On 26-27 November 2025, representatives of Ukrainian institutions, European partners and local authorities gathered in Lviv for the Post-Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 Forum, Capitalisation and the Way Forward: Decentralisation and Local Governance at the Centre of Ukraine’s Reconstruction, co-organised together with ALDA, the European Association for Local Democracy.
Based on the outcomes of the Recovery Conference held in Rome this year, discussions focussed on how to turn commitments into concrete measures supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction, and on importance of decentralisation and local self-government as key drivers of an effective, community-led recovery process.
Yurii Mushka, Deputy Secretary General, representing the CEI-Executive Secretariat, reaffirmed the Organisation’s firm support to Ukraine and the urgency of advancing reconstruction efforts:
“We firmly believe that empowering local authorities and communities is essential for democratic resilience. Decentralisation is not merely a technical reform: it is a means to restore confidence in public institutions and to bring decision-making closer to the citizens.”
Lviv, now a major humanitarian and administrative hub, offered an important setting for exchanges with stakeholders directly involved in managing displacement, public services, and local resilience.
Over two days of plenaries and governance labs, participants assessed the outcomes of URC2025 and outlined priority issues for the next steps leading to URC2026. The Forum concluded with practical recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation and ensuring that Ukraine’s recovery remains locally anchored, sustainable and aligned with its European path.
The CEI and ALDA enjoy a longstanding partnership, strengthened through joint initiatives in support of local democracy and community resilience. The latest Memorandum of Understanding, signed on [insert date], provides a solid basis for continued cooperation, including in follow-up to URC2025.
