Our Perspective

The second wave. Are you an e-declarant?

01 Feb 2017

image Expansion of the scope of declarants from civil servants and politicians to education, healthcare and other public sector employees is supposed to focus public attention on the corruption areas deeply entrenched into everyday life.

Originally published in ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ on 25 January 2017 By Dmytro Kotliar   The second stage of electronic asset disclosure that started in 2017 is supposed to cover over 700,000 new declarants, including some education and healthcare professionals. According to the recent survey by Rating Group, Ukrainians considered e-declarations one of the main successes of Ukraine in 2016, after singer Jamala’s win in the Eurovision contest, good performance of Paralympians and the minimum wage increase to UAH 3,200. Indeed, the launch of e-declarations made the Ukrainian officials to demonstrate an unprecedented transparency of their property – money, real estate, valuables, etc. The revealed wealth impressed and caused a lot of questions as regards whether officials earned it legally. On the other hand, the reform has proven that the country is following the path of a mindset change – from the shadow that was throwing a cloak around the Augean stables of corruption to the transparency as a pre-requisite to clear them out. For the international partners of Ukraine, the new system of asset disclosure has also become a ray of hope and a crucial anti-corruption move. “What is happening right now in Ukraine is a real breakthrough in reforms and especially  Read More

Ukraine: Humanitarian assistance, recovery and development need to go hand in hand

18 Jan 2017

image A metalware factory in Kramatorsk provides critical jobs for displaced people and local workers after being rebuilt through UNDP Ukraine's co-financing programme.

Originally published on 10 January 2017 at UNDP Global web-site By Janthomas Hiemstra, Country Director, UNDP Ukraine The conflict in Ukraine is, without doubt, a humanitarian crisis.  Almost 10,000 people have been killed in the eastern region of Donbas alone. Among the victims, some 2,000 people were civilians. Another 22,000 people have been wounded, millions are displaced and living dangerously close to heavy fighting. This crisis has affected millions, despite repeated ceasefires.  The Ukraine crisis is also a crisis of development. Amid the human tragedy, concerns about development are often easy to overlook. But the impact can be devastating in the long-term. Basic infrastructure is put under enormous stress in a conflicts like this one, and that stress can lead to economic decline, eventually weakening the delivery of crucial social services in regions like Donbas. If we do not address human welfare and social development concerns, the impact of the conflict is likely to worsen dramatically. The burden will fall particularly on the elderly, the disabled, the poor, women and youth. This is why UNDP has set up its presence in Eastern Ukraine. for the past two years, UNDP has made its priority to contribute in finding solutions to everyday problems affecting  Read More

Human rights in Ukraine – Turning aspirations into actions

29 Dec 2016

image The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was not drafted by idealists in ivory towers, nor by ideologists with a particular political agenda, but by men and women who had survived the terrible wars and atrocities of the 1930s and 1940s. The authors of the Declaration have set a standard that challenges us all, which we must relentlessly strive to achieve.

Blerta Cela, Deputy Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine, takes stock of progress Ukraine has made and challenges still ahead with protecting human rights. Working with government institutions, law enforcers, the Ombudsperson and civil society, UNDP helps citizens protect and promote their rights – but more still needs to be done. This month, like everywhere in the world, Ukraine celebrated the International Human Rights Day, marking the 68th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Adopted on 10 December 1948, the Declaration recognised that “the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” This day provides an opportunity for all nations to reflect on progress they have made, and what remains to be done to meet the aspirations set out in the Declaration. How can people enjoy full economic, political and social rights? Are these rights protected through effective law enforcement and justice? Is enough being done to protect the rights of women, children, persons with disabilities and minority groups, who often are disproportionally vulnerable and yet are equal under the Law? As Ukraine will go through the  Read More

Reforms to nowhere? Or why Ukrainians continue to be skeptical about the path they are on

28 Dec 2016

image Only if Ukraine’s reforms will be perceived as ‘leaving no-one behind’ will they be fully embraced by the general public. When Ukrainians can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment, trust between the state and the people will be restored.

Originally published in Obozrevatel on 19/12/2016 By MARCUS BRAND, United Nations Development Programme Ukraine UNDP’s Democratic Governance Advisor in Ukraine Marcus Brand reflects on what is needed to re-establish trust between citizens and their institutions: a long-term partnership for local-area development and social mobilization. Reforms are not an end in themselves, but must lead to tangible benefits for the people of Ukraine in terms of well-being, equality and justice. The latest country-wide poll, published by IRI, showed that the trust in the political elite and state institutions remains low. Few Ukrainians have confidence that their country is on the right track. This must be a sobering report card for a government that had declared it a priority to deliver on reforms when it came to office half a year ago. The poll follows the unprecedented publication of full asset declarations by state officials, which once again show-cased the huge chasm between the haves and the have-nots in the country. Ella Libanova’s recent research on inequality in Ukraine used a methodology developed by Thomas Piketty to show that the richest one percent of the population has an average income 43 times higher than the average of the poorest half of the population.  Read More

Fighting corruption in Ukraine. How can we make it happen?

27 Dec 2016

image "Ukraine without corruption." A painting by Anna Hlynska from a children's contest

Originally published on EuromaidanPress on 22 December 2012. By BLERTA CELA, Deputy Director of UNDP Ukraine In 2016, Ukrainian society made some key steps in its fight against corruption. E-government, and particularly e-procurement, has advanced significantly in Ukraine since 2014. The introduction of e-declarations for public officials’ income, property and spending meant that Ukraine was placed fourth in a list of the most open governments in Eastern Europe. However, despite this progress, corruption remains a major problem. According to Transparency International, in 2015 the country was ranked 130th out of 168 in public perception of corruption, at the same level as Iran, Cameroon and Nepal. The poor and vulnerable suffer most from administrative corruption, as they rely heavily on public services. Ukraine is still one of the poorest countries in Europe. The minimal monthly salary is around €58, compared to €215 in Bulgaria and €276 in Romania. According to research on corruption conducted by the UNITER Pact in 2015, a third of the population thought corruption had become more prevalent since the Euromaidan revolution. The research also showed a decrease in public trust in all government bodies. This has had a very concrete effect on the daily life of Ukrainians who  Read More