Ministry for Communities and Territories Development and UNDP agree on joint actions for sustainable regional recovery

The Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine hosted a meeting with a delegation from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The parties were represented by Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, and Mr. Haoliang Xu, Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, who visited Ukraine for the first time.

The parties discussed the development of a compensation program for the loss of housing for IDPs from the temporarily occupied territories and for combatants. The parties agreed to work together on the project and launch new compensation mechanisms.

One of the main announcements of the meeting was the new project “Area-Based Recovery in Ukraine”, which will be implemented in 2025-2028 with a total budget of USD 120 million. The initiative aims to restore communities, develop local economies and prepare for European integration challenges. The project is based on a territorially-oriented approach that ensures the participation of citizens, authorities, businesses and international partners in the recovery process.

"We are sincerely grateful to UNDP for its systematic work, particularly in the frontline regions. Despite the full-scale invasion and active hostilities, we are jointly restoring people's homes, hospitals, schools and energy infrastructure. The results of our partnership have become a tangible support for Ukrainian communities," said Oleksiy Kuleba.

UNDP reaffirmed that regional policy and support for energy independence remain their priorities in Ukraine.

The partners also agreed to deepen cooperation within the framework of the “Side by Side: United Communities” project and coordinate efforts in preparation for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (URC2025).

Jaco Cilliers, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, who has been working in the country since 2022, thanked the Ministry for effective cooperation and announced the completion of his term.

The meeting was also attended by Alyona Shkrum, First Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development, and Deputy Ministers Maryna Denysiuk and Oleksii Riabykin.