December 8, 2024, 10:52 am

INTERNATIONAL
MAYORS SUMMIT 2021

About

International Mayors Summit (IMS), launched in 2016 as a knowledge exchange platform for local government leaders, became “more than a conference”, a place where projects and partnerships are born.

The annual Summit brings together prominent mayors from throughout the world, the business community, international organizations representatives and civil society to discuss solutions, innovations, best practices and common challenges in all areas of city life. The Summit is organized by Western NIS Enterprise Fund and supported by the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Mayors and experts from the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, UK, UAE, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Germany took part at the International Mayors Summit.

The Summit’s format allows participants to get knowledge and build a strong international network with prominent global leaders of urban transformation, be part of professional speed-networking sessions, test various solutions at the location, sign memorandums and launch special projects.

Since fall 2019, cities globally face a double challenge: fight against the pandemic while simultaneously feel the pressure of further development. Mayors were at the frontline of urgent and necessary decisions, trying to coordinate with the central government, create partnerships with businesses and engage and convince the community. Was it a successful process? What are the most effective solutions? How to plan further development and growth? This will be the theme of the IMS 2021.

Welcome to the IMS 2021!

International Mayors Summit (IMS), launched in 2016 as a knowledge exchange platform for local government leaders, became “more than a conference”, a place where projects and partnerships are born.

The annual Summit brings together prominent mayors from throughout the world, the business community, international organizations representatives and civil society to discuss solutions, innovations, best practices and common challenges in all areas of city life. The Summit is organized by Western NIS Enterprise Fund and supported by the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Mayors and experts from the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, UK, UAE, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Germany took part at the International Mayors Summit.

The Summit’s format allows participants to get knowledge and build a strong international network with prominent global leaders of urban transformation, be part of professional speed-networking sessions, test various solutions at the location, sign memorandums and launch special projects.

Since fall 2019, cities globally face a double challenge: fight against the pandemic while simultaneously feel the pressure of further development. Mayors were at the frontline of urgent and necessary decisions, trying to coordinate with the central government, create partnerships with businesses and engage and convince the community. Was it a successful process? What are the most effective solutions? How to plan further development and growth? This will be the theme of the IMS 2021.

Welcome to the IMS 2021!

More...

help to stop the war

Open Letter to World’s Mayors and
Local Self-Governance Leaders

At dawn on February 24, the Russian Federation attacked independent and sovereign Ukraine. This cruel bloodshed in the heart of Europe was the beginning of a full-scale insane war: civilians are being brutally killed, hospitals and kindergartens are being bombed, while key city infrastructure is being destroyed by the invaders. Various methods of terror are being applied, and the aggressor is grinding Ukrainian cities and villages to dust that until a few days ago were filled with happy citizens investing in their development and prosperity.

During the last decade, we implemented local self-governance and decentralization reforms, and were proud to call them Europe’s “best practices”. Today, the strength of Ukrainian communities’ self-governance is an important element of Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invaders. Regular citizens have self-organized to defend their cities, towns, and villages; they are coming barehanded to the streets to protest and face armed military forces with tanks. City mayors, community leaders and local deputies are doing their best to fulfill basic needs of their citizens under a sky full of Russian rockets. Cities and communities are being savagely bombed by Russian invaders…

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Open Letter to World’s Mayors and Local Self-Governance Leaders

At dawn on February 24, the Russian Federation attacked independent and sovereign Ukraine. This cruel bloodshed in the heart of Europe was the beginning of a full-scale insane war: civilians are being brutally killed, hospitals and kindergartens are being bombed, while key city infrastructure is being destroyed by the invaders. Various methods of terror are being applied, and the aggressor is grinding Ukrainian cities and villages to dust that until a few days ago were filled with happy citizens investing in their development and prosperity.

