Residents of Hirske, Mariupol and Novoaidar communities to receive quality administrative services closer to their homes.

Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, 26 April 2021 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with financial support from the Government of Canada, has completed the delivery of a series of mobile Administrative Service Centres (ASCs) to communities in eastern Ukraine.

Today the latest mobile centres were delivered to the communities of Mariupol in the south of Donetsk Oblast and Hirske and Novoaidar in Luhansk Oblast.

Delivery of the fleet of ten vehicles began in the summer of 2020. The new network of mobile administrative service centres now covers remote areas of the Novoaidar, Hirske, Popasna, Stanytsia Luhanska and Sievierodonetsk communities in Luhansk Oblast, and the Mariupol, Kurakhove, Siversk, Mariinka and Vuhledar communities in the Donetsk Oblast.

The mobile ASCs, which are specially equipped vehicles (trucks), are designed to drive to remote areas near the ‘contact line’ in eastern Ukraine, including the entry-exit checkpoints (EECPs) between government-controlled and non-government-controlled areas, to provide administrative and social services to citizens. The comfortable and inclusive centres ‘on wheels’ are equipped with all the necessary technical infrastructure and communications and are accessible to people with disabilities.

UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme Manager Victor Munteanu noted that building an efficient and transparent system for providing administrative and social services remains one of the programme's priorities.

"A holistic view of the initiatives to expand the network of public services has allowed us to effectively and efficiently implement such system at the local level in communities of eastern Ukraine," Munteanu said.

"We’re striving to ensure residents in remote areas have access to mobile service points, especially vulnerable groups and those of the population affected by the armed conflict."

Munteanu also stressed the importance of implementing best international practices in local self-government regarding equality and non-discrimination in public institutions, as well as ensuring the availability of services to low mobility groups.

The mobile ASCs provide more than 70 types of service in a range almost identical to that currently available at stationary centres, such as registering for subsidies, registering businesses and property, and obtaining a birth certificate or pension certificates. Each vehicle has four workplaces for ASC specialists, social services and pension fund specialists, and for free legal aid providers.

The total cost of the ten mobile ASCs is about U.S. $1.9 million. The procurement and equipment of the ASCs were carried out under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Ashley Mulroney, Director of the Canadian Development Programme in Ukraine, said Canada believes inclusive governance is fundamental to long-term sustainable development and peace in Ukraine.

“Governance is inclusive when it effectively serves and engages all people, and when institutions, policies and services are accessible, accountable and responsive to all members of society,” Mulroney said. “That’s why we’re proud of our partnership with UNDP, which supports inclusive and accessible service delivery to the most vulnerable conflict-affected people living close to the ‘line of contact’ and in remote areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.”

“We hope that the Mariupol community will benefit from this mobile service delivery unit, to ensure that each member of your community has unimpeded access to key state services.”

Deputy Mayor of Mariupol Mykhailo Ivchenko stressed that the city’s government was working to create an efficient and affordable service delivery system. Modern, fully accessible Administrative Service Centres – one of which is the largest in Ukraine – have been opened in various districts of the city.

"It is crucial for Mariupol to make receiving administrative and social services quick, comfortable and accessible to everyone,” Ivchenko said. “We’re creating all the conditions for this. Mobile ASCs are an initiative that brings benefits and services even closer to people who find it challenging to get to stationary centres on their own. We’re grateful that the UN and the Government of Canada for implementing such an important social project."

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 Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Twelve 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.

Media enquiries

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