On April 26-28, a delegation of mayors of five Ukrainian cities participated in a series of events in Denver, Colorado (US) to raise awareness of the challenges faced by local self-government during the war, as well as the efforts of Ukrainian municipalities to deal with them. The visit is supported by the USAID HOVERLA Project.

The visit began with a series of discussions “Local Leadership in Ukraine: Governing Amidst Conflict and Uncertainty” at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

Yuriy Bova, Mayor of Trostianets, Sumy oblast, Oleksandr Kodola, Mayor of Nizhyn, Chernihiv oblast, Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia oblast, and Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv, spoke about wartime security challenges, the restoration of damaged infrastructure and how municipalities integrate IDPs, support economic development and plan for recovery.

The participants also discussed the issue of European integration of Ukraine with a focus on the European Charter of Local Self-Government, modelling of post-war recovery scenarios and support of international partners in this endeavour.

On April 27-28, the mayors joined the Cities Summit of the Americas, which brought together local government leaders from across the Western Hemisphere to promote regional cooperation and inter-municipal partnerships.

Michael Hancock, Mayor of Denver, personally greeted the Ukrainian delegation. “I pray for Ukraine!” he said. “And I am proud to be part of a nation that is doing all it can to help Ukraine win the war and defend itself.”

The first day of the Summit focused on attracting investments for sustainable development, energy security, as well as the importance of involving the population in decision-making at the local level. Mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko joined the discussion of the role of cities in global leadership with Ambassador Nina Hachigian, the first U.S. Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy.

“The war rages on, but we are already thinking about rebuilding our city,” said Vitaliy Klitschko. “Or, rather, about its post-war revitalisation and transformation. Plans for the recovery of our cities and towns should come from local authorities. After all, it is the people on the ground who will use the infrastructure, work, and educate their children. Obviously, we will do a lot with the help of our foreign partners. It is also important that Ukraine stays on the path of reforms and transformation. Even during the war, whatever it takes. So it comes out of the war as a renewed country — successful, strong and modern.

The Ukrainian delegation also held a meeting with Jose V. Fernandes, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment. The participants focused on the resilience of the Ukrainian people, the post-war challenges that Ukraine will face and the importance of creating a favourable environment for business to increase the confidence of investors and partners through the eradication of corruption. The key conclusion of the discussion is that a common vision based on democratic values should be the basis of post-war reconstruction.

On April 28, Ukrainian mayors continued their advocacy efforts to present the perspectives of local self-government on the war and post-war recovery of Ukraine.

During the meeting with the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the five mayors of Ukrainian cities were joined by Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, US, Ravi Bhalla, Mayor of Hoboken, US, Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, Mayor of Monterrey, Mexico, Delroy Williams, Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica, and Anna Paula Matos, Deputy Mayor of Salvador, Brazil.

The Summit also included the panel discussion “Cities Under Siege: Stories and Lessons of Ukrainian Mayors”, which was attended by heads of local governments in the Western Hemisphere. They learned firsthand about the challenges faced by Ukrainian cities.

“Securing the irreversibility of decentralisation, reforming the judicial system, creating a safe environment for investments — Ukraine must implement all these reforms in order to rebuild the country,” said Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv. International expert support is extremely important for this. I am sure that city-to-city cooperation will be the key to a sustainable partnership between Ukraine and the United States. Together we will win and rebuild our country.”

Key messages of the Ukrainian delegation during the visit:

• Local self-government bodies of Ukraine are capable and strong.
• The Ukrainian people are united in their goal of achieving victory.
• Ukraine is ready to recover and become stronger.