Topical Information

In connection with the invitation sent by the Permanent Secretariat of the Balkan City Network B40 (Balkan City Network B40) for membership of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NSORB), the Board of the NSORB adopted a decision to take steps to acquire observer status .

Observer status is granted to local associations from the Balkan region, local authorities located outside the Balkan region with a population of at least 500,000 people, as well as international bodies and networks working in accordance with the objectives of the B40 Network. It gives the right to official attendance at the meetings of the General Assembly or working groups, without the right to vote.

The B40 network is an organization working to improve and expand cooperation between the cities of the Balkan region through dialogue and shared values. It was created based on the experience of international initiatives such as C40, G20, G7, and the ambition is to cover at least 100 cities in the Balkans.

NSORB and the B40 Network have been actively cooperating since its inception in 2021, when, on the initiative of the Mayor of the Greater Istanbul Municipality, Ekrem Imamoglu, the declaration for the establishment of the organization was signed, and the Mayor of the Municipality of Kardzhali was among the 23 founders.

In December 2021, the management of NSORB held a working meeting with the mayor of Istanbul, at which it was agreed to include other Bulgarian municipalities in the work of the Network. As a result of the efforts of the Association and with the hosting of the mayor of the Sofia municipality, on June 28, 2022 in Sofia, 10 more Bulgarian municipalities officially joined the organization.

To date, 14 Bulgarian municipalities are full members of the network: Belica, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Dimitrovgrad, Karlovo, Karnobat, Kardjali, Plovdiv, Rakovski, Svilengrad, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Stolichna Municipality and Troyan. Another 11 Bulgarian municipalities have submitted their applications.

The aim of the B40 Network is to encourage cities in the Balkan region to create partnerships to address global challenges and exchange good practices and expertise for:

creating sustainable and environmentally friendly cities that contribute to a sustainable future for their residents;

implementing inclusive and democratic models and governance that benefit all people living in local communities;

improving the quality of life through the use of smart technologies and data analysis;

promoting the growth and prosperity of the local economy;

support for the preservation and promotion of the diverse cultural heritage and values ​​in the region.