The United Nations country teams presents 2021 results report and key priorities for operations in 2022

The United Nations country team in Ukraine is proud to present its joint 2021 annual results report and key priorities for 2022 in response to the ongoing war and its consequences. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine the United Nations, in close cooperation with the government, civil society and development partners, has achieved noteworthy results in 2021.

Check the UN Country Team in Ukraine 2021 Results Report here.

2021: overview of results and cooperation

In 2021, the United Nations worked jointly with the Ukraine’s Government and multiple stakeholders at both the central and local levels to advance implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Ukraine, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) monitoring, financing and embedding these within existing and new development strategies.

Human rights remained core to the UN work in Ukraine and have been mainstreamed across all operations, with the focus on the most vulnerable, ensuring their inclusion and amplifying their voices. The UN continued to place the leave no one behind principle at the centre of all its actions. The UN provided significant support to further promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment in Ukraine, and various aspects of migration management. Another key focus of operation was aimed at supporting a green transition in Ukraine and country’s application to the United Nations Partnership for Action on Green Economy.

The UN also provided expert policy advice and programmatic support in key Ukraine’s reform priority areas, with sustained focus on the COVID-19 emergency response and recovery. Thus, the UN has commented on and contributed to the National Economic Strategy 2030 to ensure that it is inclusive, designed bottom-up, and outcomes-oriented.

All United Nations interventions in 2021 were assessed and matched against the SDGs and its targets. Almost 81 percent of the US$202 million invested in 2021 is focused on driving progress towards achieving three SDGs: SDG 16 “Peace and Justice – Strong Institutions”; SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-Being”; and SDG 10 “Reduced Inequalities”.

The implementation of the UN-Ukraine Partnership Framework (UNPF) in 2021 has benefited from the generous support (close to 95 percent of UNPF available funds) from the Government of Ukraine, as well as the Governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America and Japan. The EU is also a significant contributor, as were the Global Fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund. In addition to these development partners, several private sector entities also provided important support to the United Nations in 2021. The UN extends its sincere thanks and appreciation.

2022 key priorities for UN operations in Ukraine

In 2022, following the start of the war, the United Nations remained in Ukraine to support the Government and the people, including in areas in the immediate vicinity of the frontline. The UN has re-tooled its support to the Government and people of Ukraine by substantially increasing its humanitarian response, with a substantial proportion of existing funds repurposed to support people in need. In addition, the UN launched two coordinated United Nations emergency appeals calling for US$4.1 billion to help people across Ukraine and outside the country.

To address the immediate humanitarian needs, the UN is also supporting the government’s vision for early recovery as per the National Reconstruction Plan. The UN will aligning its planned 18-month Transitional Framework for Ukraine, which will supersede the UN-Ukraine Partnership Framework expiring in 2022, with the priorities of the government and development partners. The UN’s proposed priorities are to save and protect lives and reduce human suffering through flexible and scalable humanitarian action, and to support national systems and capacities in critical sectors in response to the ongoing war and its consequences. The Transitional Framework will also provide the basis for integrated planning and action by the UN spanning the spectrum of its interventions in Ukraine to reduce humanitarian needs and protect development gains of the country, through a Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus approach. As the Government is shaping its Recovery plan the UN is also partnering with this work, through direct involvement in the working groups under the National Recovery Council.

The UN is fully committed to stay and deliver the strongest possible support to Ukrainians in these most challenging times.

“The 2021 UN in Ukraine results report tells the story of a country moving forward with determination to achieve the SDGs. Since February 2022, we are heartbroken by the losses and pain inflicted by a cruel, senseless war.  Still, reviewing our joint achievements in 2021, the lessons learned from responding to the COVID-19 health emergency, we draw strength, inspiration, and hope from Ukrainian resilience, and our evermore strong and close strategic partnership with the Government and the people of Ukraine, and with Ukraine’s international development partners.” – Osnat Lubrani, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.