The Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts are powerful drivers of local self-government reform. These oblasts are a role model, since they work in difficult conditions, and their results are better than those of certain regions operating in more comfortable conditions.

Vyacheslav Nehoda, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories, said this during the Forum “UN RPP for Reforms in Eastern Ukraine” held in Svyatohorsk. The event, organised by the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, brought together more than one hundred representatives of local self-government and executive authorities of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, international technical assistance projects.

“Despite the military aggression, the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts have actually made a huge breakthrough in the implementation of decentralisation. So I always hold them up as an example to other oblasts that work in much better conditions, but for some reason less productively. We see here the desire of people to change themselves and change the environment in which they live, we see their tremendous responsibility. This is important not only for these oblasts, but for the whole Ukraine. The changes that take place here, including in amalgamated hromadas, show everyone that there is nothing impossible for a wiling heart. So yesterday I visited Kramatorsk and was pleasantly surprised by the good roads. And this is one of the results of the reform. Decentralisation has contributed to the growth of hromada development budgets, state support for project implementation and activation of local initiatives,” Vyacheslav Nehoda said.

He expressed support for amalgamated hromadas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, which have been waiting for the CEC to announce the first local elections for years.

Vyacheslav Negoda thanked the UN RPP for comprehensive support of hromadas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, noting the qualitative results of the Programme's participation in the development of hromadas’ territories.

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