The Ukraine Reform Conference in Toronto has started on July 2, 2019. The event, organized jointly by Canada and Ukraine, brought together politicians, experts, representatives of international community, local self-government of Ukraine, private and public sector, for dialogue on reforms and support for democratic future of Ukraine. The main themes of Ukraine Reform Conference in Toronto are decentralization, infrastructure, deregulation, e-governance, healthcare, social issues, administrative sernices, trade, and energy efficiency. The all-round dialogue on reforms in Ukraine is based on Ukraine's development after the Euromaidan revolution of 2014.

Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralization Support Project DESPRO became part of the Ukrainian delegation together with experts, ministers and representatives of ministries, local self-government, embassies, donor projects, and the President of Ukraine. DESPRO project, represented by Oksana Garnets, Senior Project Manager in Ukraine, has invited 3 starostas to attend the Ukraine Reform Conference in Toronto. The 3 female starostas represent a new position in Ukrainian local self-government, and they are Tamara Kirian of Hlobynska amalgamated community of Poltava oblast, Olena Kinash of Solonianska ATC of Dnipropetrovsk oblast, and Iryna Nedobuga of Komysh-Zorianska ATC of Zaporizhzha oblast.

Pushing the spotlight on the representatives of a new generation of Ukrainian local self-government is especially topical at a conference which had decentralization proclaimed as one of the most successful reforms in Ukraine. Decentralization became a topic of the "Integrity, inclusivity and governance in Ukraine" panel discussion, and also starosta Iryna Nedobuga appeared live at Reformer Studio, broadcasting the key topics of the conference.

Ukrainian delegation stays in Toronto until July 4, 2019. More details about the event is on its facebook page

Follow the DESPRO facebook page to know more about the project's participation at Ukraine Reform Conference.