Today, on May 11, 2023, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, together with the Association of Ukrainian Cities, held a Marathon in Kyiv and online to mark Open Government Week: Empowering Local Municipalities Through Citizen Engagement in the Recovery Process.
On May 8-12, 2023, as part of the Open Government Week, opinion leaders and active participants in open government from all countries of the world are exchanging ideas, discussing solutions for the active involvement of citizens in multi-level decision-making processes in the joint search for better responses to the challenges and crisis situations our society is currently facing.
Local governments in Ukraine are true leaders in implementing the principles of open governance within the framework of the Dialogue Platform between local and central levels of authorities on open governance in Ukraine.
Vitaliy Klitschko, Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, emphasized that self-government is the foundation of democracy in every civilized country. It acts as a unifying force for our municipalities in addressing today’s challenges, especially in wartime.
"It is extremely important for us to preserve self-government as a platform for our future, to study and implement the best practices in Ukraine and in the world. After all, the success of every individual and every municipality contributes to the success of the country, which is supported by the entire world. At the same time, our success is the best response to the enemy, and proof that we will win. Self-government and democracy are always built from the ground up, because you understand the needs and problems of municipalities and their residents better than anyone else. Therefore, we are doing everything possible and even the impossible to rebuild our country, with the goal of making it the most successful country in Europe!" emphasized Vitaliy Klitschko.
Participants in the Marathon also included:
Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe,
Marité Moras, Head of the Cooperation Activities Department, Secretariat of the Congress of the Council of Europe,
Rudy Bormann, Deputy Director of the international initiative "Open Government Partnership – Local Level,"
Olena Lytvynenko, Temporary Acting Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine,
Oleksandr Yarema, State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine,
Maryna Popatenko, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine,
Maryna Khonda, Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration for the Exercise of Self-Governing Powers,
Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities,
Serhii Nadal, Mayor of Ternopil,
Serhii Morhunov, Mayor of Vinnytsia,
Borys Karpus, Mayor of Novovolynsk, Volyn region,
Olena Sydorenko, Orzhytsi Village Mayor, Poltava region,
Olha Tsytsiura, Secretary of Zelenodolsk City Council, Dnipropetrovsk region,
Bohdan Tymoshuk, Secretary of Shatsk Settlement Council, Volyn region,
Oksana Derkach, Member of the Poltava City Council,
Liudmyla Sydorenko, Grant Specialist of the Department of Economics and Investments of the Novoarkhanhelsk Settlement Council, Kirovohrad Region,
Yurii Tereshchuk, Head of the Youth Center of Ratniv Village, Boratyn Village Municipality, Volyn region,
Yaroslav Morozov, Youth Delegate from Ukraine to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe,
Oksana Prodan, Advisor to the Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Cities.
During the Marathon, participants shared examples of innovative approaches, successes, and achievements of Ukrainian municipalities in open governance during the war. They demonstrated how inclusive initiatives are strengthening municipality resilience. Representatives of local governments exchanged experiences and improved their skills and knowledge in the development of inclusive and innovative policies and practices in the field of open governance.
The event was organized as part of the project "Strengthening Multilevel Governance, Democracy, and Human Rights at Local Level in Ukraine," which is implemented by the Congress within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery, and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026. The project aims to enhance dialogue, partnerships, and consultations among different levels of government; strengthen co-governance and citizen engagement in line with the principles of local democracy and open governance; promote and ensure the right to equality and non-discrimination at the local level to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction.
To read the Ukrainian version of the article, please click the link.
