Yevpatoria (AR Crimea), September 4: The authorities of Yevpatoria municipality and representatives of United Nations Development Programme signed Partnership Agreement between UNDP and Yevpatoria City Council and between UNDP and Novoozernivsky Settlement Council within UNDP-led Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme. The parties agreed to practice the principles of sustainable development and assist local communities, represented by community-based organizations to solve their priority problems.
Yevpatoria municipality became the ninth partner in AR Crimea of UNDP-led Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme (UNDP/MGSDP). Before this, four municipalities (Saky, Dzhankoy, Scholkino and Backchysaray) and four settlements (Nyzhnogirskyi, Krasnogvardiyske, Pervomaykse and Zuya) became the partners of UNDP/MGSDP in AR Crimea.
The signing of the Agreement and discussion of perspectives of cooperation was done with participation of Andrey Danylenko, Yevpatoria City Mayor, Eduard Kugel, Deputy Yevpatoria City Mayor, Roman Gerasymchuk, Novoozernivsky Settlement Mayor, Oksana Remiga, UNDP Senior Programme Manager, Iryna Skaliy, UNDP/MGSDP Project Manager, Mykola Smirnow, UNDP/MGSDP Participatory Governance Development Officer.
After signing the Agreement, Eduard Kugel, Deputy Yevpatoria City Mayor said: “In crisis period, cooperation with international organisations is particularly important means of solving municipal problems in areas of municipal economy and education system. In addition, our successful cooperation will allow consolidating publicity and achieving real results in improving local dwellers` life standard”.
Yevpatoria City Council initiated the partnership, which envisages strengthening institutional capacity of the municipality at all levels and rising efficiency of local government. The overall objective of the partnership is assisting local communities, NGOs, academia, city and settlement councils to get organised for development and resolving social, economic and environmental problems of local communities and the municipality.
In context of the Agreement, the parties will increase efficiency of local government bodies, which would allow residents to be involved into transparent participatory planning process and resolve social, economic and environmental problems of local communities in a sustainable way. Also, the parties agreed to mobilise financial resources for implementing programs and projects aimed at establishment of public-private partnership.
In order to reach the goals of the Agreement, following activities will be implemented:
- Establishing Municipal Support Unit, which would become a intersection Resource Centre for supporting community initiatives for sustainable development;
- Practicing the principles of sustainable development;
- Mobilizing local communities for establishing community-based organizations (Associations of Co-Owners of Multi-Apartment Buildings, Service Cooperatives, Public Organizations);
- Supporting local community projects;
- Conducting seminars and trainings;
After signing the Agreement, the parties expressed expectations for successful and fruitful partnership.
UNDP/MGSDP successfully works in AR Crimea since 2007. In 2008 with Programme support, local communities of Saky implemented 3 projects for total cost of UAH 500 thousand, which improved the quality of life of 600 city residents.
In 2009, local communities are implementing 5 projects in Saky and 3 projects in Dzhankoy, which would benefit more then 3000 dwellers of the municipalities. Also, it is planned to implement two projects in Backchysaray and Schelkino municipalities this year
.
Besides supporting community initiatives in AR Crimea, UNDP/MGSDP supports various activities for enhancing institutional capacity, like trainings, study tours and creating official web-sites of the city councils.
Thus, with UNDP/MGSDP support, the official web-sites of city councils of Saky (www.saki-rada.gov.ua), Schelkino (shelkino.org.ua) and Dzhankoy (www.dzhankoi.org.ua). The new official web-sites of Backchysaray municipality and settlements of Nyzhnogirskyi, Krasnogvardiyske, Pervomaykse and Zuya will be launched by the end of 2009.
UNDP/MGSDP was initiated in 2004 for promoting democratic governance aimed at improving the livelihoods of people in urban areas across Ukraine under the framework of public-private partnership. The Programme cooperates with local communities of citizens, academia, small businesses and civil society organizations in 23 municipalities and 5 settlements across Ukraine and other partners in private and public sectors. Together they apply various sustainable development mechanisms. Since 2004 till 2009, UNDP/MGSDP supported 200 local community projects with a total cost of UAH 23.7 mn. For more information on the Project's activities, please visit: http://msdp.undp.org.ua
For more details, please, contact www.msdp.undp.org.ua, Galyna Gulenko, Monitoring and Communications Officer of UNDP/MGSDP, by tel. (+8044) 5014203 or via e-mail: galyna.gulenko at undp.org.ua.
