Published 20 March 2023
News from SALAR International
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Four Takeaways From the World Urban Forum in Cairo
World Urban Forum 12 brought together leaders, innovators and advocates to focus on local actions that can drive sustainable urban development globally.
It has now been two weeks since it took place in Cairo, Egypt and there has been time to reflect on the fruitful discussions and dialogues that SALAR International were part of.
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Local Self-governments Can Make a Significant Contribution to Preventing Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women
On November 6, the conference “Gender-Responsible Local Governments: Local Approaches and Development Strategies in Service of Preventing Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women.” took place in Jahorina, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The event highlighted the vital role local self-governments play in addressing domestic violence and violence against women, fostering collaboration and innovative solutions at the municipal level.
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Armenian Municipalities are ready to have a faster pace towards decentralisation
During a visit to Armenia in October, the SALAR International team met with partner municipalities to get insights about the country’s decentralisation reform process and how to best support them moving forward.
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SALAR International at the World Urban Forum
4-6 November the World Urban Forum is taking place in Cairo, Egypt. SALAR International will participate and through different dialogue and networking sessions, we will emphasize local governments’ roles in urban resilience and sustainable urban development.
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A new Swedish-Ukrainian multi-year initiative ‘WM4U- Waste Management for Ukraine ’ has been launched in Ukraine
On October 11, 2024, the new Swedish-Ukrainian multi-year initiative ‘ WM4U – Waste Management for Ukraine’ was officially launched, aimed at supporting Ukraine´s reforms – and adaptation to EU standards - of municipal waste management. The event in Kyiv brought together Ukrainian and Swedish officials, municipal leaders, local government associations, experts, and representatives of various international aid programs.
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Study Visit on Circular Economy in Gothenburg
Gothenburg city has an ambitious plan to become sustainable, which includes a goal to become climate neutral by 2030. To make this happen they are forced to make the economy circular and the visitors from Serbia are learning how during a study visit in September.
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Polaris Programme Launched in Ukraine to Strengthen Decentralisation and Multilevel Governance
On October 3, 2024, SALAR International officially launched the Polaris Programme, aimed at supporting Ukraine's multilevel governance, decentralisation, and recovery from 2024 to 2028. The event in Kyiv brought together Ukrainian and Swedish officials, municipal leaders, local government associations, experts, and representatives of various international aid programs.
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Dialogue Enables New Revenues in Kasumbalesa
To improve local transport and activate an unclear taxation system, the Mayor of the municipality Kasumbalesa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) decided to open for direct dialogue with key stakeholders. It had a surprisingly positive effect.
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Municipalities from North Macedonia Gain Insights from Swedish Experiences in Sustainable Waste Management
6 pilot municipalities from South-west and Pelagonija regions of North Macedonia discuss collaborative waste management initiatives during a study visit to Sweden, organised by SALAR International.
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Sida, Avfall Sverige and SALAR sign agreement on new programme to support municipal waste management in Ukraine
Sida, Avfall Sverige and SALAR have signed an agreement for implementing the programme Strengthening of Municipal Waste Management in Ukraine (2024–2027), representing a long-term initiative aimed at helping to transform municipal waste management in Ukraine and adapt to EU standards. The programme amounts to SEK 160 million and will be implemented by SALAR International and Avfall Sverige.
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SALAR International strengthens collaboration with official partners in Iraq
During late May 2024, SALAR International paid a visit to official partners in south and central Iraq to follow-up on project progress and reenforce working relations with new leaders and high officials after the local elections.
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Sida and SALAR Sign Agreement on New Programme to Support Democracy, Decentralisation and Recovery in Ukraine
Building on the previous impactful projects of SALAR International in Ukraine, SALAR and Sida have agreed revamp cooperation and to launch a new programme for development in Ukraine. The new programme, initially funded by 250 million SEK from Sida, will span the period of 2024-2028 and aims to further Ukrainian efforts to decentralise, strengthen municipalities, and support the work with recovery.
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Best Practices and Opportunities in Reconstruction and Recovery Discussed at “Rethinking Cities in Ukraine” Conference
During the conference in Stockholm on the 29th of April, 5 frontline municipalities from Ukraine showcased their reconstruction projects developed in the “Rethinking Cities for Ukraine” programme. Stakeholders, government representatives and partners also shared opportunities for funding and valuable insight in the reconstruction work and urban development in Ukraine.
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Improving local governance in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
As part of his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in April, SALAR International Managing Director, Ryan Knox, attended a conference on „Guaranteeing local autonomy in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina through compliance with the standards of the European Charter of Local Self-Government“ in Sarajevo.
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Orienteering promotes peaceful cohabitation in Lebanon
On 20-21 April, 250 participants gathered in the Jurd al-Qayteh area in Akkar, Lebanon, for the SALAR International organized orienteering weekend. The orienteering weekend was organized within the SALAR International Reslog project aiming to support local governments in Lebanon to become more resilient in times of migration related challenges.
