Chernihiv, 7 July 2016

Young local leaders in Ukraine propose new local initiatives

24 young local leaders, including 10 local councillors from four regions of Ukraine (Chernihiv, Rivne, Sumy and Volyn), discussed their role as future leaders during a seminar organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Chernihiv from 5 to 7 July 2016. Natalia Romanova, Vice-Governor of the Chernihiv region and former Vice-president of the Congress, sharing her vision of local self-government reform challenged the participants: “Your generation has the power to change things. Don’t be afraid to cooperate with Mayors and Councillors”.

Participants discussed with Congress members Saimir Plaku (Albania, NI-NR) and Saara Ilvessalo (Finland, SOC), and experts how to introduce change at the local level, increase citizen participation, encourage ethical decision-making and prevent corruption as well as how to get further involved in view of the forthcoming local elections. They developed a set of initiatives to be implemented in their communities as a follow-up to the seminar.

The seminar was organised in the framework of the “Promoting local democracy in Ukraine” project, 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:
Guillaume Parent, Project Co-ordinator, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Tel: +33 3 90 21 56 73

Kristina Bagramian, Project Officer, Council of Europe Office in Kyiv,
Tel: +380 50 45 23 118