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The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine endorsed recommendations for a decentralised recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine and handed them to the co-hosts of the URC2024. The set of recommendations, which was drafted together by EU and Ukrainians regions and cities and their associations as well as by the Congress of Council of Europe was presented at the European Summit of Regions and Cities to then Ukraine's deputy minister for communities, territories and infrastructure, Oleksandra Azarkhina, and to Georg Milbradt, Germany's special envoy to Ukraine for decentralisation, representing Svenja Schulze, Germany's minister for economic Cooperation and development.
We have come together – with governments, international organisations, financial institutions, businesses, regions, municipalities and civil society – united by a shared commitment to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine for as long as needed. With over 3.400 participants representing the various stakeholder groups, we demonstrated our strong engagement for Ukraine’s future at the URC2024.
Today, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2024, Germany and Ukraine, together with 12 other countries, and 17 development institutions and international organisations, jointly launched the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Resilience Alliance for Ukraine.
SMEs are the backbone of Ukraine’s economy. They account for two thirds of value added and provide more than 80 per cent of the jobs in Ukraine. That is why Ukraine and Germany have proposed stepping up international support for SMEs. The Alliance is aimed at making Ukraine’s SMEs more resilient in war time, and ready for reconstruction and recovery.
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First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024) in Berlin.
“We need at least 7 Patriot systems to secure our main urban agglomerations in the near future, and this will be a driver for preserving normal life in Ukraine that our people deserve so much. In other words, it will directly contribute to defense and ensure that the economic life of the country is not destroyed,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
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Russia drops up to one hundred guided aerial bombs on Ukrainian cities and villages every day. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin during his speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024.
The Head of State noted that Russia's biggest strategic advantage over Ukraine is now the advantage in the sky. The answer to this terror is air defense. The President thanked Germany for its global leadership in helping our country to protect the sky.
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Systematic financial support from partners is critical for Ukraine to continue fighting and directing domestic resources to defence. This was emphasised by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in his online statement during a meeting of Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform at the ministerial level. The event took place on 11 June in Berlin within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference.
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Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke working for green recovery of Ukraine / Launch of a Platform for Action on the Green Recovery at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024
The investment guide was prepared in cooperation with the KSE Institute and with the support of consultants from the Big Four. The Guide emphasizes the government's priority sectors, focusing on developing the processing industry to address export logistics bottlenecks and increase added value. It provides a detailed overview of key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, agrifood, green steel, pharmacy and medicine, critical materials, and IT, along with examples of investment projects within these sectors. The guide also provides a detailed overview of the investment landscape in Ukraine.
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At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024, ten exemplary "international flagship projects" were honored. These projects are examples of international companies successfully operating in Ukraine today while at the same time helping to rebuild the country in a sustainable and innovative way. As a country rich in natural resources, with a large pool of well-trained skilled workers and a government that is open to reforms, Ukraine wants to emerge from its difficult situation stronger and more modern than before. International investment and expertise are essential to achieve this.
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Joint press release of BMZ and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, 11 June 2024 | Germany, Ukraine and over 50 international organisations, states and companies launched a multi-stakeholder initiative at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) today to train and upskill Ukrainians for the recovery and reconstruction of their country. Millions of Ukrainians are either on the front line, displaced within the country or have fled abroad, and are therefore unable to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine. The initiative “Skills Alliance for Ukraine” aims to address this shortage by qualifying and supporting over 180,000 skilled workers over the next three years.
On 10 June, the 10th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine, established to coordinate international assistance and meet the immediate needs and long-term recovery of Ukraine, took place.
Joint press release of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office, 7 June 2024 | On 11 and 12 June, Germany and Ukraine are jointly hosting this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin. More than 2,000 participants from over 60 countries will discuss how to provide even better support for Ukraine’s recovery.
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On June 4, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution to monitor the implementation of the Reforms Matrix*.
The Reforms Matrix systematises the conditionalities and recommendations of Ukraine's international partners in key sectors presented in official documents. It is an analytical tool for effectively implementing and monitoring all planned measures.
