September 27 – 28, Rivne: Active participation of community organizations in local self government helps efficient solution of local development problems indeed. This was concluded by participants of a donor visit – representatives of the UNDP in Ukraine and SDC during a visit to Rivne.
Presently, reformation of housing sector is among priority tasks in Ukraine. Typical housing problems increase every year, while high tariffs don’t guarantee even their partial solution. Therefore, housing reformation is inevitable. In 2001 the Parliament of Ukraine adopted the law of Ukraine № 2866-ІІІ “On Associations of Co-owners of Multi-Apartment Houses», giving a opportunity to residents of multi-apartment houses to take care of their common property and improve it.
Interest in ACMH by population grows in Rivne, as results of 90 ACMHs in Rivne enabled to solve problems of roofs, sewage systems repair, façade reconstruction, windows installation and save on communal payments.
Besides, establishment of NGOs or caring councils in kindergartens and secondary schools gives opportunities to teachers to resolve likely infrastructure problems in academia. Even through network of schools, which in Rivne runs as NGO, which aims at improving educational process and holding informational campaigns on important issues of human development.
The UNDP Project “Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme” is one of those, focusing on support of housing reformation and contribution into creation of AMCHs, as the most efficient form of house management. Since its establishment and the Project supported 600 community organizations in 29 partner-cities and fulfilled over 220 projects on reconstruction and repair of houses.
The Project supports Rivne’s activity too, which has resulted in 15 project under support of the UNDP/MGSDP and more within the framework of 2009 – 2012 Rivne Municipal Sustainable Development Programme, elaborated and approved by the Rivne Council to finance projects of local communities from local budget. General cost of the projects, implemented in Rivne amounts to 6.8 mln UAH (0.8 mln USD).
To view the situation on September 27 – 28 Rivne visited Guido Beltrani, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office, Elena Panova, UNDP Deputy Country Director and a delegation with Svitlana Gryshchenko, Petro Ilkiv, national programme officers of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine and Olena Ursu, UNDP/MGSDP Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Expert.
During a visit the delegation met with Volodymyr Khomko, Rivne Mayor and other representatives of local authorities, as well as visited places of projects’ fulfilment and participated in a discussion with representatives of community organizations on their experience:
- Head of the ACMH “Gazda” Oksana Shostak together with colleges presented implemented project on energy efficiency through roof reconstruction and façade repair.
- Head of the ACMH “Danyla Galytskogo 4” with neighbours presented common experience of replacement of pipes of the hot and cold water supply system, roof reconstruction and current initiative on repair of inter-panel joints.
- NGO “Rivne schools network” presented projects on replacement of old windows for new energy saving ones and on holding information campaigns on raising public awareness.
Summing up the visit, Mr Guido Beltrani estimated contribution of Rivne City Council into provision of sustainable development as high:
This program has been definitively a success story in your city. We are pleased to see that the model of cooperation which has been developed within the project has been replicated and up-scaled by the City of Rivne and is now widely used even without our direct involvement or contribution. We congratulate the local communities for their initiatives and willingness to take over responsibility for their wellbeing, as well as the local authorities for their readiness to support the initiatives of local communities and to provide the necessary co-funding.
For detailed information please refer to Olena Ursu, UNDP/MGSDP Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Expert Olena.Ursu@undp.org.ua.
For detailed information please refer to Olena Ursu, UNDP/MGSDP Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Expert Olena.Ursu@undp.org.ua.