During the last decade, we implemented local self-governance and decentralization reforms, and were proud to call them Europe’s “best practices”. Today, the strength of Ukrainian communities’ self-governance is an important element of Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invaders. Regular citizens have self-organized to defend their cities, towns, and villages; they are coming barehanded to the streets to protest and face armed military forces with tanks. City mayors, community leaders and local deputies are doing their best to fulfill basic needs of their citizens under a sky full of Russian rockets. Cities and communities are being savagely bombed by Russian invaders. The city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region was attacked by forbidden hypersonic cassette missiles. More than four hundred thousand citizens of Mariupol are locked behind a blockade that is provoking humanitarian crisis. Cities like Irpin (Kyiv region) and Volnovakha (Donetsk region) are nearly destroyed from continued bombing by the enemy. Famous universities, historical and cultural and civil infrastructure of Kharkiv have been ruined. Chernihiv, one of the oldest cities in Ukraine and in Europe, is under systemic missile attacks by Russian forces. The whole world was frightened by news of Russia’s attack on Energodar (Zaporizhzhia region), the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. In Mariupol, ceasefire agreement was broken by Russian forces and evacuation route for civilians and the local maternity hospital was viciously shelled. Civilian infrastructure and residential areas in Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr remain under heavy shelling. Mykolaiv and Kherson are putting all their forces to defend their citizens and land, Mykolaiv witnessed the cruel shooting of kindergarten teachers. Invaders killed your mayoral counterpart, the mayor of Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv, the city was heroically defending Ukraine’s capital.

We are very grateful for your support in this wartime by your humanitarian aid and shelter for Ukrainians escaping rockets and tanks. We also believe there is a larger role for the world’s cities and leaders to help bring peace by stopping the aggressor.

Ukrainian cities and communities learned from you that local self-governance is a key pillar of democracy. Now we ask you to apply this principle in your own countries to defend your Ukrainian counterparts and partner cities.
Our President, government officials and parliamentarians have addressed the UN, NATO, international organizations and leaders of the democratic world with one urgent request – to close the sky above Ukraine and help fight the aggressor and defend the European values that Ukrainians are giving their lives for. We understand there might be reasons why this hasn’t been done yet, but people’s lives are not worth excuses. Politicians and world leaders will not forgive themselves for permitting the unnecessary deaths of children who could become doctors, writers, engineers, economists. We also ask for stricter sanctions against Russia to stop this bloody war against sovereign Ukraine.

You can be a strong voice in your cities and communities that impacts decision-making of your countries’ leadership. The appeals and voices of mayors, associations of local self-governance and local deputies representing political parties should be loud to be heard. Help us protect our children and women as we would help to protect yours.

We urge you to mobilize direct contacts with your Ukrainian counterparts in partner-cities and partner-communities or within various international platforms. Allow Ukrainian representatives of local self-governance to address your people asking for support. Talk to your countries’ leadership and decision-makers about our cries for help with our defense. Appeal to your central governments to support Ukraine’s European Union and Euro-Atlantic integration under the accelerated accession procedure. Together, we can find solutions that save Ukraine.

Now, as never before it’s vital to unite behind European values, democracy and freedom. This is the moment to confirm those values. Today, we are all Ukrainians.

Mayors of big cities, heads of amalgamated communities and representatives of local-self-governance associations representing over 800 communities signed the letter.

Signatories:

Mayors:
Igor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv
Adnriy Sadovyy, Mayor of Lviv
Borys Filatov, Mayor of Dnipro
Vladyslav Atroshenko, Mayor of Chernigiv
Anatoliy Kurtieev, Mayor of Zaporizhzhia
Sergiy Hadal, Mayor of Ternopil
Ruslan Martsinkiv, Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk
Vadym Boychenko, Mayor of Mariupol
Oleksandr Sienkevich, Mayor of Mykolaiv
Oleksandr Tretyak, Mayor of Rivne
Roman Klichuk, Mayor of Chernivtsi
Sergiy Sukhomlyn, Mayor of Zhytomyr
Oleksandr Symchyshyn, Mayor of Khmelnytskyy
Sergiy Morgunov, Mayor of Vinnytsia
Ihor Polischuk, Mayor of Lutsk
Bohdan Andriiv, Mayor of Uzhgorod
Anatoliy Bondarenko, Mayor of Cherkassy
Hennadiy Trukhanov, Mayor of Odessa
Yuriy Bova, Mayor of Trostyanets
Oleksandr Honcharenko, Mayor of Kramatorsk

