September 27, First Vice Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv and the World Bank Director for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine Ms. Satu Kähkönen signed an agreement that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) grants Ukraine the sum worth US$ 2.85 million. The funding will be used to improve the access of vulnerable groups to social services in the 30 consolidated territorial communities (CCs) residing in the certain areas of Ternopil and Odesa regions. These CCs have been selected by the World Bank under a methodology of vulnerability and social exclusion.

Stepan Kubiv emphasized that the signing of the Agreement will help Ukrainian regional communities strengthen their institutional capacity to provide social services in remote villages and small towns, services for the most vulnerable and socially vulnerable population. Due to the joint efforts there will be addressed the key issues of access to social services and formed the preconditions for creating a strategy for this area in the medium term.

"The development of human capital, its comprehensive support is one of the key tasks that the Ukrainian authorities are actively pursuing today through the joint work of the President, the Government and Parliament. We are ready to present Ukraine's vision on Ukraine's human capital development strategy during the annual meeting of IMF and the World Bank member countries due to be held in Indonesia this October", Stepan Kubiv stressed.

Background

The grant of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the project "Provision of Social Services to Communities" is funded by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF). The recipient of the grant is the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund (USIF), the beneficiary of the project is the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.