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Project PROSTO Final Conference "Service Accessibility in Ukraine: Key developments and challenges"
On March 21, more than 100 heads of Administrative Service Centers (ASCs), representatives of ministries, local self-government associations, and the expert community met in Kyiv at the final conference of the PROSTO project, financed by Sida and implemented by SALAR International in 2021-2024. The aim was to discuss the key developments and challenges in Service Accessibility.
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SALAR International Visits Ukraine to Collaborate on Municipal Recovery
SALAR International team visited Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv regions and held several meetings in Kyiv in March to discuss current needs for development and recovery.
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Studyvisit from Türkiye focusing on integration
On March 4-8, a representative of the Ҫukurova Regional Union of municipalities and representatives of 6 Turkish municipalities participated in a study visit with the aim of being introduced to Swedish experiences of working with integration of refugees.
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Vehicles enabling service provision to citizens in remote areas
During 2023-2024, the SALAR International PROSTO project delivered 10 vehicles with equipment to war-affected hromadas in different regions of Ukraine. Mykhailo-Lukashivska hromada of Zaporizhzhya oblast is the latest to receive a vehicle and equipment to provide services to residents in the frame of 7th round crisis support.
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Municipalities in North Macedonia adopt Local Action Plans for Waste Management – a step towards Integrated Waste Management System
14 partner municipalities of the Pelagonija and Southwest regions of Republic of North Macedonia have successfully developed and endorsed their Waste Management Local Action Plans (LAPs). These plans, supported through SALAR International with financial support from Sida, signify a collective commitment to improving waste management practices in North Macedonia.
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Roadmap to recovery for earthquake-affected municipalities in Türkiye
As a response to the February 6th Earthquakes in Türkiye 2023, SALAR International is launching Roadmap to recovery, aiming to help municipalities do evidence based, inclusive and participatory assessment and prioritization of needs regarding recovery.
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Municipal Forum to raise local governments voices in the Armenian decentralisation reform
On February 7, 2024, representatives from 35 Armenian municipalities, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports gathered in Yerevan for the first Municipal Forum in Armenia, organised and facilitated within the framework of the SALAR International DeaLoG project.
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Youth at centre stage in the Marmara Urban Forum, Istanbul
In early October 2023, the Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU), organised the international conference ‘Marmara Urban Forum’ – MARUF. This brought together hundreds of speakers and panelists from 45 countries, engaging in over 150 sessions on a wide range of areas related to urban development and sustainability.
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Delegation from the Republic of North Macedonia visit Sweden
On October 23-27 SALAR International had the honor to host a delegation from the Republic of North Macedonia visiting Sweden.
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Gender equality conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
On October 12, the conference "Local approaches in prevention and response to domestic violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina" took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Apply to the second cohort of Leadership for Transformative Change
Leaders from across the world will in 2024 be offered a unique opportunity to join a leadership programme for societal transformation. Cohort 2 is now open for applications.
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Ryan Knox visits Colombia and the FOINCIDE Project
Ryan Knox, Managing Director at SALAR International, visited Colombia to follow up on the work of the FOINCIDE Project and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an important Colombian partner for the peace-accord implementation, the Agency for the Renovation of Territory (ART)
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Local governance support project AGIR officially launched in DRC
On September 19-21 participants from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sweden gathered in Lubumbashi, the provincial capital of Haut Katanga for the official launch of the Sida-financed project, Support to inclusive and accountable governance in the DRC (AGIR).
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RESLOG: Lebanese representatives visit Sweden to study citizen dialogue, crisis preparedness and business development.
In September 2023, SALAR International´s local RESLOG team in Lebanon and two representatives from project partners participated in a study visit to SALAR and its member municipalities. The themes for the study visit was citizen dialogue, crisis preparedness and business development with a focus on the tourism industry.
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RESLOG: National Conference, Community First Responders for Forest Fires & Crisis Response in Lebanon
On August 17–18, the National Conference Community First Responders for Forest Fires & Crisis Response took place at the Training Center of the Lebanese Red Cross in Jounieh, Lebanon. The conference hosted by SALAR International united visionary partners to elevate community First Responders in the presence of H.E. Dr. Nasser Yassine, the Minister of Environment in Lebanon.
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PROSTO: vehicles and equipment transferred to five hromadas in Ukraine
On June 13, the Swedish-Ukrainian Project PROSTO "Support to Services Accessability in Ukraine" transferred vehicles and equipment to five liberated and war-affected hromadas to provide services to residents through a "mobile Administrative Service Centres" model.
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Swedish and Ukrainian municipalities meet to establish new partnerships
On June 19-20 the Swedish-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Forum took place north of Stockholm. 11 Ukrainian municipalities met with 11 Swedish municipalities to explore future cooperation in the format of bilateral partnerships.
