This year our assistance package is aimed at helping Ukraine deliver on the reform and anti-corruption agenda, address humanitarian issues, caused by the Russian-backed armed conflict in the east and illegal annexation of Crimea, carry out important demining work, further build defence capabilities, promote peace-building initiatives, counter Russian propaganda campaigns and develop strategic communications.
This package of support comes under these funding programmes: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), Good Governance Fund (GGF), Bilateral Programme Budget (BPB) and Magna Carta Fund (MCF).
Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
The CSSF programmes are designed to strengthen the capacity of Ukraine, its citizens and government to address conflict-generating issues in order to defend its territory and sovereignty, withstand external shocks and make Ukraine a long-term success. Projects, funded under CSSF, include:
Military capacity building, including Operation ORBITAL
Implementing organisation: UK Ministry of Defence
Operation ORBITAL was launched in February 2015 in response to a request from the Ukrainian government to provide guidance and training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF). Our training is defensive in nature, conducted away from the conflict in the east and it is focused on skills for which the Ukrainians have sought our assistance. These include medical, logistics, ground sign awareness and general infantry skills. Operation Orbital complements the wide range of support the UK provides through our Defence Attaché and Special Defence Adviser.
UK support to Ukraine’s Defence Reform Agenda
Implementing organisation: UK Special Defence Adviser
The UK’s Special Defence Advisor (SDA) provides high-level bilateral advice and assistance to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (MoD), General Staff, and National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) on defence and security reform and good governance. This complements the activities of the Embassy’s Defence Attaché and the UK’s training presence in Ukraine, Operation ORBITAL. Embedded in the Ministry of Defence the SDA works closely with NATO (UK is Lead Nation for 3 NATO Programmes in Ukraine), Transparency International and the UK Defence Academy to deliver a range of projects to support reform in areas such as defence planning, procurement, logistics and crisis management, in addition to delivering anti-corruption, building integrity and strategic communications training.
Support to OSCE Special Monitoring Missions to Ukraine (SMM)
Implementing organisation: Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Duration: April 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £3,800,000
This project supports the OSCE SMM by providing high quality observers and HQ staff to monitor the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. The SMM is the first of its kind to carry out such a forward leaning mission in a fully active conflict zone. UK support currently stands over 45 monitors as well as some gifting of armoured vehicles and other equipment.
Support to EU Advisory Mission
Implementing organisation: EU Advisory Mission Ukraine
Duration: April 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £500,000
This project provides qualified experts in security sector reform as well as officers in senior leadership roles to the EUAM. They play an important role in developing and implementing the mission’s Operational Plan and support active training with Ukrainian Police units.
Addressing social consequences of the conflict in Donbas and illegal annexation of Crimea
Implementing organisation: Stabilization Support Services
Duration: June 2016 – March 2018
Funding: £1,630,610 (2016-2018)
The project aims to strengthen Ukrainian government institutions and civil society organisations in order to overcome the impacts of the Russia-backed conflict in the Donbas. In particular, it will support the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine by training special liaison officers who work to help people affected and/or displaced by the conflict; provide a military psychology training programme in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, and provide psychosocial support for the internally displaced people (IDP) in the city of Mariupol.
Protection of human rights in conflict-affected areas of eastern Ukraine
Implementing organisations: UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine / Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Duration: August 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £400,000
The project aims at reduction in human rights violations by strengthening permanent field presence of human rights monitors in areas, controlled by the armed separatist groups and under Ukraine’s control, along the contact line in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It will help document and share information about the human rights situation and foster partnerships between citizens and the government in addressing conflict-generating issues.
Digital forensic laboratory and specialised analytical system for National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU)
Implementing organisation: GIZ
Duration: July 2016 – March 2017
Total funding: £564,000
This project is to help increase NABU’s analytical and investigative capacity to fight high-level corruption and bribery in the country. Upon its completion, NABU will have better access to modern investigative and analytical toolkit and complementary specialist training activities. A new database system will help NABU collect, manage and analyse bulk data more effectively in support of investigations. Having a digital forensic laboratory will enable full evidential analysis of digital devices and media which will further improve evidence gathering and carrying out complex investigations.
