MAYOR OF MARIUPOL DISCUSSED RESTORATION OF DE-OCCUPIED COMMUNITIES IN UKRAINE WITH SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Vadym Boichenko, Head of the Section for the Development of Temporarily Occupied and De-occupied Communities of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Mayor of Mariupol, Marija Pejčinović-Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Dominika Hasler, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, discussed the challenges facing the war-affected Ukrainian communities. In particular, the parties discussed the revival plan - Mariupol Reborn.
Оne of the key requests from Ukrainian communities affected by the full-scale invasion is to obtain expertise on further recovery steps. According to the Mayor of Mariupol, this is the reason why the Association of Ukrainian Cities has established the Section for the Development of De-occupied and Temporarily Occupied Communities, the main goal of which is to plan the reconstruction of Ukraine together.
We have to think about the restoration of Ukrainian communities today. This requires both expertise and people who can put this experience into practice. They will become modern managers of the country's reconstruction. This requires gaining some experience and creating a platform for communities to learn from. The Mariupol Reborn plan, specifically its educational component, the Academy, can become such a learning platform. The assistance of European society is particularly important on this path. That is why we are grateful for the attention to Ukraine and its reconstruction
Mariupol Reborn is not just a plan for rebuilding Mariupol after de-occupation, but also a clear step-by-step algorithm of actions for all communities that have been occupied or affected by the full-scale attack of russia. International experts, architects and urbanists are currently working on the document. They are studying the experience of European cities that have gone through the process of reconstruction after the Second World War.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe highlighted the large amount of work being done by Ukrainian communities. According to her, the formation of a personnel reserve of recovery managers is an important step towards rebuilding Ukraine. Ms. Marija Pejčinović-Burić also stressed the importance of support from the European community for the affected Ukrainian cities.
In addition, the parties discussed support for Mariupol residents through the I'Mariupol network of centres and plans to create social housing for internally displaced people based on Mariupol experience.
The Mariupol Reborn project is being implemented by the Mariupol City Council with the investment support of Rinat Akhmetov's SCM and international donors.
