On 28 August, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine held an internally moderated strategic session, supported by the Council of Europe project “Enhanced social protection in Ukraine”. This event represented a significant step toward creating a unified vision for the Ministry’s development, particularly in light of ongoing reforms in the social sphere.
The event was attended by Minister of Social Policy Ms Oksana Zholnovych, heads and deputy heads of structural units, as well as other Ministry employees.
In her speech, Ms Zholnovych emphasized crucial role of such sessions in strengthening the Ministry’s capacity. She highlighted the successes achieved through recent reforms and stressed the need to identify and address risks that may threaten the successful development of social policy. The Minister called for a united effort to effectively tackle challenges and improve the quality of social protection across the country.
An important part of the session was dividing participants into working groups, where they had the opportunity to thoroughly analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the current social protection system. The participants actively discussed ways to optimize and explore new solutions to improve the lives of citizens.
At the beginning of the event, Ms Alla Fedorova, a member of the European Committee of Social Rights and a Council of Europe consultant, delivered a presentation on "The European Social Charter and Ukraine’s Obligations." She outlined the key provisions of the Charter, stressed the importance of coordinated efforts across all Ministry units to uphold the rights specified in the document, and explained the monitoring procedures carried out by the European Committee of Social Rights.
In summarizing the event, Ms Oksana Zholnovych noted: “The internal strategic session allowed us to step away from our routine and focus on new ideas. It was a productive brainstorming session. Many of the proposals voiced by colleagues should be put into action and implemented. I hope these ideas will soon turn into concrete steps in the Ministry's activities. I extend my gratitude to the Council of Europe for their support and continued partnership”.
This session reaffirmed the Ministry of Social Policy’s readiness for change and its commitment to implementing new approaches aimed at enhancing the well-being of Ukrainians.
The Council of Europe project "Enhanced social protection in Ukraine" is implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026. It aims to ensure that persons from vulnerable groups, in particular, the population affected by the war, enjoy a higher level of social rights and social protection.