Building capacity of Cyber Police
Implementing organisation: OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine
Duration: August 2016 – June 2017
Funding: £180,000
The project aims build capacity of the newly reformed Cyber Police. It will help re-train up to 180 Cyber Police Officers, following their successful re-attestation. The re-training programme is to be delivered by a team of national experts, who participated in the Training of Trainers (ToT) programme. In addition, it will provide specialised equipment to enable trained Cyber Police officers apply their knowledge in daily work and to establish a cybercrime laboratory.
Building capacity within Ukrainian law-enforcement to fight corruption
Implementing organisation: UK law enforcement agencies and specialist training services
Duration: April 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £260,000
This project supports anti-corruption efforts of Ukraine’s law-enforcement agencies by strengthening their investigative and prosecutorial capacity to enable them to fight serious economic and corruption-related crimes more effectively. This includes thematic training and access to best international practices, with a particular emphasis on UK experience. The project is expected to contribute to corruption reduction, higher public trust and, in a long-term perspective, will have a positive impact on Ukraine’s socio-economic situation.
Strengthening electoral preparedness and political participation in Ukraine
Implementing organisation: International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
Duration: August 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £400,000
The project provides information and expertise to increase political participation of IDPs and assist stakeholders with planning for any future elections in the conflict-affected eastern regions of Ukraine.
Humanitarian demining in Ukraine
Implementing organisation: The HALO Trust
Duration: September 2016 – March 2018
Funding: £1,830,669
The UK is funding demining in the eastern regions of Ukraine affected by the military conflict. Demining is directly aimed at saving people’s lives from the large scale contamination by land and anti-personnel mines, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war. A further £500,000 to the OSCE for the establishment of a Mine Action Centre will help the Ukrainian government and the various agencies involved in mine action effectively coordinate internally and with external donors. Modest estimates suggest demining in Ukraine would take a decade and cost about £100 million.
Strategic communications support to Ukrainian government
Implementing organisation: multiple, including Government Communication Service (UK)
Duration: October 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £300,000
Projects in this area support building capacity of communications function of the Ukrainian government, including the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, with the focus on planning and delivering targeted media campaigns, countering Russian disinformation and improving Ukraine’s international messaging. These projects are funded through both CSSF and GGF.
Donbas calling: developing radio broadcasting for the Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Implementing organisation: Hromadske Radio
Duration: July 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £350,000
This project supports a newly established civic radio broadcaster in becoming an independent and trustworthy information provider to the region, where trust in the central government is low, access to independent media limited and impact of Russian disinformation significant. It aims to support trust- and peace-building efforts by offering an alternative media space for the people in the region to engage with decision makers and civil society in the news and views format. Our funding supports installation of 16 FM transmitters in Ukraine-controlled areas along the contact line and “grey zone” in the east, reaching an estimated audience of 2 million people.
Stopfake.org – using fact checking and data verification for tackling propaganda
Implementing organisation: Media Reforms Centre NGO (Ukraine)
Duration: July 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £240,000
This project supports audience growth, including via multilingual versions of the StopFake website. This year, the project will look to increase online following to at least 300K, establish itself as a centre of excellence for fact-checking activities, and promote counter-propaganda and verification work, including by producing a documentary about stop-faking.
Combating discrimination against LGBT persons through research in Ukraine
Implementing organisation: National Democratic Institute
Duration: October 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £240,000
This project supports the first ever comprehensive research into the public attitudes around gender and sexual orientation in Ukraine. It will help improve public understanding of the LGBTI issues and inform civil society initiatives, promoting human rights of sexual minorities.
Good Governance Fund
The UK government’s Good Governance Fund (GGF) supports economic and political reform in key sectors to deliver greater transparency and accountability, strengthen economic stability and address corruption in Ukraine as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Georgia and Serbia. UK support is focused on the provision of fast, flexible, responsive technical assistance that helps countries to unblock key reforms and unlock financial and other support from other donors. There is also a lot of interest in GGF focus countries on drawing on UK expertise and experience, and the GGF will make this available to support reform.
