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On March 22-23, 2018 the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine hosted the PLEDDG-sponsored VI All-Ukrainian Local Self-Governance Forum. The Forum was organized by the City Institute of Lviv, Lviv City Council, and NGO “Institute of Education”.

Local Self-Governance Forum is an alternative platform for an exchange of experience, discussion of hot issues and prospects in local self-governance, development of respective guidelines, and enhancement of local self-governance’s role and capacity in the development of Ukrainian state.

The Forum was attended by Ukrainian MPs, mayors of Ukrainian cities, central and local executive power representatives, representatives of international technical aid projects, Ukrainian and foreign experts.

Lviv’s Mayor, Andriy Sadovyy, opened the Forum with a welcome speech. The participants were also greeted by Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Oleksandr Slobozhan.

During the two-day forum several panel discussions took place, with topics as follows:

  • The pace of decentralization reform in Ukraine. What is missing: will, money, or enlightenment?
  • The territorial structure of executive authorities: collaboration with local self-governance bodies.
  • Decentralization and health care: the advantages and disadvantages in the choice of the ways for implementing reforms.
  • The role of the U-LEAD Program with Europe in decentralization processes and opportunities for potential Ukrainian partners
  • E-services and IT for efficient urban development and development of amalgamated territorial communities.
  • Local self-governance for strengthening Ukraine: reality and opportunities?
  • Urban development financial management practices
  • Urban conglomerations and amalgamated territorial communities: spatial boundaries and land resources management
  • Capable communities and citizens’ potential for community-building
  • Local democracy: challenges and practices
  • Strategies for cities and towns, and amalgamated communities: is it possible to make a breakthrough?

Ihor Lepyoshkin, PLEDDG Senior Expert and Head of Experts Group, moderated the panel discussion on “Strategies for cities and town, and amalgamated communities: is it possible to make a breakthrough?”, with speakers being Pavlo Sheremeta, a co-founder of Breakthrough Strategy House “PRORYV”, Volodymyr Garazd, Mayor of Dolyna, Iryna Patronyk, coordinator of the Group of Municipal and Regional Development of “Deloitte” company, and Oleksandr Kobzarev, Director of the City Institute (Lviv). During the panel discussion, participants discussed urban development strategic planning and approaches to development of territorial communities’ strategies.

As a result of debates during the Forum, guidelines on local self-governance were developed with a view to enhance the role and capacity of local self-governance in Ukraine.