ICLEI Europe has joined the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine launched by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) to support and coordinate efforts towards helping the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.
Cooperation with the Alliance comes at the heels of ongoing efforts by ICLEI to support the recovery and long-term resilient rebuilding of Ukrainian towns and cities, kick-started at the European Urban Resilience Forum 2022 (EURESFO). Together with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Nordic Urban Resilience Institute (NURI), the Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities) and the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (UNDP Ukraine) ICLEI is now actively working on the development of frameworks for enabling cooperation between city partners for a sustainable and resilient recovery.
As part of the Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine Secretariat, ICLEI is furthermore implementing the coal regions exchange programme between Ukrainian and EU cities and regions. ICLEI furthermore supports the global call for renewable energy technology and support for Ukraine - an initiative led by the World Wind Energy Association and the Global 100% RE Platform.
As part of the Alliance - launched at the 150th CoR plenary session - ICLEI and its partners aim to undertake joint efforts for EU and Ukrainian cities and regions to exchange expertise in capacity-building, good governance, and technical assistance. Furthermore, the Alliance is set to cooperate with all EU institutions with regards to a "Ukraine reconstruction platform".
The Alliance is currently bringing together more than 30 core and associated partners from EU and Ukrainian networks and associations of local and regional authorities, such as the Council of Europe (CoE), the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the Association of Ukrainian Cities and the Ukrainian of District and Regional Councils, amongst others.
"One year into the brutal war in Ukraine, we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people who have shown incredible strength, and we call for the restoration of peace based on international law and the protection of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Together with international partners, and as a part of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, we are committed to support the long-term recovery, particularly the sustainable and resilient rebuilding of Ukrainian towns," notes Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director for ICLEI Europe.
Interested ICLEI members and partners interested in learning more about ICLEI activities in support of Ukraine, as well as associated engagement opportunities, can reach out to Nuha Eltinay, nuha.eltinay[at]iclei.org and Alexandra Pfohl, alexandra.pfohl[at]iclei.org.
A joint statement by the ICLEI Europe Regional Executive Committee in solidarity with cities, and their communities affected by the invasion of Ukraine, can be found here.