Denys Uliutin met with the UNICEF Representative to Ukraine, Anne-Claire Dufay

The Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, Denis Ulyutin, held the first official meeting with the the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Ukraine, Anne-Claire Dufay.

The parties discussed key areas of cooperation in the field of social policy, in particular, preparation for the next winter period, development of the social protection system and support for vulnerable children and families.

“This winter has shown that when the energy system fails, the social sphere is the first to react. Therefore, we must not only respond to crisis situations, but also prevent them – in particular, through the development of family policy, early intervention and community support. At the same time, it is important to avoid duplication of initiatives and work on the basis of data so that decisions are justified,” said Denis Ulyutin.

The Minister stressed the need to immediately analyze the effectiveness of the support instruments applied last winter and to ensure a more practical use of the Humanitarian Account for targeted assistance. The importance of speed of payments and digitalization of support mechanisms was also discussed. The Minister welcomed UNICEF’s cash assistance channeled through the account to reach 8,701 children living with severe disabilities in frontline regions.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the need to expand early intervention services, support for parenthood, the development of community care and assistance to families raising children with disabilities. Small grant programs play an important role in this, allowing the development of local services and strengthening the capacity of communities. The SPIRIT programme, supported by UNICEF, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and The World Bank Group is helping to push forward social sector reforms and strengthen social services in communities. To date, these services have supported more than 20,000 people in 10 regions.

For her part, Anne-Claire Dufay confirmed UNICEF's readiness to strengthen the coordination of international assistance, in particular within the framework of the Social Protection Working Group of donors. She also noted the importance of the effective use of the Humanitarian Account and the ongoing progress through Better Care reform, which includes developing social services, realizing every child’s right to family upbringing and transforminginstitutional care facilities.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue working on joint initiatives aimed at improving the protection and wellbeing of every child. As a reminder, earlier, the Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine Denys Ulyutin presented the Humanitarian Response and Resilience Account during the 6th meeting of the Sectoral Working Group "Social Protection". The event was organized by the Ministry of Social Policy together with the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Ukraine and UNICEF Ukraine.

Tags: