Kyiv, 22 February 2023 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support from the Government of Germany, has launched a new initiative to enhance the crisis management and emergency response capacities at all levels of government authorities in Ukraine. The project will also improve response planning between the central government, regions/districts, and other stakeholders, including the international community, civil society organizations, and the private sector, to increase the resilience of host communities and internally displaced persons.

Local and national authorities will be introduced to new technologies to manage crisis coordination, public services delivery, and communication more efficiently and effectively. A particular focus will be placed on countering disinformation to minimize the spread and harmful impacts of deliberately fake news. Disinformation, or intentionally spreading false or misleading information, can significantly impact individuals, societies, and democratic institutions, undermining social cohesion and trust in Government. The project, with a budget of $1.5 million, will run through 2023.

Anka Feldhusen, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, said the Government of Ukraine must be able to deliver services to and support its population during this very difficult time. “Germany stands ready, willing and able to support them in any way we can, including through efforts like this to strengthen governmental institutions at all levels to more effectively lead crisis responses, sustain public service provision, and coordinate the delivery of assistance and recovery efforts,” she said.

UNDP Resident Representative Jaco Cilliers said the generous German contribution will go towards strengthening Ukraine’s response capabilities at all levels, ensuring sustainability, efficiency, and transparency.  "By enhancing the capacities of government institutions to counter disinformation and by introducing new IT solutions for crisis coordination and communication, we will help ensure Ukraine is better prepared to respond to emergencies and that essential services continue to be delivered to the population, even in the most challenging of circumstances," he said.

The launch of this project marks a significant step forward in UNDP's commitment to supporting the people and Government of Ukraine in their efforts to develop a more resilient, transparent, and efficient state. The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Social Policy, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy and with local authorities.

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org