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The IP Special 2024 “Rebuilding Ukraine” discusses Ukraine's progress since 2014, highlighting reforms, anti-corruption efforts, as well as the challenges faced by public administrations due to ongoing war and the need for recovery. It emphasizes the importance of EU accession, decentralization, and the need for systemic solutions to ensure effective governance. Through in-depth analyses by German and Ukrainian officials and experts, it explores various dimensions such as the economic, social, and EU accession aspects. The publication also sheds light on the ongoing reconstruction initiatives and emphasizes the importance of alliances in the rebuilding process.
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"Putin, in his imperial delusion, sought to grab Ukraine. Instead, he has allied it firmly with Europe.” On 21 May, Foreign Minister Baerbock arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for another visit. Foreign Minister Baerbock has chosen a crucial moment for this trip to Ukraine. Just a few days ago, Putin launched renewed offensive operations against Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine. The Foreign Minister’s trip has the aim of reassuring her Ukrainian interlocutors that, even in view of the escalating situation in the combat zones, Germany and Europe continue to stand firmly at Ukraine’s side and will not falter in their support.
Reconstruction work is already underway in Ukraine. The country’s towns and cities are being planned to be more inclusive and the need to retain or restore mental health is being addressed to a greater degree, while progress is also being made at legislative level. Good governance and reforms to combat corruption in conjunction with Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will a play an important part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2024. A half-day pre-conference event will thus focus on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption.
Development Minister Svenja Schulze held several meetings with the Ukrainian government in Kyiv in preparation of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin in June. For this, she met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Energy Minister German Galuchenko. On the occasion of the visit, Germany and Ukraine signed a cooperation on the reconstruction and expansion of the Ukrainian power grid. Other topics on the agenda were German and international support for the training of experts and strengthening municipalities for the task of reconstruction.
The German Government has agreed on 15 measures designed to support businesses and private actors engaged in reconstruction in Ukraine. The measures go from financial grants for small and medium-sized enterprises to investment guarantees for German companies. The German Government adopted the pertinent key issues paper on 10 April 2024.
On 10 April 2024 the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine met for the ninth time. Key topics on the agenda included the adoption of the Ukraine Plan by the Government of Ukraine, the development of the Ukraine Reforms Matrix and support for Ukraine in implementing reforms to underpin economic recovery. Ukraine’s total external budget financing needs for 2024 were also discussed.
On 6 and 7 March, the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building and the Ukrainian Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development organised a pre-conference under the banner ‘Unlocking opportunities, creating momentum: Transformative Urban Reconstruction in Ukraine’. The event aimed to identify priorities and the main challenges for German and Ukrainian partners in the run-up to the 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference. Federal Building Minister Klara Geywitz opened the conference with an unequivocal message. ‘Supporting Ukraine is a political priority for the German Government. Even after the war, we will not leave the Ukrainians to rebuild on their own.’
On 10 February 2024, the UN, the European Commission, the World Bank and the Government of Ukraine presented the third Rapid Damage Needs Assessment (RDNA). Total financing requirements for reconstruction are put at some 486 billion US dollars. The priorities identified for 2024 focus primarily on private sector support. RDNA 3 estimates that about 15.3 billion US dollars will be needed to tackle the implementation priorities for 2024.
On 14 February in Kyiv, Dr Thomas Bagger, State Secretary in the German Federal Foreign Office and Jochen Flasbarth, BMZ State Secretary and the German Federal Government’s Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine discussed the next steps in international support for Ukraine. The talks revolved around the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2024, which Germany will be hosting jointly with Ukraine on 11 and 12 June 2024 in Berlin. The conference will bring together pivotal Ukrainian and international actors from the realms of politics, business and civil society to drive forward sustainable, transformational and inclusive reconstruction in Ukraine.
Russia’s unlawful war of aggression against Ukraine has not only left many people with life-changing physical injuries, but has caused massive mental stress. A holistic approach for recovery is thus an essential element of reconstruction in Ukraine. To strengthen this approach, the German Platform for the Reconstruction of Ukraine hosted a meeting of Ukrainian, German and international experts in the fields of mental health, psychosocial support and rehabilitation in Berlin on 1 and 2 February.