Governance Reform Trust Fund
Implementing organisation: World Bank Ukraine
Duration: May 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £500,000
The UK-World Bank trust fund has been set up to provide expert analysis and follow-up assistance to promote reforms, including to Ukraine’s National Agency for Preventing Corruption (support to e-declaration system), public expenditure and service delivery assessments in health and social policy, as well as support to the World Bank’s Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) report.
Public Finance Management Reform Programme
Implementing organisation: GiZ (in partnership with the German government)
Duration: May 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £1,500,000
The project supports the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance’s public financial management reform action plan, developing the capability of the Parliament of Ukraine and other relevant offices to collate, publicise and scrutinise public spending information, to support improved public procurement practices, thus contributing to reduced opportunities for corruption.
Support to Ukrainian Business Ombudsman initiative and construction sector reform
Implementing organisation: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Duration: May 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £1,100,000 (via the EBRD’s multi-donor fund for Ukraine)
The project supports: (i) establishment and development of the new Ukrainian Business Ombudsman, the institution to investigate complaints on behalf of Ukrainian businesses, including allegations of corruption, and to make recommendations to the Ukrainian government on reforms to improve the business climate; (ii) modernisation of the construction sector through implementation of the industry reform.
Development of data monitoring platform to support recovery efforts
Implementing organisation: World Bank Ukraine
Duration: May 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £178,100
The project supports the World Bank’s survey and preparatory work to develop an e-platform for collection and sharing of socio-economic data in order to coordinate and monitor the government response to recovery efforts.
Support to socio-economic recovery for internally displaced people (IDPs)
Implementing organisation: United Nations Development Programme Ukraine
Duration: May 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £1,100,000
This project is about delivering training and grants to entrepreneurs among IDPs and host communities in order to support livelihoods, broaden economic opportunities and ease inter-community tensions; as well as developing business opportunities for affected population via holding two regional small business expositions and supporting business start-ups through crowd-funding platform.
UK-UA Reform Programme – Managed Fund
Implementing organisation: PwC Ukraine
Duration: May 2016 – March 2018
Funding: £7,500,000
The projects under the Managed Fund aim to deliver technical assistance to the Ukrainian government in the areas of economic and governance reforms; strengthening anti-corruption measures; modernisation of key sectors, including development of strategies for state-owned enterprises; public procurement reform; capacity-building for the NABU; the e-declaration system; public finance management and public administration reforms; deployment of experts to specific institutions, including the newly created Ministry on Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs.
Further information: PwC’s leaflet on Managed Fund [LINK – to be added shortly]
Integration and stabilisation support through livelihoods for the internally displaced people (IDPs) and the conflict-affected population in Ukraine
Implementing organisation: International Organization for Migration Ukraine
Duration: December 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £2,000,000
This project supports self-employment and small business grants to IDPs and members of hosting communities. Integration and stabilisation support will be provided to a total of 2,730 IDPs and host community members. A total of up to 1,330 individuals will be supported through income-generating grants and business development and self-employment vocational training. As a result, we expect improvement of economic situation of IDPs, better integration, stabilisation of host communities in 17 regions of Ukraine.
Humanitarian funding
Response to emergency humanitarian needs in Ukraine
Implementing organisations: ICRC, People in Need, UNFPA
Duration: May 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £6,800,000
The humanitarian programme in Ukraine is targeted to reach the most vulnerable people in non-government controlled areas. This includes delivery of emergency food items and other essential household goods; support to water, sanitation and hygiene interventions; support to winterisation and shelter repair; as well as the training service providers to deliver psychosocial services and provide support to victims of sexual- and gender-based violence.