Ministry:
Oleksiy Chernyshov, Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine

Associations:
Association “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine”
Association of Amalgamated Communities of Ukraine
Association of Communities of Ukraine

Local Self-Governance Platform:
International Mayors Summit

If you wish to help or support Ukrainian cities, please coordinate efforts with us: Iryna Ozymok, Founder of the International Mayors Summit at iozymok@wnisef.org or info@wnisef.org

Agenda

September 28, 2021

Express test for COVID-19

Welcome coffee and UNIT.City and solutions for cities exhibition visit

Opening of the 4th International Mayors Summit. Presentation of City DNA Project

Iryna Ozymok, Founder of the IMS

Overview of Global Trends of City Development: Where do Cities Move and What are the Main Challenges to Foresee

Yevhen Hlibovytskyy – Founder, pro.mova
Svyatoslav Pavlyuk – Executive Director, Association of Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine

Keynote Speaker

Erion Veliaj – Mayor of Tirana, Albania

PITCHES by Ukrainian Mayors on Progress Achieved Despite the Pandemic Crisis

Volodymyr Shmatko - Chortkiv
Gennadiy Trukhanov – Odesa
Ruslan Martsinkiv - Ivano-Frankivsk
Oleksandr Symchyshyn - Khmelnytskyy
Vadym Boychenko – Mariupol
Oleksandr Senkevych – Mykolaiv
Oleh Kuh - Lubeshivska community
Moderator: Iryna Ozymok

Keynote Speaker

Markus Appenzeller – German Architect and Urban Planner (online)
Yulian Chaplinsky - Ukrainian Urban Planner and Architect

Signing of the Memorandum on cooperation between the Mykolaiv City Council and NGO "Institute of Legislative Ideas" concerning carrying out anti-corruption examination of projects of regulations of the City Council

Olexander Senkevych - Mayor of Mykolaiv Martina Boguslavets - Executive director, NGO “Institute of legislative ideas”

Lunch and Networking

Which Cities Are More Likely to Attract Investments? Dialogue With Experts

Lenna Koszarny – Founding Partner and CEO, Horizon Capital
Andy Hunder – President, ACC
Anna Derevianko – Executive Director, EBA
Yulia Shevchuk - Chief Investment Advisor, NEFCO
Olga Magaletska - Head of the Office, National Investment Council
Moderator: Olena Rybak, Managing Director, iC Consulenten

There is One choice: To Be Accessible

Olena Zelenska – First Lady of Ukraine (video)
Tetiana Lomakina – Adviser-representative of the President of Ukraine on the barrier-free society issues
Yuriy Fomichev – Mayor of Slavutych

City Synergy (Portugal)

Marco Espinheira, Head of Future, Câmara Municipal de Cascais, Portugal
Jean Gil Barroca, Associate Partner, Deloitte Portugal
Moderator: Yuriy Odnovyunenko, Senior Manager, Deloitte Ukraine

Coffee break

Lessons from Businesses to Cities

Igor Liski – Chairman of the Board, Effective Investments Group
Andriy Zdesenko – Founder and President, Biosphere Corporation
Mykhailo Shelemba – CEO, Datagroup
Rostyslav Vovk – Head, Kormoteh
Oleksandr Pochkun – Co-founder and Managing Partner, Baker Tilly Ukraine
Moderator: Iryna Ozymok, IMS

