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Ukrainian officials visit Geneva to discuss how innovation-led growth can support the country’s green and circular reconstruction

Ukrainian officials visit Geneva to discuss how innovation-led growth can support the country’s green and circular reconstruction

Innovation will be crucial for rebuilding Ukraine’s economic and social systems to ensure the country’s long-term prosperity, resilience and sustainability. To support Ukraine in addressing these challenges, UNECE organized a study tour to Geneva for three Ukrainian officials.

The study tour (14-16 November) provided participants from Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Economy and National Academy of Sciences with ample opportunities to partake in high-level discussions with leading international experts, exchange knowledge and experiences with experts and stakeholders in the field of innovation and circular economy, and to discuss the role of innovation policies in supporting a green and circular recovery.

Participants attended the UNECE Regional Policy dialogue on Sustainable and Innovation-Enhancing Public Procurement to Support the Circular Economy Transition in the UNECE Region and the launch of the UN-ECE Transformative Innovation Network (ETIN). They also met with representatives of numerous international organizations, including inter alia the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). During these meetings, international partners provided updates on ongoing (joint) activities for the green and circular recovery of Ukraine, focusing on how to best shape and expand future support to the country.

They also held bilateral meetings with UNECE Executive Secretary, Ms. Olga Algayerova, and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine, Mr. Vyacheslav Tsymbal, to discuss strategic ambitions and priorities of Ukraine’s green recovery and reconstruction and UNECE support for technical assistance, capacity building, and policy analysis and development. Ms. Algayerova highlighted that “UNECE cooperates closely with Ukraine on many fronts: from housing and land management, environmental protection, public-private partnerships, trade facilitation and digitalization of trade and transport to innovation and the transition to a circular economy. We are committed to continuing and deepening our work and collaboration in support of Ukraine’s innovation-led sustainable recovery and reconstruction.”

The study tour was organized in the framework of Circular STEP, UNECE’s multi-stakeholder knowledge sharing network (Circular Stakeholder Engagement Platform - STEP) and as part of UNECEs long-standing  support for innovation in Ukraine. The discussions held during the study tour will be leveraged to shape the UNECE Innovation Policy Outlook project, the Circular STEP project and the national Innovation Sustainable Development Review. The knowledge exchange will also feed into the implementation of decisions from the 69th Commission session “Promoting circular economy and sustainable use of natural resources in the UNECE region” and the forthcoming 70th Commission session “Green and digital transformations for sustainable development in the UNECE sub-region” and support Ukraine in achieving SDG 9 “industry, innovation and infrastructure” and SDG 12 “ensuring sustainable consumption and production”.