Social policy as the foundation of resilience: Ilona Havronska speaks at the UN Ministerial Forum in New York

During a working visit to the United States, Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine for European Integration Ilona Havronska took part in the Ministerial Forum “Leveraging the outcomes of the Second World Summit for Social Development from Copenhagen to Doha: Mobilizing national action towards 2030 and beyond”, held within the framework of the 64th session of the UN Commission for Social Development.

Addressing the participants of the Forum, Ilona Havronska emphasized that for Ukraine it is important today to share the experience of a nation that, despite the war, has managed to transform social policy into a tool for resilience, sovereignty, and systemic recovery amid global upheavals.

“The Copenhagen Declaration, for the first time in history, placed social development and human well-being at the center of the global agenda. Today, thirty years later, it is clear that these values remain truly common only when all parties uphold their commitments. In the context of the ongoing war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, we see how threats to human well-being have been turned into an instrument of terror by the aggressor. Even last night, despite severe cold weather, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian cities, including energy and housing infrastructure,” the Deputy Minister noted.

Ilona Havronska stressed that the transformation of social policy in Ukraine is based on social investment and human capital development. In particular, the state is building a modern prosthetics and rehabilitation system, guaranteeing free high-tech prosthetics for both military personnel and civilians, and reforming the childcare system with a focus on family-based care.

Digitalization is another key element of social sector transformation. According to Ilona Havronska, the introduction of the Unified Information System of the Social Sphere ensures transparent and equitable access to assistance, enables the implementation of case management, and allows support to be provided proactively, even in conditions of blackouts and damaged infrastructure.

The Deputy Minister also focused on the development of the Resilience Centers network, which already operates in more than 200 communities. She noted that these centers have become hubs of support for veterans, families with children, and older persons, combining social services with psychosocial support and self-help tools.

“We also see how important social cohesion is for people. As a result of the war, millions of Ukrainians have lost their social ties because they were forced to leave their homes. According to available data, approximately 4.6 million people are internally displaced, and about 7 million remain abroad, including more than 4.3 million in European Union countries under temporary protection,” Ilona Havronska emphasized.

It should be recalled that earlier Ilona Havronska took part in a meeting of Senior EU Officials responsible for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, held in Brussels, where she stressed the importance of ensuring the continuity of support for internally displaced persons.

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