Ukrainian local and national authorities must work together to deliver recovery and reconstruction, the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has declared.
The Congress called for international support to help Ukrainian local and regional authorities fully exercise their powers as they rebuild communities, according to a resolution adopted at its 50th session in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe (CE) press service informed.
The resolution was based on a report by French member Véronique Bertholle and Swedish member Amelie Tarschys Ingre.
Ukraine’s recovery will require “effective multilevel governance”, with local and regional authorities playing a fundamental role in line with their competences.
The text also referred to rebuilding “with respect for European standards in human rights, democracy and the rule of law”, and linked this to Ukraine’s progress towards European Union membership.
Decentralisation and funding for rebuilding
Decentralisation reforms in Ukraine were described as having supported the country’s wartime resilience by enabling subnational authorities to respond to shocks and difficulties during the conflict, the CE said.
The resolution urged continued reforms to improve efficiency through a clear division of responsibilities between different levels of government, and called on local and regional authorities across Council of Europe member states to work with Ukraine’s national authorities while backing greater empowerment for local and regional government.
The Congress also said the Russian Federation must pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine’s regions, and that confiscated Russian assets frozen worldwide should be used as a source of funding.
Presenting the report, the two rapporteurs said Ukraine’s local and regional authorities were on the frontline of both the impact of Russia’s “ongoing and illegal war of aggression” and the response to it, and would continue to play a leading role in recovery and reconstruction.
