Ministry for Communities and Territories Development and UNDP define priorities for community recovery and development for 2026
Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba held a meeting with a delegation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), led by Ivana Živković, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNDP Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. The parties agreed on a cooperation roadmap for 2026 aimed at the systemic recovery of territories and strengthening the capacity of local self-government.
“Our cooperation covers a wide range of areas: from regional development and strengthening the capacity of local authorities to energy independence and infrastructure resilience. The priority remains the restoration of critical life-support systems in communities – in particular, the development of distributed generation and the modernization of heating and water supply networks,” said Oleksii Kuleba.
The main focus was placed on transitioning from emergency response to the consequences of the war to building a long-term model of sustainable community development, including the implementation of regional energy resilience plans. These plans are based on the protection of critical infrastructure, the development of distributed generation, and ensuring uninterrupted heating, water supply, and wastewater services.
Oleksii Kuleba emphasized the need to implement a “turnkey” approach (from design to equipment installation), which is particularly important for frontline territories. The meeting also discussed possible specific technical solutions, including the involvement of engineers and the supply of equipment for the energy and water sectors.
A comprehensive state programme is currently in place to support frontline communities. An important instrument also remains the project “Plich-o-Plich: Cohesive Communities”, which is based on developing partnerships between communities. The meeting discussed strategic areas of cooperation for 2026, including the digitalization of the project.
In parallel, the reform of public investment management is ongoing. With UNDP support, more than 3,500 representatives of local authorities have already completed training on the preparation of high-quality investment projects.
Similar training for communities in the areas of public investment management, project management, and strategic planning for the new cycle 2028–2034 will also be carried out with the support of the Government of Japan.
Oleksii Kuleba also highlighted joint preparations for the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026). To ensure high-quality presentation of Ukrainian projects on the international stage and to build sustainable communication mechanisms with communities, the establishment of a Communications Office under the Ministry is currently being considered.
The Office will focus on building effective communication with regions and promoting Ukrainian projects internationally. Priority communication topics will include preparation for winter, logistics, energy efficiency, and public investment management reform.
In conclusion, Oleksii Kuleba thanked UNDP colleagues for their consistent support, emphasizing that only joint efforts of the state and international institutions can ensure meaningful changes in every Ukrainian community.