Northern mayors met counterparts from Ukrainian cities as part of a two-day summit in Greater Manchester focused on resilience, emergency response and the practical experiences of managing cities through sustained crisis.
The Ukrainian delegation included Mayor of Bucha Anatoliy Fedoruk, Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi and other senior officials, who shared their first?hand experience of governing and maintaining essential services under sustained attack and disruption.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and other UK regional mayors also discussed what practical support they could provide to their Ukrainian counterparts, building on the relationships that have been established through the UNBROKEN Cities Network. The Network is a global partnership founded by the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram following a request from Mayor Sadovyi to support UNBROKEN – a national rehabilitation programme to help Ukraine recover from the trauma of war.
The event provided UK resilience partners, including emergency services, national government and local authorities, with direct insight from Ukrainian cities that have had to keep transport, utilities, healthcare, schools and emergency services running during a prolonged period of crisis.
Psychological resilience was of particular focus over the two days, with discussions around mental health support for communities and veterans, and the importance of cultural events.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“It was a privilege to welcome Mayor Sadvoyi, Mayor Fedoruk and their colleagues to Greater Manchester to share leadership experience, strengthen relationships and identify new opportunities for collaboration.
“The UNBROKEN Cities Network is about cities standing shoulder to shoulder and translating solidarity into meaningful support, and we are incredibly proud to be a founding member alongside Liverpool City Region.”
Acting Chief Resilience Officer of Greater Manchester, Chris Highton, said:
“Ukrainian cities have had to adapt, innovate and lead under conditions that we hope to never face in Greater Manchester, but from which we can learn a lot.
“The opportunity to hear from mayors and senior officials first-hand about how they have kept their cities and essential services running during a sustained period of crisis has been invaluable.
“As a city region, we look forward to continuing this work through the UNBROKEN Cities Network, to build safe and strong communities for all our people and places.”
Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, said:
“Ukrainian cities are living through constant uncertainty and threat, but at the same time we are building a unique experience of resilience. It is important for us not only to endure, but to share this experience with partners, so that together we are better prepared for any crisis.
“Cooperation through the UNBROKEN Cities Network is about trust, mutual learning and finding joint solutions. Strong partnerships between cities are the foundation of a safer and more resilient Europe.”
The learning from the visit will feed into Greater Manchester’s ongoing resilience work and emergency planning, helping to build safe, strong and prepared communities across the city region.
Photo: Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi (centre), with Northern mayors (left to right) Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin; Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram; Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham; and Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard.
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