Deputy Mayor - Manager of the Executive Committee, Lyudmila Makarenko, represented the Chuhuivsk Urban Territorial Community at the 10th European Congress of Local Government "Global Changes - Local Solutions", which was held in Mykolayki (Poland).
The event brought together over 4,000 participants to exchange ideas, including about 2,500 local government leaders, representatives of state authorities, non-governmental organizations, and businesses from European countries.
Global challenges, such as the war in Ukraine and climate change, influenced the formation of this year's forum program. The organizers devoted many panel discussions to our country. Recent events have once again confirmed that the war in Ukraine should consolidate not only European governments, but also local self-government, uniting communities. Much attention was paid to interterritorial cooperation, finding mechanisms for attracting international assistance and grant programs for infrastructure restoration, local business development and support for social initiatives, and the use of modern platforms and venues that will help build strong ties with partner regions and communities.
Polish colleagues shared their experience of 20 years of cooperation with the European Union, attracting European funds, and developing public-private partnerships, which can be useful for Ukrainian communities.
Also relevant were discussions on building resilient communities that can effectively respond to the challenges of war and post-war reconstruction, taking into account the experience of Ukrainian local government, which can serve as an example of effective anti-crisis management, communications, and response to threats.
The need to invest in renewable energy, preserving a safe climate environment, modern transport solutions, and digitalization of municipal services was also discussed, which can significantly improve the quality of life of the population and adapt the region to new realities and challenges.
«"Solving global problems, as always, begins at the local level, at the level of local governments. Thanks to their proximity to people and understanding of local problems, effective and quick solutions are found, which, using synergy and vast experience, have an impact on the global level.", – emphasized the head of the Program Council, Zygmunt Berdychovsky.
During the two-day Congress, participants discussed challenges in the fields of ecology, energy, social protection, attracting investments, artificial intelligence, creating safe conditions for human existence (both in crisis situations and in nutrition programs to prevent obesity), the issue of overcoming the housing crisis, and much more.
