On the 24th of November the official presentation of the Municipal Sustainable Development Programme was held in the premises of Halytska City Council by Franka Str., 3. According to the Partnership Agreement with the municipality, signed by UNDP management on June 1st 2005, Programme activities are launched in Halych (Ivano-Frankivska oblast’) to foster the municipal sustainable development.
The presentation was held in participation of Mr. L.Basarab, the City Mayor of Halych, Mr. O.Trachyk, his deputy, Mr. O.Berehovsky, head of the National Reserve “Davniy Halych”, heads of the departments of the executive committee of Halytska City Council, representatives of the living neighbourhoods, local schools and kindergartens, media, other interested persons.
Mr. L.Basarab welcomed the Programme activities in Halych, and said it would be an essential support to the efforts of local government in the area of the social, economic and ecological development of the city.
On behalf of UNDP/MSDP, Mrs. Iryna Kovalchuk, Governance and Sustainable Development Officer, confirmed the willingness of the Programme to support the sustainable development activities of the level of Halych municipality. While presenting the modus operandi of the Programme, she answered the numerous questions from the audience regarding concrete practical steps of the implementation of Programme activities. Later on, Mrs. Olena Ursu, the Monitoring and Communication Officer, presented the methods of social mobilization, public-private partnership and area-based approach as major instruments used in the course of project implementation. She also shared the experience of UNDP/MSDP in the pilot partner municipalities and its achievements on the local and national levels.
Programme activities on the local level will be implemented through the Municipal Support Unit (MSU), created by the City Council. Ms. N.Kovtun was deputied to the Municipal Project Coordinator in Halych. She talked about the work plans for the nearest future, and introduced the office premises of the MSU where she promised all necessary kind of assistance and guidance for the local communities will be available.
Having learned the information about instruments and methods of MSDP, Mr. S.Leochko, the deputy of the Halytska Rayon Council, said, “Thank you for the interesting information about the history of social mobilisation and its usage in urban context. The only thing I can claim is that this idea is not new for Ukraine. The self-help approach has deep roots in Ukrainian history. Remember the saying “A thread per everybody – a shirt for a poor man”. There will be no state until the community realises its power and organises itself. We have to understand that we will work for our own well-being”.