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PROSTO: Conference ‘On the Road to Recovery: Support for liberated hromadas’ in Kyiv
On June 15 more than hundred heads and deputy heads of liberated and affected municipalities of Ukraine gathered in Kyiv for a Conference arranged by SALAR International.
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Ukrainian and Swedish municipalities in meeting about partnership
On June 19-20, representatives from Ukrainian and Swedish municipalities meet in Stockholm to discuss future partnerships.
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Launch conference ‘Sustainable Municipal Waste Management Services in North Macedonia’
On the 5th of June, the launch conference for the implementation phase for the four year project ‘Sustainable Municipal Waste Management Services in North Macedonia’ was held in Skopje.
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Project PROSTO: 55 Ukrainian municipalities and associations receive vital equipment
55 Ukrainian municipalities and their associations will receive equipment from SALAR International's project PROSTO. The equipment will help restore service delivery and enhance Administrative Service Centers (ASCs) for citizens' easier access to administrative services.
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Turkish Representatives visit Sweden to study refugee reception and social cohesion
Two representatives from SALAR's sister organizations in Türkiye visited Sweden from May 8-12 to study SALAR's and its member municipalities' work on refugee reception and social cohesion.
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"Never-Ending Drama: Turkey at 100" - a book by journalist Bitte Hammargren and photographer Stefan Bladh
The refugee crisis is a complex and ongoing issue that has affected millions of people worldwide. In an effort to shed light on this pressing matter in Türkiye, journalist Bitte Hammargren and photographer Stefan Bladh have collaborated on a book titled "Never-Ending Drama: Turkey at 100".
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SALAR International visits earthquake-affected areas in Southeast Türkiye to plan for recovery
SALAR International visited Southeast Türkiye which is heavily affected by two massive earthquakes in February 2023, to offer condolences, show solidarity, and plan for future recovery support to municipalities directly impacted by the earthquake as well as by internal displacement.
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Colombian civil servants learning Citizen Dialogue and Participation methods
On 21-21 February SALAR International conducted a three-day training workshop on citizen dialogue and participation in Montería, Colombia. The target audience of the workshop consisted of 40 civil servants working in seven post-conflict municipalities affected by the armed conflict in Colombia.
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SALAR International intensifies its support to Ukraine
A year ago, on 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. SALAR International has, since the invasion, intensified support to hundreds of municipalities and their associations in Ukraine.
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Urban development project in Tunisia becomes reality
Many cities in Tunisia struggle with lack of green areas and common public spaces. SALAR International’s SymbioCity project in the municipality of El Mourouj, Tunisia, has resulted in a parc development plan, which is now being realized.
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Apply to the Leadership programme for societal transformation
Twenty leaders from across the world will in 2023 be offered a unique opportunity to join a leadership programme for societal transformation.
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Solidarity with the Turkish and Syrian people
SALAR International would like to express sympathy and solidarity with the Turkish and Syrian people, our partners (the Turkish Municipal Union UMT, the Regional Municipal Unions of Marmara (MMU) and Çukurova (CMU)) and especially to those who were affected by the deadly earthquake that affected Türkiye and Syria.
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SALAR International visits regions of Ukraine to deliver IT equipment and discuss recovery with partner municipalities
During 26 January – 3 February 2023, a team from SALAR International visited Ukraine to monitor the delivery of essential equipment to municipalities impacted by the ongoing conflict, and to consider how to deepen support to partner municipalities, to ensure they can engage in the recovery and reconstruction efforts in the country, going forward.
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Increased resilience in local governance creates hope in Lebanon
SALAR International works globally to promote and strengthen local and regional self-governance and resilience. The Reslog Project is a part of Sweden’s response to the Syria Crisis and aims to strengthen the capacity of local government actors by increasing resilience in accordance with the principles of peacefulness, co-habitation and inclusiveness in Türkiye and Lebanon.
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Call for tender for delivery and installation of IT equipment in Ukraine
SALAR International invites interested tenderers to submit a tender proposal for delivery and installation of IT equipment and software for hromadas and their ASCs (Administration Services Centres) to ensure stable service provision at local level.
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Mapping multiple factors shaping the future of governance in Iraq
In October 2021 parliamentary elections were organized in Iraq, but still the most urgent and structural problems remain unresolved. In the past year, SALAR International has issued two reports elaborating on the most pertinent underlying reasons for the current situation.
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SALAR International support to decentralisation dialogue, Liberia
On Friday 10 November SALAR International hosted a study visit from Liberia and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA).
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Syrians in Turkey – Cohabitation under increasing stress
What is it like to live as a refugee in Türkiye today under the current conditions? What do Turkish neighbors think and how do municipal politicians handle the situation?