Background:

As of February 2020, COVID-19 has become a global threat and South-East Europe (SEE) was no exception. The local governments throughout the region faced numerous challenges in meeting the emergency needs and protecting community health and wellbeing during the pandemic. What started as a health crisis turned into the biggest economic recession since the World War II, with severe and long-lasting consequences.

SEE local governments have been and will certainly remain at the forefront in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic social and economic crisis. Their challenges need to be listened to and understood, and they must be supported to address these challenges in the most effective and efficient manner.

In its commitment to empower local governments to successfully plan and implement post COVID-19 socio-economic recovery strategies, under the auspices of NALAS President Emanuil Manolov and NAMRB, NALAS is organising the Online Mayors’ Conference: South-East European Local Governments in post COVID-19 Socio-Economic Recovery.

Date: 16 September 2020, Wednesday

Time: 13:00-15:40 CET (14:00-16:40 Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova)

Language: English language

The conference will bring together Mayors and municipal experts from South-East Europe and NALAS member LGAs.

Overal Objective: Local governments of South-East Europe are empowered to successfully plan and implement post COVID-19 socio-economic recovery strategies

Specific Objectives:

• Exchange on the impact of COVID-19 crisis on local governments
• Exchange on the local socio-economic recovery strategies
• Learning from the best municipal practices in dealing with the crisis and its consequences
• Identifying policy positions of the local governments of South-East Europe for successful socio-economic recovery

Panel 1: Community mobilisation in dealing with COVID-19

Good municipal practices by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey – ‘Pay It Forward’ Campaign and Colibashi, Moldova -Mobilisation of diaspora and upscaling the local brand “With love from Colibasi”.

Panel 2: Improving access and opportunities

Good municipal practices by Kocevje, Slovenia – support to disadvantaged children to attend online schooling and Podgorica, Montenegro – digitalisation of municipal services.

Panel 3: Support to local economy

Good municipal practices by Ciugud, Romania – Online platform for offering domestic products and Slatina, Croatia – Free consulting services for entrepreneurs.

During the conference, NALAS will also present the findings of the Survey on the Social and Economic Recovery of the local level in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic and endorse policy positions of the local governments of South-East Europe for successful recovery.

Agenda-online conference-SEE Local Governments in post COVID-19 Socio-Economic Recovery

For participating in the conference, please register on the following LINK.