On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development the Service Agency (SKEW) has been supporting the network of already 250 formal and informal municipal partnerships since 2015 as part of the project „Municipal Partnerships with Ukraine“. This support includes various networking, consulting and promotion activities.
The SKEW receives assistance from our project specialists implanted at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Ukraine to consult and accompany the Ukrainian municipalities in designing their cooperation with German partner municipalities. It also consolidates the municipal expertise of municipalities and German partners in the municipal policy in Ukraine, which includes such topics as energy efficiency, sustainable urban development and good local governance.
Solidarity Partnerships
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 we have been receiving numerous requests from German municipalities expressing their solidarity and willing to support Ukraine through municipal partnerships. To make it happen, we make strong efforts to arrange informal solidarity partnerships between German and Ukrainian municipalities for ensuring targeted and need-tailored support.
The term „solidarity partnerships“ is considered as an umbrella term for the municipal partnerships arising due to the war – irrespectively of whether they are agreed on a formal basis with the signing of a partnership agreement or pose an informal connection between the parties.
Follow-up and support from the very beginning
The proposed support package „Solidarity Partnerships with Ukraine“ enables Ukrainian and German cities and municipalities to network with each other and to jointly implement the acutely needed support. The project specialists accompany the municipalities at their request at all stages from the very beginning. The following support measures are available:
- If possible and if needed: identification of a suitable municipality in Germany or Ukraine and assistance in establishing contacts;
- Support in contacting the responsible representatives of a municipality;
- Support in arranging and implementing a networking (online) exchange supported by interpreters to get to know each other and to agree on needs and opportunities for the future cooperation;
- Advisory support concerning the opportunities of municipal partnerships, especially during the war, as well as support packages from Engagement Global and the Service Agency Communities in One World;
- Admission of German municipalities and their Ukrainian partners into the well-established network of German-Ukrainian partnerships that can utilize numerous networking, consulting and support tools.
Kick-off and delegation visits
By promoting kick-off and delegation visits we offer German-Ukrainian partnerships the opportunity to get to know each other better and to develop project ideas. In this way municipalities can develop practical solutions for cooperation, respond to specific needs and express their friendship and solidarity, especially in such a challenging time. Up to five representatives of the respective applicant can visit their partner municipality for up to five days. Please note: a German municipality interested to gain support for a kick-off and delegation visit is recommended to contact us at least six weeks in advance.
