Ilona Havronska: Diaspora Alliance for Recovery of Ukraine unites representatives from 16 countries
On September 22, the co-chairs of the Diaspora Alliance for Recovery of Ukraine — a global platform for cooperation between the state, the Ukrainian diaspora, and international partners in support of Ukraine's recovery — held a meeting. During the meeting, Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity Ilona Havronska welcomed the Alliance's new co-chairs and called for stronger cooperation to support Ukraine's recovery.
"Regardless of whether people plan to return or continue living abroad, they can contribute to the recovery and development of Ukraine and join our shared Ukrainian and European future. The Diaspora Alliance makes it possible to combine efforts and work together on concrete solutions to strengthen this contribution," said Ilona Havronska, who also serves as co-chair of the Alliance.
According to her, the Alliance currently brings together 38 members and 10 partners from 16 countries — Ukraine, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, Estonia, Slovakia, Romania, and Slovenia.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that the Alliance's areas of work directly align with the strategic priorities of the Government of Ukraine. These include, in particular, human capital development, employment and entrepreneurship, support for private initiatives and investment, European integration, as well as the recovery and development of Ukrainian communities and regions. In these areas, the Alliance's thematic working groups can develop proposals for engaging the potential of the Ukrainian diaspora.
During the meeting, the new co-chairs of the Diaspora Alliance for Recovery of Ukraine were introduced — Jaroszlava Hartyányi, President of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations (WFUWO), and Myroslava Keryk, Head of the Ukrainian House (Poland). Participants also discussed the Alliance's progress and the outcomes of its work following the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026).
The event was also attended by Yaroslava Romanova, Head of Office for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and Post-Crisis Areas at Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Ylva Johansson, Special Envoy for Ukrainians in the EU.
For her part, Ms. Johansson emphasized the need to gradually shift the perception of Ukrainians in the EU — from that of forcibly displaced people to a capable Ukrainian diaspora that can be an active participant in Ukraine's recovery. She also highlighted the development of the network of Unity Hubs and the "Dodomu" ("Homeward") platform as important tools for engaging with Ukrainians abroad.
Following the meeting, participants outlined the Alliance's next steps, including preparations for its first in-person meeting and the definition of strategic priorities and a work plan for the thematic working groups for 2027.
Background
The Diaspora Alliance for Recovery of Ukraine was launched in 2025 following consultations organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the participation of more than forty diaspora organizations from Europe and North America, and was presented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 with support from the governments of Italy and Ukraine. The Alliance is intended to translate global solidarity into coordinated, concrete, and long-term support for Ukraine's recovery.