The annual UNDP partner network meeting was held in Lviv, bringing together 118 participants from 12 regions of Ukraine: representatives of The Working Group on Public Safety and Recovery, non-governmental organizations, recovery offices, and community development experts.
The participants discussed the year's achievements, exchanged best practices, analyzed challenges, and identified ways to implement a systemic programmatic approach to community recovery.
The Kherson region was represented by communities where The Working Group on Public Safety and Recovery operates. In particular, representatives from the Stanislav, Bilozerka, Novovorontsovka, Vysokopillia, and Kochubeivka communities took part. This was an important step in strengthening ties and partnerships between participants and promoting initiatives to strengthen public safety and recovery.
Yuriy Antoshchuk, coordinator of the network of The Working Group on Public Safety and Recovery in the Kherson region, presented to participants from other regions the achievements of the network for the year and also told about the conditions in which partners have to work on the ground: under constant shelling, drone drops and mining of settlements by Russian troops.
.jpg)
The meeting also became a platform for presenting the new UNDP programming document for Ukraine for 2025–2029. UNDP representatives, in particular Federica Dispenza, the head of the Community Security and Recovery Component, emphasized the importance of a programmatic approach to recovery that ensures systematicity and long-term impact.
The key topics of the event were:
- development of local policies for integrated management;
- support for youth and veterans in recovery processes;
- innovative approaches to strengthening social ties;
- gender-transformative approaches to recovery.
Participants noted that such meetings are essential in establishing horizontal ties between communities, creating a platform for exchanging experiences, and supporting joint initiatives.
The “Union” Foundation continues to work towards public safety in the Kherson region and, in the future, with the support of international partners, will help the region's deoccupied communities systematically implement the necessary changes on the path to recovery.
Photo: Artem Getman / UNDP in Ukraine