Institutionally, the Municipalities of Cyprus have a very general competence for social issues, as provided for in article 84 of the Municipalities law.

The reform of the local Government is expected to establish more responsibilities to local Authorities in the social field.

Nevertheless, the Municipalities of Cyprus, as the closest institutions to the citizen, have been operating for decades now, many social programs, with only little financial support from the Government.

The Union of Cyprus Municipalities operates since 2010, a network for social issues, a seven membered committee, aiming at the active involvement of Municipalities in the social matters in Cyprus.

As a Union, we participate in many Governmental committees and we are invited in various sessions of public services on social issues, such as the institution of demographic and family policy, the Crime Council, the committee of Elderly Protection Centers and the Advisory Committee on Family Violence. Other social issues that the Union of Cyprus Municipalities deals with, are human trafficking, sexual abuse of children, addictions, unemployment, hardship of the disabled, school boards etc.

We also cooperate with the Union of Cyprus Communities supporting the position that local Authorities can better and more timely solve social problems and meet social needs that aim in caring and prevention.  As long as the local Authorities are offered the necessary financial resources from the Government, on a permanent basis, they can create better infrastructure for their social programmes to operate without any problems.