The two organizations will join efforts to promote rule of law and access to justice in Ukraine

Kyiv, 16 March 2021 – The United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine and the Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision signed a memorandum of understanding on 16 March 2021 to enhance their cooperation, widening access to all men and women in Ukraine to non-discriminatory, transparent, and highly qualified legal aid provision.

The memorandum was signed by UNDP Resident Representative Dafina Gercheva and a.i. Head of the Coordination Centre of Legal Aid Provision Oleksandr Baranov.

Gercheva thanked Baranov for the long-term cooperation between UNDP and the Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision, and said that the memorandum would be a catalyst for positive change in the area of the rule of law and access to justice.

“This memorandum is designed to help us deepen our cooperation in areas of common interest, first and foremost through the advancement of the SDGs in Ukraine, based on the principle of equality for all,” Gercheva said.

“Together, we will build up the capacity of the Coordination Centre and its sub-national departments to help the state form policy in the field of free legal aid, improve the standards of free legal aid provision, and bolster the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups.”

The memorandum text read that it aims to ensure sustainable and inclusive access to justice and legal empowerment supporting inclusive growth and the effective implementation of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals at the national and local levels.

Under the memorandum, the parties agreed to cooperate on the development and implementation of new approaches in the area of free legal aid provision, contributing to the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of state services.

Background:

UNDP is the leading operational arm of the United Nations at the country level, working with partners in numerous countries to promote sustainable development, eradication of poverty, advancement of women, good governance and the rule of law.

Media inquiries: 

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Communications Specialist, yuliia.samus@undp.org, +38 097 139 14 75