Kyiv, 28 December 2022 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine is supporting the uninterrupted provision of social services to Ukrainians by government institutions. Powerful generators purchased with the financial support of Sweden will help the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine ensure that despite power outages, the registers and information systems that are key in providing social services to citizens can be kept running.

Four generators with a capacity of 12 kVA were handed over to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, as well as state enterprises “Diia” and “Information and computing center of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.” These institutions are the main administrators of registers important for the provision of public services in the country, including online government services.

The purchase of generators will help to support the effective work of teams from the state bodies responsible for administering the main registers used for the provision of public services in conditions of regular power outages, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.

“The uninterrupted operation of registers is a matter of national security and the functioning of the state,” Fedorov said. “Our priority right now is to keep all government registers up and running and secure, even during power outages. This will allow Ukrainians to receive the necessary services from the state under any conditions. Obtaining generators is one of the essential steps in this direction.”

As Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Oksana Zholnovych said, the registers maintained by specialists from state-owned enterprise are important for a number of popular social services and benefits, such as, for example, registering for housing subsidies.

“Ensuring the uninterrupted work of state registers and responsible institutions is an important contribution to the support of Ukrainians. This is also a key factor for timely provision of vital services for millions of citizens, which is critically important in times of war,” Zholnovych said.

In addition, filters and collapsible containers for water, heaters, blankets and jackets were handed over to the Ministries. These will help when setting up safe places where ministry employees can work during air raid alerts.

Christophoros Politis, UNDP Ukraine Deputy Resident Representative, said that it was important for UNDP in its strategic partnership with Sweden to support the Government of Ukraine in its efforts to protect the population during the war.

“UNDP, with the support of Sweden, is proud to provide the necessary assistance to government partners, supporting them in fulfilling their important functions even in the face of unprecedented external challenges,” he said.

“The purchase of generators and other items is another joint initiative of ours aimed at ensuring the operation of state institutions in times of war. Its main goal is to support the vital activities of the state, so that it can effectively perform its functions and provide the necessary social assistance to citizens.”

UNDP has identified the support of electronic registries of government bodies as one of its priority areas of work, in which it is systematically working with government partners to support their smooth operation. In particular, UNDP and Sweden earlier supported the development of the IT infrastructure and electronic registers of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. They provided new computer equipment and technical support to, among other things, support the ministry in its efforts to digitize access to critical documents.

Background

This initiative was implemented in the framework of the Digital, Inclusive, Accessible: Support to Digitalisation of Public Services in Ukraine Project (DIA Support Project), which is being implemented by UNDP in Ukraine with funding from Sweden. The project was launched in 2021 and aims to bridge the digital divide between generations and various social groups. Its main goal is to increase the accessibility of new digital solutions, so that everyone in Ukraine can use electronic services, and no one is left behind.

Media inquiries

Yuliia Samus, Communications Team Leader, UNDP in Ukraine, yuliia.samus@undp.org