Chernivtsi, Ukraine, 25 July 2024 — With the support of the Government of Sweden, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine held a regional forum entitled: "Best Practices in Veterans' Policy: How to Build Partnerships and Create Opportunities for Veterans' Integration into Civilian Life." 

According to the Ministry for Veterans Affairs, there are about 1.2 million veterans in Ukraine today, and their transition to civilian life takes 2-3 years. This means that government policies and the search for how to facilitate reintegration of veterans after their return from military service needs to be continuously improved. 

The event, which took place in Chernivtsi City on 25 June 2024, brought together more than 100 participants and enabled the parties responsible for implementing veterans' policies to establish links. The forum was attended by national, regional and local authorities, parliamentarians, civil society, veterans and their families. 

The forum's purpose was to share the best veteran policy practices at national, regional, and community levels; promote partnerships; develop veteran communities in Chernivtsi Oblast; and rehabilitate and reintegrate veterans to facilitate their employment, and comprehensive adaptation to civilian life. 

Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, said in his online address to participants: "We are currently preparing a state strategy for veterans' policy, which should take into account all aspects of the reintegration of veterans and provide them with quality services." 

Mustafa Sait-Ametov, UNDP Ukraine Regional Development Programme Manager, addressed the forum participants: "Ukrainian communities are making significant efforts to help veterans and return them to civilian life. UNDP, in cooperation with the Government of Ukraine, is supporting their efforts and — thanks to the assistance of the international community, in particular the Government of Sweden — is facilitating the exchange of best practices and the dissemination of experience from community to community. Among other things, this enables networking and the building of new partnerships for the sustainable recovery of the country." 

During the first panel, the speakers and participants discussed the veterans policy in Chernivtsi and other oblasts of Ukraine, as well as how to improve state institutional and legal mechanisms to reintegrate veterans. In addition, they discussed the development of honouring policies and approaches to building veteran spaces in communities. 

The second panel was dedicated to discussing the experience of rehabilitation in public and private clinics, including medical rehabilitation and mental health support. In particular, expertise was presented from state medical institutions of prosthetics in Chernivtsi Oblast and rehabilitation in Kirovohrad Oblast, as well as the Superhumans Centre for Comprehensive Rehabilitation. 

The discussion, which focused on employment opportunities for veterans, revealed both successful cases of veteran-owned businesses and the limitations in this area. 

The final panel was devoted to the role of alternative rehabilitation methods, such as art (cinema and theatre), sports, social entrepreneurship, and expanded social and psychological rehabilitation programmes. Famous Ukrainian director and actor Akhtem Seitablaev shared the first achievements of the Veterans' Theatre project, and Vadym Gilchuk, winner of the adaptive sports competition and veteran of the Border Guard Service, shared his experience of preparing for the competition in Las Vegas, which contributed to his rehabilitation and reintegration into civilian life. 

On the eve of the forum, training was held for representatives of social services and community centres in Chernivtsi Oblast that provide social services to veterans and their families. 

The event was organized by UNDP Ukraine and the Chernivtsi Oblast State Administration as part of the “Empowered Partnership for Sustainable Recovery” (EPSR) project, funded by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and implemented by UNDP in Ukraine. 

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org