On the eve of the Ukrainian Recovery Conference 2026, the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine published a Joint Statement in which it urged the Ukrainian Government, international partners and donor organisations to recognise local and regional governments as full partners in the planning and implementation of the country’s recovery policy. The main focus of the document is that communities should be involved not only in the implementation of projects but also in shaping decisions on reconstruction.

The joint statement was adopted by the partners of the Alliance, which comprises 100 organisations, including leading Ukrainian and European associations of local and regional authorities. The document sets out the key priorities for cooperation towards URC2026 and contains 26 recommendations aimed to strengthen the local and regional dimension of Ukraine’s recovery.

The statement emphasises that Ukrainian communities have been at the core of the state’s resilience in the face of full-scale war. They ensure the continuity of essential services, maintain critical infrastructure, coordinate humanitarian assistance, rebuild affected areas and, at the same time, prepare for Ukraine’s future accession to the European Union. Therefore, European partners call for local and regional authorities to be regarded as strategic partners in the recovery process.

The key proposals set out in the document include:

• ensure a systematic dialogue between international donors and local governments;
• take fuller account of the needs of communities and regions when assessing damage and planning international aid, in particular by including a separate section on local and regional needs in the World Bank’s annual Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA);
• continue the decentralisation reform as one of the key prerequisites for Ukraine’s resilience and its European integration;
• ensure that communities have greater access to international financial tools and support programmes;
• strengthen the coordination of international aid targeted at the local and regional levels, as well as the development of partnerships between Ukrainian and European communities.

Antje Groteer, Chair of the European CoR’ Working Group on Ukraine and President of Bremen State Parliament, emphasised that Ukraine’s successful recovery is impossible without the full participation of local self-government.

‘Municipalities and regions should be recognised as strategic partners in the planning and implementation of recovery support. We need to be heard by donors and institutional partners. The needs of municipalities and regions must be properly addressed. we feel there is an increasing need for stronger coordination of support that targets municipalities and regions,’ she claimed.

Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, emphasised that Ukraine is simultaneously waging a war, restoring communities, and preparing for accession to the European Union.

‘Communities have become the foundation of Ukraine’s resilience. We are entering a new stage, moving from responding to the consequences of the war towards building long-term resilience and development. This approach is at the heart of the local and regional dimension of URC 2026. We will discuss how to move from plans to results, from ideas to implementation, and from rebuilding to creating resilient communities and regions for the future,’ he stressed.

Paweł Kowal, Chairman of the Polish Government’s Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, pointed out that Ukraine’s recovery involves not only rebuilding infrastructure but also revitalising public life, in which communities and regions play a crucial role. Meanwhile, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk, emphasised that over 70% of EU laws is implemented at the local level, and that the experience of Ukrainian communities in building resilience is valuable for the whole of Europe.