New donor-funded Support Programme for Ukraine

WARSAW/VIENNA, 1 November 2022 – Today a new donor-funded Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU) was launched by contributing OSCE participating States. The Support Programme addresses some of the immediate challenges to civilians posed by the war waged against Ukraine and supports the long-term democratic and social resilience of Ukrainian institutions and civil society organizations.

“While the Russian Federation has forced the closure of the OSCE’s field operations in Ukraine by opposing the renewal of the mandates of the Special Monitoring Mission and the Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, we remain steadfast in our commitment to Ukraine,” said OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau.

The Support Programme currently consists of 23 projects that aim at supporting the civilian population affected by the war and further strengthening Ukraine’s institutions. The projects will build on the prior work with the OSCE’s long-standing partners and cover activities in the country that include supporting humanitarian de-mining efforts, improving disaster risk reduction, and supporting the reform efforts of the Ukrainian government, among others.

“With the Support Programme, OSCE donors want to make sure that we continue to support Ukraine in dealing with the full range of threats to security, from risks originating from environmental disasters caused by the war to ensuring that women who have been subjected to gender-based violence receive support,” said OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid.  

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office appointed Ambassador Henrik Villadsen, from Denmark, as Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office – Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, effective 1 November. Ambassador Villadsen will be the Chair’s focal point for the new Support Programme for Ukraine and lead dialogue with relevant stakeholders in the country.