International Mayors Summit Started in Kyiv

The International Mayors Summit, organized by the Western NIS Enterprise Fund, kicks off in Kyiv. More than 150 Ukrainian mayors and local government leaders from eight countries gathered to share their experience in introducing innovations.

The two-day Summit work program offers a variety of formats: speeches of the world-renowned experts, workshops, innovative start-up presentations, Deloitte city progress index, panel discussions, informal meetings and visits to innovative sites. Special panels will focus on urban inclusion and the interaction between cities and business. The representatives of Canada, Israel, Slovakia, Argentina, Sweden, Great Britain and Poland are invited as speakers. The Netherlands are the centerpiece of the Summit with StartupAmsterdam as its official partner (in charge of Amsterdam city development) and Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands as the honorary guest.

“Strong countries originate from strong communities, therefore the Fund’s first priority is to support the local agents of change, ready to transform the lives of the Ukrainians,” said Jaroslawa Johnson, President and CEO of the Western NIS Enterprise Fund. “That is why we return with a Mayors Summit: it allows us to share experiences, present best practices in urban development, and involve citizens to innovative processes.”

The participating Mayors are expected to sign the Manifest on cooperation and interaction in the development of innovations.  The first one to sign was Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kyiv.

More than 150 Ukrainian mayors attending the event as speakers and guests will have a chance to join signing the Manifest by the end of the summit. After this, the text of the Manifest will be posted at the IMS website where any mayor will be able to sign it online. This document is aimed to inspire Ukrainian mayors to innovate and collaborate with tech startups, business, creative industries and artistic groups.

All the Summit discussions focus on the innovations in technology, infrastructure, policy, culture, and tourism. Together with the Ukrainian innovators and our Amsterdam partner Ruben Nieuwenhuis from StartupAmsterdam we will show how innovation can improve urban life today.

“In a world with two and a half million cities, Ukrainian cities should win rightful positions, – notes Iryna Ozymok, founder of the Summit and Local Economic Development Program Manager at Western NIS Enterprise Fund. – To achieve this objective, we strive to create a platform for the continuous interaction within the Ukrainian mayors’ community along with the best global experts.”

The International Mayors Summit is held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Ukraine with the support of the Kyiv City Mayor and the Association of Ukrainian Cities. The exclusive partner of the Summit is VISA. The general partner is DataGroup. Partners of the Summit: Deloitte Ukraine, Association of Ukrainian Cities, Association “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine” (EECU), the international technical assistance project “Partnership for Urban Development” (PROMIS project), GIZ project on integrated urban development.