European alliance of cities and regions issues declaration of support and solidarity with Ukraine

The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine has reiterated its "unwavering support" for Ukraine in a declaration that calls on the next Ukraine Recovery Conference "to reinforce the local and regional dimension in the recovery and reconstruction efforts of Ukraine".

The declaration, which was adopted at a political-level meeting of the Alliance in Brussels on 21 November, sets out the principles and priorities guiding cities and regions as they prepare for the next Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will be held in Rome, Italy in July 2025.

The Alliance meeting was addressed by, among others, representatives of Ukrainian and pan-European territorial and regional associations, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, as well as members of the European Committee of the Regions, which is a co-founder of the Alliance and serves as the Alliance's secretariat.

Addressing partners in the Alliance, representatives of the Ukrainian and Italian governments – the co-organisers of the next Ukraine Recovery Conference – emphasised the importance that they ascribe to local and regional authorities. Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, said that "local self-government is a cornerstone of Ukraine's resilience, making their involvement in recovery processes essential". Davide La Cecilia, Italy's Special Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, described local government as "indispensable".

The Alliance's declaration advocates for a reinforcing of partnerships, the exchange of know-how and the empowerment of Ukrainian local and regional authorities on Ukraine’s path to EU membership. It calls for a strengthening of the local and regional dimension in the recovery and reconstruction efforts of Ukraine.

The Alliance highlights the need for “capacity-building, diversified funding sources and tailored financial support for local and regional authorities”, while stressing the importance of including local and regional authorities, including their associations, in governance and decision-making processes related to the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

It reiterates the importance of programmes to strengthen the capacity of local and regional authorities, such as "Training and Internship support programme that will be implemented in 2025 with U-LEAD and members of the Alliance". The Training and Internship Programme Support for Ukrainian Municipalities (TIPS4UA) aims to help Ukrainian municipalities' staff and local leaders implement recovery, reconstruction and modernisation projects.

The meeting can be re-watched here. The text of the declaration can be downloaded here.

Quotes:

• Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine: "Local self government is a cornerstone of Ukraine's resilience, making their involvement in recovery processes essential. Housing reconstruction, as well as the restoration of social and critical infrastructure, remains a priority, making the recovery of territorial communities and regions the central theme of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2025. Special attention will be given to strengthening their capacity and role in implementing reconstruction projects, distributing financial resources, advancing reforms, and supporting Ukraine's EU accession.
• Davide La Cecilia, Italy's Special Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine: "We are going to organise the Ukrainian Recovery Conference in 2025 where, if business is a very important component, the local government is really an indispensable one. And let me say that Italy values by our strong tradition and vocation a dialogue on local governance, including in the context of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction… We think that the reconstruction should start from local communities, should be a bottom-up approach, should start from the territory and with this we want to recognise that the civil society, which is the real heart, the real engine of Ukraine process of transformation, will have a very critical role."
• Ulrike Hopp-Nishanka, head of the Task Force Ukraine in Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development: "I think it is very, very important that we achieved a whole-of-society approach at the Berlin conference [in 2024]. We of course remain very committed as Germany to strengthening local self-government and supporting the decentralisation process."

More information:

• Members of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine met in Brussels on 21 November, shortly after a plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions. The declaration issued on 21 November be found here. A recording of the meeting is available. 
• The European Committee of the Region works with Ukrainian regions and municipalities through a Working Group on Ukraine. The Working Group on Ukraine met most recently on 21 October. A report on the meeting can be found here; a recording is available here.