Further information: Emergency response to humanitarian needs in conflict-affected areas of Ukraine
Bilateral Programme Budget
We use Bilateral Programme Budget (BPB) to support the work we’re doing to deliver our policy goals of furthering democracy and supporting reforms. This year, the BPB is supporting our activity on implementation of the Minsk Agreements; keeping Crimea on the international agenda and preventing acceptance of its illegal annexation by Russia; promoting inclusivity and protection of minorities, including the disabled and LGBTI; development of a more competitive and transparent economy. It complements activities funded under the above programmes and includes projects under the Magna Carta Fund.
Support to the 4th Lviv Media Forum (26-28 May 2016)
Implementing organisation: Lviv Media Forum
Duration: May 2016
Funding: £5,835
The Forum serves as a platform for enhancing the quality of Ukrainian journalism by creating opportunities for on-site and off-site learning for journalists.
Strengthening governance, transparency and accountability by professionalising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Duration: May – June 2016
Funding: £6,800
This project supports the MFA of Ukraine in the area of workforce planning and human resources management (recruitment, appointments, development, promotion, leadership, diversity, code of conduct, talent management and employee engagement), through exposure and exchange of best practice with the FCO in London.
Professional exchange – sharing best practice between UK and Ukrainian institutions
Duration: September 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £15,030
This project combines a number of small-scale but high impact interventions to increase the transfer of best practice from the UK to Ukrainian institutions and officials, in support of Ukraine’s reform agenda, in particular in the fields of cross-government crisis management and public administration reform.
Ensuring equal rights for people with disabilities in Ukraine via accessible public spaces
Implementing organisation: Dostupno.UA NGO (Ukraine)
Duration: September 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £8,905
This projects aims to campaign for great public space accessibility for people with disabilities, improve public attitudes towards them and break down their isolation in the society by encouraging greater social participation.
Support to the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Implementing partners: Global Partners Governance
Duration: September 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £15,510
Under this initiative, the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament will get access to expert advice and support to in order to strengthen the Speaker’s Office and build the capacity to implement internal parliamentary reform, enhancing parliament’s oversight, legislative and representative functions, thereby improving the quantity and quality of the legislation.
Ukraine-UK MPs Partnership Programme
Implementing organisation: Westminster Foundation for Democracy
Duration: September 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £9,358
This intervention supports building and strengthening linkages between parliamentarians in the UK and Ukraine, exposing Ukrainian MPs to UK practices relating to the current parliamentary reforms taking place in Ukraine.
Promotion of state-driven energy efficiency programmes for households (‘warm loans’)
Implementing organisation: Ukrainian Centre for European Policy
Duration: November – December2016
Funding: £9,056
This initiative will help promote state-driven energy efficiency programme, the so-called ‘warm loans’, run by the State Agency on Energy Efficiency of Ukraine, in two pilot regions of Lutsk and Rivne and encourage citizens to take advantage of the programme to save both energy and money.
Empowering parents of LGBT children: 2nd International Conference “Our society: ways of understanding, acceptance and support”
Implementing organisation: Parents’ Initiative TERGO
Duration: November 2016
Funding: £5,435
This small scale intervention has contributed towards organising an important conference and follow-up activities on sharing best practice and support amongst parents of LGBTI children from Malta, the UK, Spain, Ireland and Ukraine.
Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy in Ukraine
The Human Rights and Democracy Programme is the FCO’s dedicated strategic programme fund, supporting our global human rights and democracy work. Through targeted projects, it aims to further British interests overseas by supporting the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Supporting journalists and human rights defenders in Crimea
Implementing organisation: Human Rights Information Centre NGO
Duration: August 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £97,803
This project helps defend fundamental rights and freedoms in Crimea by documenting human rights abuses and increasing pressure on the de-facto authorities to respect human rights.
Defending the rights of LGBT people in Ukraine
Implementing organisation: Nash Mir NGO
Duration: August 2016 – March 2017
Funding: £57,900
This project supports implementation of Ukraine’s National Strategy on Human Rights which defend the human rights of the LGBTI community, working together with the Ukrainian government, MPs and other stakeholders in line with national action plans, thus increasing visibility of LGBTI issues in political and social life in Ukraine in the context of European integration.