Local and regional governments in Ukraine should be more fully involved in planning and delivering the country’s recovery, a European alliance of cities and regions declared in a statement issued ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk.
The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine called on the Ukrainian government and international partners to assess and address the needs of municipalities and regions more fully, recognise them as strategic partners and decision-makers, and improve coordination of support at local and regional level, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) announced on Thursday.
The call was agreed by the alliance’s 100 members in a joint statement at a meeting in Gdańsk held on the eve of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, described as the principal annual event focused on Ukraine’s reconstruction and modernisation in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Representatives of the Ukraine Donor Platform — a G7-led initiative to coordinate financing and assistance for Ukraine — attended the meeting.
France and Germany, supported by Poland, used the gathering to launch a call for proposals for municipalities in the Weimar Triangle countries — Germany, France and Poland — to set up partner projects with Ukrainian municipalities.
What the alliance is asking for
The statement said Ukrainian local and regional authorities play a “decisive role” in keeping communities functioning, sustaining essential services and coordinating humanitarian assistance, while also planning for long-term recovery.
The alliance urged reinforced support for partnerships between Ukrainian and EU municipalities and regions, and called for stronger coordination of European support, particularly in response to Ukraine’s energy needs.
It also called for Ukrainian local and regional authorities to be consulted through “inclusive platforms” and for their representatives to be included in key recovery planning and governance structures.
The alliance asked for systematic engagement with the Ukraine Donor Platform and for a stronger local and regional dimension in the World Bank-led Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment — an annual report that assesses damage and needs linked to the war.
It said cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation could support joint projects in areas including infrastructure, public services, and crisis and disaster risk preparedness, and it called for special support for EU regions neighbouring Ukraine.
The statement also called for closer involvement of municipalities and regions in needs assessments, ringfenced and transparent funding for local development, and better coordination of existing support tools, Innovation: regions discuss how to tap innovation potential of rural areas said.
Antje Grotheer, speaking on behalf of the alliance, called for more systematic dialogue with local and regional authorities through the Ukraine Donor Platform and suggested the World Bank include a dedicated section on local and regional needs in its annual assessment reports.
Oleksii Riabykin, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Rebuilding and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, stated that Ukraine was defending itself against Russian aggression while rebuilding communities and preparing for future EU membership.
