Bridges of Trust

Since 2014 Ukraine has been strengthening local self-government through decentralization reform, widely regarded as the main success story among different reforms launched after the Revolution of Dignity. Key achievements of this reform include an amalgamation of territorial communities, allocation of new sources of income, and broadening the scope of local competencies.

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has been promoting international municipal cooperation and building partnerships between local and regional governments for many decades. At the heart of this work has always been a strong conviction that links of exchange and cooperation between municipalities are a driving force in the growth and development of the communities and of Europe as a whole. 

Since March 2021, CEMR and PLATFORMA, the pan-European coalition of towns, regions, and their associations active in the international development cooperation, led by CEMR, have been implementing a Bridges of Trust project to create 10 new partnerships between municipalities in Ukraine and in the EU member states. 

Following the devastating destruction of many Ukrainian municipalities, it became clear that there is a need to increase local and regional cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in order to help Ukraine rebuild. CEMR and our members support this goal as we remember the important role peer-to-peer cooperation and twinning, played in the post-WWII reconstruction of Europe. 

Therefore, starting on 1 November 2022 and lasting until 30 September 2023, 30 Ukrainian municipalities will receive support with the development of a partnership with a municipality in the EU. Bridges of Trust is to be implemented in close partnership and coordination with the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC) and through the involvement of the Associations of local governments in the 10 European Union member states. Bridges of Trust is supported by the U-LEAD with Europe programme.

General objective

The general objective of the project is to help rebuild Ukraine through international municipal partnerships between Ukrainian and EU municipalities.

 Specific objectives
 

Bridges of Trust are built on the experiences, results, and best practices of the first phase of the project as well as those of the U-LEAD with Europe.