Ukraine

Website of the SDC in Ukraine: www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/ukraine/

In Ukraine, the SDC is active in the domain of local governance and public services, as well as that of reproductive health. The SDC country strategy for the period 2011–2014 focuses on enhancing the access to water in the rural areas of the country via a decentralized approach. In the domain of healthcare, the SDC targets its efforts on improving the perinatal health services provided to mother and child.

Ukraine, in addition to being one of the largest countries in Europe, is also among its poorest. Independent since 1991, this former Soviet republic is veritably overflowing with natural resources and has a good number of trumps in its hand to enable it to get back on its feet. Moreover, the country's economy is on the road to recovery after the severe economic contraction experienced in the 1990s. To assist Ukraine in ensuring a harmonious transition to a market economy and a political system based on democratic values, the SDC provides support in two sectors in which it is renowned for its know-how.

Swiss International Cooperation	2011 mill. CHF	2012 mill. CHF	2013* mill. CHF

SDC
Cooperation with Eastern Europe and CIS	5.41	7.38	5.40
Humanitarian aid	0.14	0.14	–
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
Economic Cooperation and Development	4.44	5.86	12.15
Total SDC/SECO	9.99	13.38	17.55

Other Federal Offices
FDFA Human Security Division and Directorate of International Law	–	0.10	–
Other FDFA Divisions	–	0.11	..
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS)	0.04	0.04	–
The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)	0.11	0.15	0.15
Total other Federal Offices	0.15	0.40	0.15

Cantons and municipalities	0.21	..	..

Total	10.35	13.78	17.70

* planned; total based on available data
SDC figures excluding program contributions to NGOs
.. = figures not available | – = nil or amount < 5'000 CHF

Gouvernance
Local governance and promotion of public services
The so-called DESPRO project, implemented by the St. Gallen NGO «Skat», supports local communities in the renovation of their water-supply infrastructures. The approach used is both decentralized and participative. The users form themselves into groups dedicated to protecting their own interests and contribute to financing the project, while the local authorities facilitate project implementation. The SDC provides technical assistance while, together with other donors, supporting reforms in the domain of decentralization by means of engaging in political dialogue with the government. In certain communes, systems for waste management are also supported.

In parallel, another project supported by the SDC and implemented by the Council of Europe, raises the awareness of the Ukrainian authorities on the norms of good local governance.

Health
Programme to promote maternal and infant healthcare
By means of its programme to promote maternal and infant healthcare, the SDC has developed a range of perinatal health services to identify the needs of pregnant women and to improve the care provided to mother and child. Launched in 1997, the programme is implemented by the Basel-based Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.

A complementary project has been launched in the domain of education on health matters, a theme heretofore grossly neglected in Ukraine and which holds forth promise of major progress according to UNICEF which been charged with its implementation.

Financial and Economic Sustainability
Sustainable Energy Management
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) supports the financial sector and sustainable economic development. Several projects promote the private sector and the improvement of framework conditions, along with employment and market opportunities. SECO also fosters the introduction of new high-yield, low-carbon energy technologies in the building sector and in Ukraine’s small and medium-sized enterprises.

History of cooperation
A strengthened concentration of activities
Switzerland and Ukraine signed an agreement on technical, economic and humanitarian cooperation in 1997. A Cooperation Office was opened in Kiev in 1999. The first programmes, which were launched back in 2000, already targeted the theme of good governance via projects to promote access to water for rural populations, and projects in the domain of healthcare for mother and child. Other approaches were pursued simultaneously, for example the promotion of the agricultural sector and the reform of the judicial system and its institutions. There activities were abandoned little by little to conform with the Country Strategy 2011–2014 which calls for the interventions being financed by Switzerland to become more focused and concentrated.

Background information Ukraine

Facts and figures

	Surface area
	Population
	Annual population growth rate (since 1990)
	Life expectancy at birth women / men
	Adult illiteracy rate: women / men
	Gross Domestic Product GDP per capita
	Percentage of population with less than 2 USD per day

603'550

45.706

- 0.4

75.9 / 66.0

0.4 / 0.2

3'615.4

0.1

km2

mill.

years

USD

Source: World Bank's World Development Indicators 2013

Background information provided by the BBC

Local SDC contact address:

Ukraine (Kiev)
Swiss Cooperation Office Ukraine 4, Hlybochytska St. 04050 Kyiv - Ukraine
Phone	+380 44 23 86250
Fax	+380 44 23 86251
Email	kyiv@sdc.net
Website	www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/ukraine/

Additional Information and Documents

Here, you will find more publications, links, documents and articles about Swiss development cooperation and humanitarian aid in this country.