ICMA Belgium Global Exchange Series: Bruges, Belgium and Kopychyntsi, Ukraine Partnership

Bruges staff and the mayor of Kopychyntsi after signing the city-to-city partnership in Bruges.

In May of 2024, a group of ICMA members, many from ICMA's Global Engagement Committee, joined members of the ICMA Executive Board, ICMA staff, and other local government professionals, to travel to Belgium for an immersive global exchange in the cities of Bruges and Hasselt. The entire exchange covered an array of topics such as mobility, water management, cultural preservation, veteran reintegration, AI in local government, and more. The hands-on and diverse experiences provided by the exchange gave participants a whole new perspective on these topics and how they can be integrated into their own communities.

The following piece covers the city-to-city partnership between Bruges, Belgium, and Kopychyntsi, Ukraine, which was facilitated by ICMA and further strengthened during ICMA's study tour of Bruges, Belgium, where the mayor of Kopychyntsi was in attendance.

During the Bruges study tour, Bruges' support of Ukraine was front and center, as they hosted the mayor of Kopychyntsi along with the ICMA delegation and held space for the ICMA Veteran's Reintegration workshop for an all-Ukrainian delegation. Bruges has an existing city-to-city partnership with Kopychyntsi and continues to offer ongoing support to Ukraine in a variety of other ways.

Kopychyntsi is a city with around 15,000 inhabitants in western Ukraine and has become a refuge for many displaced Ukrainian residents. Since the Russian invasion, approximately 7,000 refugees have been sheltered in the city or neighboring municipalities. The municipal hospital of Kopychyntsi is located along the E85, an international route. Many Ukrainians rely on this hospital, which has 100 beds and serves approximately 65,000 people. The hospital aims to remain ready for a potential influx of wounded soldiers or civilians.

After meeting at the ICMA Annual Conference in September 2022, the city manager of Bruges and ICMA International Vice President Colin Beheydt, and the mayor of Kopychyntsi, Bogdan Kelichavyi, stayed in contact to discuss possible avenues for partnership between the cities. Kelichavyi reflected, "Colin organized an online meeting between our teams to assess our needs. Later, I visited Bruges, where I met Mayor Dirk De Fauw and other engaged citizens, which led to the signing of a partnership agreement. Since then, the city of Bruges has supported us in education, healthcare, and other areas. We have received one car, and two trucks filled with aid. Through this cooperation and exchange of experiences, both of our cities have grown, and we have strengthened the bonds between our countries. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and completing more projects in the future."

Two trucks of donated goods from Bruges to Kopychyntsi.

Stefaan Lambrecht, head of the strategic department in Bruges, outlined the mutual benefits of this ongoing relationship. "Through the relief effort, several connections have been established between the administration and leadership of both cities. It has also become clear that there are quite a few links between the operations and priority policy themes of both cities. The goal of this bilateral cooperation is to create an international connection between the two local communities to work toward peace, development, and the preservation and strengthening of local democracy. Bruges and Kopychyntsi have various experiences that can contribute to a mutually valuable exchange. Both cities have agreed on the following potential areas of cooperation:

• Exchange of experiences in political leadership within local democracy.
• Exchange of experiences in responding to emergencies.
• Exchange of experiences regarding humanitarian and refugee issues.
• Culture and youth work.
• Education and research.

The bilateral exchange will initially take place between the administrations and leadership of both cities but will also be extended to other partners and citizens where relevant."

New public coworking space in Kopychyntsi using donated laptops from Bruges. This space opened once blackouts in the city began, and the Bruges city manager spoke on screen to the Kopychyntsi community members that were present.

The gravity of the situation that Ukrainians are currently in is not lost on the people of Bruges. Lambrecht reflected that "such a partnership is exceptional, but as a city government, we also want to use this opportunity to confirm our solidarity, support, and connection with the Ukrainian community and local governments in Ukraine during this challenging time. Furthermore, over 600 displaced Ukrainians currently reside in our city. In this sense, the partnership can also be very meaningful in promoting integration and coexistence in Bruges and ensuring that any return to Ukraine after the war can proceed as smoothly as possible."

City-to-city partnerships like this are an invaluable resource to any local government, but especially for those local governments that are facing unimaginable disasters, either manmade or natural, on top of their basic obligation to serve their residents. Learn more about ICMA's CityLinks methodology for examples of city-to-city partnerships in action, and contact [email protected] for more information on how you can start your own partnership. Also learn about Ukraine's journey of resilience and ICMA's ongoing history with Ukraine.

<_o3a_p>

For more from ICMA's Belgium exchange, visit:

Bruges Study Tour

Ukrainian Veterans Reintegration Workshop

Exello.net Conference: Our World Is Changing Faster Than We Are

9th ICMA Europe Summit: AI in Local Government