In Rome, on the eve of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), an event was held with the support of GMF in cooperation with the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), dedicated to strengthening Ukraine’s institutional capacity. The event aimed to ensure transparent, effective, and accountable governance in accelerating the country’s recovery efforts.
One of the key topics discussed was the strategy to strengthen institutional capacity at the municipal level and build reliable public-private partnerships that can accelerate Ukraine’s recovery and stimulate local economic growth.
The Ukrainian side, together with international partners and donors, also discussed a pressing issue — transforming Ukraine’s fragmented recovery system into a sustainable, institutionally capable management architecture capable of effectively coordinating the long-term recovery process.
During the event, Head of the Restoration Agency Serhii Sukhomlyn and GMF Executive Director Josh Rudolph signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Restoration Agency and The German Marshall Fund of the United States.
🗨️ “This Memorandum is a step toward strengthening the institutional capacity of the Restoration Agency in the areas of expertise and the development of effective solutions for Ukraine’s comprehensive recovery. One of the major challenges for the state is the availability of high-quality expertise, prioritization of recovery sectors and facilities, and the effective implementation of new tools and mechanisms,” said Serhii Sukhomlyn.
He shared that expert councils have already been established under the Restoration Agency, which include leading Ukrainian institutions, international technical consultants, and various associations.
These councils assess recovery projects for alignment with local, regional, and national strategies, explore effective solutions, and help develop individual projects.
The Head of the Restoration Agency added that partners involved in recovery efforts also provide technical consultants. However, after project implementation, all that expertise remains with them. The Agency’s top priority is to consolidate that expertise internally. The signing of the Memorandum with the Marshall Fund includes training for local experts and strengthening the capacity of the Agency’s existing expert councils.
🗨️ “We clearly understand that the challenges for Ukraine and for the Restoration Agency are massive. These are large and complex projects across the entire country. And rebuilding must begin now, despite the complexity of Ukraine’s current governance system. This requires leadership, especially from the Head of the Agency. The entire international community — all international partners, donors, the government, and civil society in Ukraine and beyond — must work with the Restoration Agency, offer technical assistance, and provide other forms of support,” emphasized GMF Executive Director Josh Rudolph.