underlined by Aat B.L. DE JONGE, Mayor of Dronten, the Netherlands, when discussing the competencies, duties and challenges that Dutch mayors face: “In such a time as today, a strong mayor is indispensable in serving the needs of residents and providing clear direction”.

The seminar was organised as a peer-to-peer platform by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe within the project “Promoting local democracy in Ukraine”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2015-2017. 

Ukraine joined the Council of Europe on 9 November 1995, ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government on 11 September 1997 and its Additional Protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority on 2 September 2014. Countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter imposes compliance with a minimum number of rights and principles, which are the European bedrock of local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe ensures respect for these principles.

Contact:  

Marité Moras, Head of the Co-operation Activities Unit, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Tel: +33 3 88 41 22 33

Svitlana Gryshchenko, Project Manager, Council of Europe Office in Kyiv,
Tel: +380 50 45 23 118