VIII Eurasia Local and Regional Governments Congress - Day 1

Today, June 24, 2021, the first day of the VIII Eurasia Local and Regional Governments Congress was held, organized by the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) together with the Eurasia section of the United Cities and Local Governments World Organization. The event brought together about 250 representatives of local and regional governments from 56 cities in 16 countries, as well as experts from organizations such as the WHO (World Health Organization), the Asian Forum of Mayors and the Union of Municipalities of Azerbaijan. For the first time, the congress was held in a hybrid format, representatives of local and regional authorities took part in person and online.

The first day of the congress began with an opening ceremony with the participation of honored guests with a welcoming speech.

The Congress was opened by the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Vice President of UCLG Aisen Nikolaev. “The period of the pandemic turned out to be extremely difficult, but at the same time it became a time of solidarity and partnership for us. We manage to overcome the most difficult times by joining forces and supporting each other. That is why it is very important, despite all the obstacles, to continue the dialogue and find new forms of interaction,” said Aisen Nikolaev.

“Lessons learned from the pandemic highlight the need to empower local authorities with sufficient local authority, as well as participation in decision-making at the national and global levels, so that the experience of local authorities contributes to a more effective recovery,” emphasized Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of the city Kazan, Chairman of the UN Advisory Committee on Local Self-Government, President of the Eurasia regional section of UCLG, who spoke next.

Emilia Size, Secretary General of UCLG, also delivered a welcoming speech, noting that a dialogue of a new format is starting, which focuses on territories and cities, as well as their recovery after COVID-19.

The meetings of the congress are united under the common theme "Healthy Dialogue for Sustainable Development". The plenary session of the same name brought together representatives of local, regional and national governments to discuss cooperation in the healthcare sector. The speakers of the session were Melita Vujnovich (Special Representative of the World Health Organization in Russia), Olga Balabkina (Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)), Goshtasb Mozafar (Secretary General of the Asian Forum of Mayors) and Alexandra Ignatieva (General Director of the Union of Russian Cities).

“Strengthening the capacity to deliver health services to be able to respond to emergencies like we are currently in, prepare to mobilize resources for intensive care and resuscitation, ensure the continuity of essential health services to combat COVID-19,” noted the main points development of the healthcare sector in her report by Melita Vujnovic, Special Representative of the World Health Organization in Russia.

The key moment of the Congress was the General Assembly of the Eurasia regional section of UCLG. This is a meeting of the supreme governing body of the Eurasia section of UCLG, which meets once every three years and discusses internal statutory issues, such as a work plan, development strategy, and financial issues.

The results of activities were discussed on the agenda, plans for key programs and events were determined, and the leadership of the department for 2021-2024 was elected. During the General Assembly, discussions were held on the topics of involving local authorities in the process of preparing Voluntary National Reviews on the SDGs and expanding international cooperation between Eurasian cities. The General Assembly also supported the recommendations of the World Organization UCLG on expanding the participation of local authorities in the activities of the UN.

The Eurasia section continues to expand and new municipalities have joined the ranks of UCLG - the Municipal District "Gorny Ulus" of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Municipal National District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Municipal district "Suntarsky ulus (district)" of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Municipal district "Ust-Aldansky ulus (district)" of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Municipal district "Khangalassky ulus (district)" of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

The most important issue of the General Assembly was the election of the leadership of the Eurasia section. Ilsur Metshin was re-elected President, Elena Lapushkina Head of the Samara City District and Aisen Nikolaev Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) were elected Vice Presidents.

The Council includes the heads of such municipalities as Kazan, Nur-Sultan, Samara, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Comrat, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Perm, Tiraspol and Dnestrovsk, Ulan Bator, Krasnoyarsk, Bugulma, Bishkek, Novosibirsk, Neftekamsk, Rostov- on-Don, Ulyanovsk, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Grozny, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow and Dushanbe.

The next meeting of the Council was decided to be held in Daejeon, South Korea, in November 2022. This will allow to mobilize members of the organization both for participation in the World event and for participation in the regional statutory event.

24.06.2021

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