Communities will learn how to effectively plan and implement local economic development policies

Kyiv, 5 October 2020 – The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, together with the NGO “DESPRO”, have launched the “School of Local Economic Development” in eastern Ukraine, which aims to help communities more effectively plan and implement policies for local economic development, using innovative approaches and tools.

The school will train 60 representatives of local governments, civil society organizations and local businesses in pilot communities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the areas of: sustainable economic development; gender equality in local self-governance; marketing and branding of territories; financial instruments for local development; inter-municipal cooperation; effective management of community resources, and the creation and launch of water supply services in the community.

The coordinator of the Local Governance and Decentralisation Reform Component of the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, Olena Ruditch, stressed that economic growth of the communities is crucial for the full implementation of decentralisation reform and sustainable development at the local level.

“We’re pleased that these communities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts will have the opportunity to improve their knowledge of how to reinforce good governance, and will be able to promote inclusive and sustainable economic solutions in the long run,” Ruditch said.

The training will help community members plan local development more effectively, create new jobs, expand local businesses, and improve the quality of life in their communities.

Upon completion of the training, community representatives will take part in study visits to the amalgamated communities in other oblasts of Ukraine to learn about successful local economic development practices.

The school is being launched under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, with the financial support of the European Union.

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Thirteen international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

Media enquiries

Maksym Kytsiuk, Communications Associate, the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, maksym.kytsiuk@undp.org, +380 63 576 1839