Kyiv, 3 August 2022 – All Government bodies, public institutions, businesses and organizations rely on electronic registers to keep functioning. Keeping data only in paper form, however, puts them at great risks of loss from fire, natural disasters and in Ukraine’s case, war. This is why the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), working closely with Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Digital Transformation and with support from the Government of Sweden, has prioritized supporting the development of electronic registers of public bodies.

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine is making significant progress in updating its IT infrastructure and digitalizing access to its most important documents. Serhii Orlov, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations, and Digitalization, said Ukraine is simplifying access to a large number of public service by moving to a paperless regime. “For ourselves, we define this as there being no extra unnecessary papers issued to citizens when they are communicating with the state. This is especially important, as many Ukrainians have lost documents due to the war, or their documents were damaged.”

Serhii Orlov said the ministry recently, for example, simplified the procedure for obtaining duplicate certificates of the registration of civil status acts and extracts from the State Register of civil status acts of citizens by making them available on the Diia portal. In addition, the Ministry is improving the quality of the Unified Register of convicts and detainees data – central to the development of a probation system.

The Ministry was hampered in its efforts by outdated IT infrastructure and a lack of modern computer equipment. Most workstations were equipped with aging desktop computers that civil servants could not bring with them during frequent trips to bomb shelters. To help them overcome these challenges, UNDP, with funding from the Government of Sweden, provided new equipment and technical support.

The support provided will help the employees of the penitentiary system perform their duties more quickly and efficiently, and will ensure the uninterrupted management and maintenance of the Register, Deputy Minister of Justice Olena Vysotska said.

Speaking at a press conference today in Kyiv, Serhii Orlov said that while the Ministry has made great progress, there are still many tasks ahead. “It is necessary to digitize many services, update the legislative framework, streamline the work of state registers, constantly improve the level of data protection, and further upgrade our technical capabilities,” he said. “It is with the latter part that international partners help us a lot.”

Mstyslav Banik, Head of Electronic Services Development at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, echoed his colleague’s statement, adding that the goal of the Government of Ukraine is to eventually provide online access to all public services, without exception. “But for all electronic services to work correctly, and for state bodies to be able to provide them effectively, appropriate equipment is needed,” he said.

“Computer equipment purchases made with the help of our international partners will allow us to strengthen the ability of public bodies to transfer their work to electronic form, and improve internal working processes,” he said. “This will facilitate the work of employees and, as a result, simplify the life of Ukrainians, who will be able to receive the necessary services quickly and conveniently.”

Manal Fouani, interim UNDP Resident Representative, said the Government’s effort to upgrade and modernize its IT infrastructure began a few years ago and has intensified in recent months as it seeks to expand the range of public support and services in the war. “The Government is committed to reaching and supporting all Ukrainians in these difficult times, leaving no one behind,” she said. “At the same time, due to the war, the burden on the budget does not allow sufficient financing of all areas, and so international partners like UNDP and the Government Sweden are here to help.”

“Exemplary partnerships like this between the Ministry of Digital transformation, the Ministry of Justice, UNDP and Sweden demonstrate that by working together, we can overcome many obstacles in our efforts to better serve the people of Ukraine,” Manal Fouani said.

Background

All the mentioned purchases were made within the Digital, Inclusive, Accessible: Support to Digitalization of Public Services in Ukraine Project (DIA Support project), implemented by UNDP in Ukraine with the financial support from Sweden. The DIA Support Project was launched in 2021 and aims to bridge the digital divide between different generations and different social groups. Its main goal is to increase the accessibility of new digital solutions so that every man and woman in the country can use public electronic services and no one is left behind.

Media inquiries

Yuliia Samus, Communications Team Leader, UNDP in Ukraine, Yuliia.Samus@undp.org