On 17 June, a meeting of the Supervisory Board on the implementation of the UCORD project was held, during which the project team presented the key achievements of the project, as well as plans and priorities for the coming year, to the members of the Supervisory Board and national and regional partners.
The meeting was attended by members of the Supervisory Board – representatives of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning. Representatives of regional military administrations and regional councils of partner regions of the UCORD project of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the Industrial Development Agency ‘Made in Ukraine’, pilot regional development agencies, and NIRAS Sweden AB also joined the meeting.
It was extremely gratifying to hear warm words about UCORD from beneficiaries and partners, as well as to receive high praise for the team’s work in all areas of the project.
Oleksiy Ryabikin, Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, emphasised the important role of the project in transformation processes and support for regional development agencies (RDAs):
‘Switzerland’s support and the implementation of the UCORD project significantly strengthen our capacity for change. The project is at the heart of transformational processes, particularly through the support of the RDAs and the introduction of digital tools that underpin development and recovery planning. You are actively involved in all key processes and are truly reliable partners for us.’
The UCORD project actively responds to the priorities of state policy in the field of regional economic development, noted Andrii Telyupa, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine:
‘One of the priorities for the Ministry of Economy is the economic development of regions, and this is precisely what UCORD focuses on. We are working on SMART specialisation of regions, development of clusters, and responding to current requests, in particular regarding the formation of a separate economic development policy with a focus on frontline territories. UCORD’s activities combine all these areas, creating a comprehensive approach to supporting regional development. This allows us to use our experience to further scale up projects to cover all regions of Ukraine.’
Culture and social cohesion are no less important components of regional development, believes Anastasia Bondar, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalisation:
‘Society has already reached a level of maturity where cultural development is becoming important even in places where basic needs, particularly in terms of security, are not yet fully met. This shows a growing awareness of the value of life, development and our resilience, which is largely based on culture and history. At the same time, we must not forget that culture is also the foundation for economic development. Culture and social cohesion are important components of the UCORD project, because without them it is impossible to ensure the holistic development of regions.’
UCORD is an effective mechanism for supporting the RDA, according to Jean-Luc Bernasconi, Head of the Cooperation Programme at the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine:
‘A certain difference between RDAs at this stage of the project is quite natural. It testifies to the lively process of forming approaches, and a certain amount of competition here is even useful — it stimulates development. At the same time, it is important to channel this dynamic in a constructive direction. RDAs can effectively exchange experience and strengthen each other through interregional interaction. The second important point is the assessment of the results of strengthening the capacity of RDAs. Their participation in the next strategic cycle will be a kind of ‘test’, which will be particularly relevant in the context of European integration processes. Despite the challenges, the goals set are ambitious, and we hope that the project will become an important tool for supporting ARRs in achieving these goals.’
UCORD is a flagship project that has attracted considerable interest from the regions since its launch, emphasised Simone Troller, Deputy Head of the Swiss Cooperation Programme at the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine:
‘UCORD is a tool for transforming the benefits that decentralisation has brought to Ukraine into regional dynamics and development. For us, this is truly a flagship project. When it started in 2022, it was nice to see that it immediately attracted a lot of attention and many requests for partnership from different regions. And it is important that this project meets the needs and interests of the regions.’
We sincerely thank our partners for their open dialogue, effective cooperation and shared vision of the future of regional development!
The Swiss-Ukrainian project ‘Cohesion and Regional Development of Ukraine’, UCORD is implemented with the support of Switzerland via the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation by NIRAS Sweden AB.
