This was emphasised by the Vice Prime Minister for Recovery – Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine during the National Forum ‘Strategic Planning at the Regional Level from Recovery to Development’, which took place in Kyiv
and gathered more than 250 participants, including heads of territorial communities, regional military administrations, regional councils, regional development agencies, representatives of specialised associations and strategic planning experts from all over Ukraine.
The purpose of the forum was to summarise the strategic sessions that had recently taken place in a number of regions, present a new approach to creating regional development strategies, and work in groups to develop priorities for different types of territories.
“Reconstruction of Ukraine is not only about rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure, but also about creating a foundation for sustainable development of our regions. The strategic approach we are developing today will enable us to overcome the consequences of the war and ensure a conscious recovery.
One of the Ministry’s objectives is to help those communities that need it most become more resilient. And to encourage the realisation of the potential of every corner of our country. Here, we use mechanisms that allow us to take into account the specifics of each macro-region, oblast and community. One of them is the Public Investment Reform.
In today’s environment, a universal and uniform approach to the development of all territories is objectively inefficient and formalised. Every strategy, every document, every budgetary resource should work for the welfare of people and the needs of communities. We have to build our work with this in mind in order to ensure sustainable and uniform development of both outpost hromadas and rear hromadas,” said the Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.
Oleksiy Kuleba also thanked the hromadas that have already joined the national project Side by Side: United Communities.
Welcoming remarks were also made at the event: Oleksandr Kornienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Viktor Mykyta, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, Christoforos Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine.
Today we have a lot of discussions about winning the war. Given this, I am convinced that it is very good that we are thinking about the future of regional development right now. Especially in direct dialogue with communities, at events like this one. Only if we build our regional policy on the right principles, inclusively, together, and with the aim of hearing everyone, will we be able to develop a development framework that will truly make our country much stronger.
In this context, I am particularly grateful to the Ministry and the Congress of Local and Regional Councils for jointly facilitating the dialogue with communities. This is a great example of the synergy between our legislative and executive branches,” said Oleksandr Kornienko.
Between December 2024 and January 2025, at the initiative of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, UNDP and with financial support from the Government of Japan, strategic sessions were held in Lviv, Cherkasy, Kropyvnytskyi, Kyiv, Odesa, Kamianets-Podilskyi and Kharkiv to screen existing regional strategies and draft new ones. The documents were checked for compliance with the State Strategy for Regional Development and the current challenges of each region. Seven sessions covered all regions of Ukraine and attracted more than 800 participants.
The strategic sessions are part of UNDP’s broader cooperation with the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine. In 2023-2024, as part of a pilot project funded by the Government of Japan, UNDP supported 10 territorial communities in developing strategic planning documents, assessing corruption risks, and strengthening the capacity of local authorities. The next phase of the initiative will cover 20 new communities with a focus on inclusive and transparent recovery processes.
“It is a great achievement that we continue to talk about decentralisation in times of war. At the same time, it is important that regional development strategies are created not just to exist, but to be truly practical. Every penny, every hryvnia should be spent on specific real projects that will improve people’s lives. It is good that we have the opportunity to work on this together – the President’s Office, the Government, line ministries and communities.
In particular, the work of the Congress of Local and Regional Councils is designed to do just that – to create a platform for dialogue and communication between representatives of central government and representatives of local self-government. There are many local challenges that we sometimes do not understand at our level. Hearing about the problems directly from those who face them is extremely valuable,” commented Viktor Mykyta.
The event featured two discussion panels. The participants discussed the formation of effective regional policy through strategic planning and multi-level governance. Each macro-region of Ukraine and each functional type of territory has its own peculiarities that determine their needs, challenges and potential. The focus of the discussion is to take these factors into account in strategic regional planning.
In turn, the international partners noted Ukraine’s progress in decentralisation and expressed their readiness to continue their support in this area.
“Japan remains committed to supporting Ukraine in this difficult time. I would like to emphasise the key role of regional strategic planning in overcoming current challenges and ensuring sustainable development for future generations. It is a great honour for Japan to support this important initiative, and we reaffirm our readiness to continue to assist Ukraine by working with community and regional leaders to build a stronger future,” said Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine.
“The process of sustainable recovery and promotion of development priorities is impossible without strategic planning. It is not just about restoring what has been lost, but about creating a sustainable, inclusive and future-oriented Ukraine. To achieve this, planning must be comprehensive and implemented at all levels – national, regional and local. Regional and local governments play an important role in this process, but they need practical tools, data, knowledge and resources to implement strategies effectively. Without this, long-term recovery and development will remain elusive. That is why UNDP continues to support Ukraine – by strengthening institutions, promoting inclusive recovery, social cohesion and economic resilience in all regions,” said Christoforos Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine.
A separate part of the event was the presentation of the basics of a territorially-oriented approach to strategic planning. It outlined how the unique factors that exist in each of the communities and in different types of territories can be taken into account when creating regional development strategies.
The forum was organised by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support from the Government of Japan.