On 9 May, the DESPRO Project participated in the Round Table "Pressing Matters in the Area of Development of Cooperation and Mechanisms for Lobbying Interests of Local Self-Government in the State Government Bodies". 

The event was carried out by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on State Construction, Regional Policy and Local Self-government under auspices of the DESPRO Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralisation Support Project in Ukraine and the "Local Self-Government and Rule of Law in Ukraine" Project of the Folke Bernadotte Academy. 

Now, the increase of community capability is one of the main priorities in the implementation of decentralisation and local self-government reform. Often, it is required to establish cooperation with neighbouring communities to address common issues. For instance, to apply the instrument of an inter-municipal agreement and arrange, in such a manner, for the provision of a service needed by all participating communities: arranging for efficient solid waste management, opening of the Administrative Service Centre, improvement of water supply and sanitation systems, etc. 

Such cooperation shall take place in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Cooperation of Territorial Communities". The Committee analyzes the law application practice in a consistent manner. Also, it holds activities in regions - currently, in Odesa Oblast - to popularize opportunities and instruments of the new legislation, analyze the results of its implementation in Oblasts. Those very instruments were the subject of a professional discussion during the round table for sharing best cooperation practices among representatives of territorial communities. 

The DESPRO Project, as part of the conference, was presented by experts Viacheslav Sorokovsky and Oleksandr Vrublevskyi. 

- It is not the first round table of this kind that is arranged for the DESPRO Project jointly with the Committee, in particular, in regions. It is important that, within the framework of such discussions, there is a possibility both to demonstrate success histories of community amalgamation to address common issues and receive feedback from communities with respect to challenges arising in the establishment of cooperation. 

In this regard, speech of the Chairman of the Avanhardivska ATC was very interesting. He presented the experience of cooperation with a neighbouring community, which cooperation resulted, in the long run, in the amalgamation of two communities. Now, the residents of Avanhard are planning to apply cooperation in such areas of public services as the establishment of a kindergarten and the Centre of Public Security, including even a Fire and Rescue Service. Also, the Administrative Service Centre will soon start to issue biometric passports. In Avanhard, they plan to expand the service to neighbouring communities on the cooperation terms, expert of the DESPRO Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralisation Support Project in Ukraine Viacheslav Sorokovsky told. 

- Poltava Oblast also had an opportunity to present its successful experience in the area of community cooperation: a representative of the executive committee of the Oblast Council made clear how the Oblast authorities may ensure target support to initiatives of communities in the area of cooperation, in particular, through co-financing of projects implementation. We are very glad that the DESPRO Project worked in Poltava Oblast in due time exactly on the project related to that topic. In spite of visible movement in the direction of establishing partnership relations between territorial communities, the dynamics of such cooperation has not yet achieved desired rates in Ukraine. The need for similar events remains to be significant, which events are related to sharing best practices of implementation of the Law "On Cooperation of Territorial Communities" in regions. Therefore, the DESPRO Project, in partnership with the Committee, will hold a workshop on that topic in Odesa Oblast and will continue to support the development of this direction of the reform, the expert noted.