SALAR International intensifies its support to Ukraine

A year ago, on 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. SALAR International has, since the invasion, intensified support to hundreds of municipalities and their associations in Ukraine.

Since the conflict erupted, SALAR International has increased its support to local self-governments in Ukraine, as they are the primary actor taking care of their citizens, ensuring basic services, local infrastructure and psychological resilience.

As a result of the conflict, municipalities and administrative service centers are in need of material support to reconstruct damaged equipment, so they quickly can resume the delivery of services to citizens. SALAR International has adapted its work in the country based on critical identified needs.

2014 onwards, SALAR International has supported hundreds of municipalities in Ukraine. Initially, the focus was on ensuring they could deliver on their mandates in line with the unprecedented decentralisation reform. Since 2022, we have adjusted our support to ensure that municipalities can continue to function and provide basic services to citizens, in areas either directly affected by the conflict or receiving large numbers of internally displaced persons, says Ryan Knox Managing Director SALAR International.

SALAR International provides advice to local governments and relevant ministries on fiscal issues during wartimes, supporting them to operate in the current situation. Technical support has also been given to the Ministry of Education to help find solutions regarding the continuity of education, including in the contexts of reduced budgets for teacher salaries, displacement of teachers and pupils and the destruction of many school facilities.

Continued support to Ukraine

Development of the local level is important for Ukraine’s resilience and its future EU integration process. SALAR International continues to emphasize the role of the local self-governments and maintaining Ukraine’s decentralisation process, even during the current crisis.

We continue to prioritise capacity building of municipalities, so they can resist aggression, and take ownership of recovery and reconstruction processes. We want to help, by providing them with tools to effectively analyse and plan for recovery, as well as mobilizing additional resources to eventually support reconstruction, says Ryan Knox.

Current projects supporting Ukraine

• The PROSTO project aims to improve the capacity of local self-governments to provide qualitative services to the residents of Ukrainian hromadas.
• The DSP project provides strategic policy advice and support to the design and implementation of Ukraine’s decentralization reform, working with national ministries, the parliament and Local government associations, as well as directly with pilot hromadas.

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