Security as City Development Element: Ajax Systems & Mariupol Case

Valentyn Grytsenko – Chief Marketing Officer, Ajax Systems

Coffee break

Effective Interaction Between Local and National Level

Oleksiy Chernyshov – Minister for Communities and Territories of Ukraine
Olena Shuliak – Deputy of the Parliament
Oleksandr Slobozhan – Executive Director, Association of Cities of Ukraine
Vladyslava Magaletska - Head of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection
Moderator: Andriy Andrushkiv - CEO, Centre of United Actions NGO

Vasyl Khmelnytsky

Ukrainian entrepreneur, founder of UFuture holding company and K.FUND Foundation

Children’s Participation in City Management Processes in Partnership With UNICEF

Erion Veliaj – Mayor of Tirana, Albania
Murat Sahin - Representative of UNICEF in Ukraine
Youth from Bahmut, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Kharkiv, Uman, Ternopil, Shyrokivska, Novoukrainska and Bilyaivska Communities
Moderator: Anna Bondarenko - Ukrainian Volunteering Service

Special Guest: Mykola Davydyuk – Political Analyst

Territory Development Through Art

Closing cocktail

Speakers

Iryna Ozymok

Founder of International Mayors Summit

Erion Veliaj

Mayor of Tirana

Oleksiy Chernyshov

Minister for Communities and Territories Development

Olga Magaletska

Head of the Office of the National Investment Council

Olena Shuliak

Deputy Chairman of the "SLUGA NARODU" POLITICAL PARTY

Vladyslava Magaletska

Head of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection

Vadym Boichenko

Mayor of Mariupol

Oleksandr Symchyshyn

Mayor of Khmelnytskyi

Oleksandr Senkevych

Mayor of Mykolaiv

YURII FOMICHEV

Mayor of Slavutych

Valentin Hrytsenko

Chief Marketing Officer at Ajax Systems

Vasyl Khmelnytsky

Ukrainian businessman, founder of UFuture holding company and K.FUND foundation.

Murat Sahin

UNICEF Representative in Ukraine

Markus Appenzeller

Director at Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

Lenna Koszarny

Founding Partner and CEO at Horizon Capital

All speakers

Organizer

Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) is a $150 million regional fund, a pioneer in Ukraine and Moldova with over 25 years of successful experience in investing in small and medium- sized companies.

WNISEF was funded by the U.S. government via the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Since its inception, WNISEF’s cumulative investments total over $186 million to 130 companies employing 26,000 people and made it possible to unlock $2.2 billion for companies in Ukraine and Moldova.

In 2015 WNISEF has launched a $35 million legacy program focused on export promotion, local economic development, impact investing and economic leadership. WNISEF is funding innovative, high-impact, reform focused programs and aims to support Ukraine and Moldova at this critical period by developing sound economic policy and leadership.

Visit wnisef.org

Media

watch video

BREAKING BARRIERS IS EASY. TOGETHER! Sunny Workshop in Lviv

https://youtu.be/ekgqL_LvZA4
watch video

International Mayors Summit 2018

https://youtu.be/00-vETn7xaw
watch video

Undercover Mayor

https://youtu.be/p4JGfYmkv5A
watch video

International Mayors Summit 2017. How it was

https://youtu.be/sgBwV9IlemA
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Russia has started a full-scale war with Ukraine.
They have already began their attack on Ukraine, all major cities are under fire, civilians are suffering. Please, Stand with Ukraine!
✅ HOW CAN YOU HELP? The most important thing you can do for Ukraine now is to READ and SHARE verified information about Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
🔹 President of Ukraine
Web: https://www.president.gov.ua/en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zelenskiy.official
🔹 Ukraine’s official social media accounts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UkraineUA.MFA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukraine.ua/
🔹 Embassy of Ukraine in your country (Web, Facebook & Twitter)
✅ Help to defend Ukraine — donate to Ukraine’s main charity fund — https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/
✅ Help to defend Ukraine — donate to the fund of the National Bank of Ukraine https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-spetsrahunok-dlya-zboru-koshtiv-na-potrebi-armiyi
✅ Help Ukraine by placing this widget on your website
https://github.com/ukraine-not-war/stop-war
Stand With Ukraine!