COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S ACTION PLAN FOR UKRAINE "RESILIENCE, RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION" WILL HELP REBUILD OUR COUNTRY – SERHII KOMNATNYI

On 24 April 2023, Serhii Komnatnyi, Chairman of the Board of the SFYH, took part in the presentation of the new Council of Europe (CoE) Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026.

The presentation was part of a working visit to Ukraine by the delegation of the CoE Rapporteurs on Democracy (GR-DEM) and the Director of the CoE Directorate of Program Coordination Klaus Neukirch.

In his speech, Serhii Komnatnyi thanked the Council of Europe for the effective implementation of the previous Action Plan for Ukraine and noted that the new Plan, which runs until 2026, will be one of the key guidelines for the reconstruction and development of our country, support for Ukrainians returning home, and protection of their rights.

For Ukraine, as a member of the European community, the support of the Council of Europe has been and remains fundamentally important, the head of the SFYH emphasized. The work of domestic governmental and non-governmental institutions in cooperation with the CoE Office in Ukraine and its units has made it possible to ensure the effective implementation of a number of projects and programs aimed at meeting the needs of Ukrainian citizens.

Since 2015, the Council of Europe has been assisting Ukraine in responding to the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) through the implementation of projects to strengthen the capacity of IDPs, central authorities, local governments, and communities.

In terms of implementing housing programs for IDPs, the cooperation of the SFYH with the Council of Europe Project "Internal Displacement in Ukraine: Building Solutions" played an important role.

Joint actions made it possible to study the relevant international experience and, taking it into account, modernize and implement housing programs, which include a separate line for IDPs, starting in 2017.