The Congress of local and regional authorities, which was created at the initiative of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi following the example of the Congress of the Council of Europe, will begin to really represent the interests of Ukrainians, notes the head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak.
“In 2021, the decentralization reform is successfully approaching its culminating stage. Ahead of us is the correction of the functions of state administrations, district and regional councils. The new administrative-territorial system of the country, the new stage of decentralization reform requires a qualitatively new tool for representing the interests of local and regional authorities at the central level,” he said during a speech at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Communities and Territories.
Andriy Yermak said that the Congress of local and regional authorities will consist of a presidium, which will be headed by the President and will include the highest officials of the state, as well as the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions. These chambers will independently elect their leadership and delegate three representatives from each chamber to the Presidium of the Congress.
The Presidium of the Congress will meet monthly. Such discussions of system work regarding
solving local and regional problems with the participation of the highest state officials will make it possible to ensure the best coordination of the activities of all authorities. The Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions will meet quarterly and
proposals will be submitted to the agenda of the presidium, and the general session of the Congress will be held every six months.
“The congress will be a platform for discussing local problems at the highest level in order to find effective solutions. Already today, you will hear the speeches of some heads of regional state administrations, heads of communities and city heads. They will share with you real problems that need to be solved,” said the head of the Office of the Head of State.
Andriy Yermak also added that it is necessary to stop “the cycle of councils in nature, which has been going on for more than 25 years”, when previously created similar bodies met only a few times “on demand”, and the meetings were rather formal in nature.
“The tasks facing Ukraine on the way to building a strong European democracy require the involvement of local self-government bodies of all levels in the processes of European integration, the strengthening of ties between the regions of Ukraine and the member states of the European Union,” noted the head of the President’s Office.
