Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung 230d ago

20th Annual Conference of Kyiv Dialogue Without the active support of European partners in Ukraine's security and defense, reforms will not succeed. This was made clearer than ever at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome in mid-July. Investment and reforms require confidence in the security and resilience of society and its institutions. The prospect of joining the European Union remains the driving force behind reforms, even in times of war. A strong democratic civil society and effective local administrations are crucial for the country's resilience. Decentralization reforms have made a decisive contribution to the ability of local administrations to act, often in cooperation with competent civil society partners. Central government institutions and international donors are now called upon to systematically involve the municipal level in the reconstruction process. The 20th annual Kyiv Dialogue conference will examine the interaction between the local administration, civil society, national institutions, and international partners against the backdrop of the precarious security situation. How can the resilience of civil society be effectively maintained and strengthened under wartime conditions? Which successful local projects should be replicated? How can international funds be used effectively and in a targeted manner to strengthen local communities and civil society? Ukraine's experience in overcoming diverse war-related challenges to social cohesion is also valuable for the EU and its member states, where hybrid Russian destabilization attempts are also on the rise. The KYIV DIALOGUE is a non-partisan and independent platform for deepening and sustaining dialogue between Ukraine and Germany. It brings together opinion leaders from politics, the media, and civil society from both countries. This initiative is supported by the European Exchange gGmbH, Berlin, in cooperation with the German Association for Eastern European Studies, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the International Renaissance Foundation, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Panel II: Decentralisation vs. Re-centralisation: State of local democracy in wartimes The war means that some powers already transferred to the local level must be reorganized again. Beyond that, however, we are seeing tendencies to reverse the successful reform of decentralisation. What are the criteria for sharing competencies between the military vs. civil local administration? How can civic participation and democratic legitimacy still be guaranteed? What needs to be done to strengthen local self-administration and ensure their enshrined participation in the design and prioritisation of financial instruments as the EU’s Ukraine Facility? - Tetiana Arsenyuk, Deputy Executive Director, All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities - Michael Gahler, MEP, Rapporteur of the European Parliament on Ukraine - Nataliya Drozd, NGO Center “Dobrochyn” - Ihor Onishuk, Polaris Programme Moderation: Krzysztof Stanowski, Director International Cooperation Center, City of Lublin