Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori outlined the unwavering support the Congress offers to Ukraine and priorities of co-operation for advancing Ukraine’s reform agenda at the International Cohesion Forum “Creating the Future”.

One of the main such priorities of co-operation is the revision of the 2014 Decentralisation Reform Concept in the light of the current challenges and the European Union integration process, which the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress (CEMG) has facilitated at the invitation of the Ukrainian Government.

“The 2014 Concept is a document that has paved the way for remarkable achievements of Ukraine’s reform efforts. However, challenges persist, and we commend the authorities’ commitment to elaborate a revised and long-term vision for the country’s governance structure after the war,” said Mathieu Mori. He also reminded that upholding local democracy is essential even under martial law and underlined that all public investments need to fully involve local and regional authorities at all stages and be in line with the needs and legitimate expectations of citizens. The updated Decentralisation Reform Concept should also establish such an approach to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, both under martial law and after the war.

The CEMG builds the work for the revision of the Concept on its Policy Advice Report containing relevant analysis and recommendations, in addition to the Council of Europe standards and resolutions. The Government of Ukraine plans to finalise updating the Decentralisation Reform Concept by June 2025.