Kyiv, 29 April 2020 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine has announced the official launch of the educational online course called “Act Further: Sustainable Development for Civic Activists.” The course is aimed at representatives of non-governmental organizations, opinion leaders, civic activists and anyone who is concerned about the country's environmental, social and economic issues, and those who are ready to support changes for sustainable development.

“The main objective of this course is to sensitise the people of Ukraine about the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and raise public awareness of the  importance of achieving the Global Goals, leaving no one behind, engaging meaningfully the “whole-of-society” in building a better future for all, and ensuring human rights are respected,” said UNDP Resident Representative to Ukraine Dafina Gercheva.

The course’s subjects are based on the approach of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, which defines the economy and society as inseparable parts of the biosphere. Each of the four video learning modules contains experts’ comments, practical suggestions, best practices on the implementation of sustainable projects, as well as a self-study assessment test. On the successful complication of the course, a certificate is issued. The course is being implemented by UNDP within the “Online Education for Sustainable Development” project, with financial support from the German Government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. In general, more than 100 experts, analysts, representatives of civil communities and educational institutions took part in the development of the course.

“In the face of the world’s immense problems, collective action is of course essential at the government and community levels, but we also need action at the level of the individual,” said Gercheva. “We need to change the world, and we all need to be part of that change.”

“People might be wondering how they as individuals can act to change things for the better, so with this course, we aim to motivate every citizen to join in sustainable development, and provide guidance on how to act further.”

The partner of the "Act Further: Sustainable Development for Civic Activists" course is the Public organization "Open University of the Maidan" and the VUM online platform for civic education. To register for the course, use this link >>>

Also, UNDP is going to launch online courses for civil servants and local government officials and a course for business representatives. All three courses will be freely available on national educational platforms.

Media inquiries: Anton Sydorenko, UNDP Communications Consultant, anton.sydorenko@undp.org, communications.ukraine@undp.org.

Background

On 25 September 2015, a historic UN Summit took place in New York, as a result of which the “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” resolution was adopted by world leaders. The document identified new landmarks for the development of the world that will contribute the economic growth, environmental management and a response to various social needs. These benchmarks are reflected in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Ukraine has also joined the global process. In September 2017, the national baseline report “Sustainable Development Goals: Ukraine” was presented. On 30 September 2019, given the issued  Decree “On Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine for the period until 2030” by the President of Ukraine, sustainable development was defined as the only possible means for the development of the national economy and public institutions that would ensure an increase in the level and quality of life of the population, and respect for constitutional and human rights.