Response and Recovery Plan ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19 IN UKRAINE Photo on Cover. Medical workers inspect passengers after a train evacuating Ukrainians from Poland arrived at the Central Railway Station in Kyiv on 20 March 2020. Photo by Oleg Petrasiuk, from the Kiyv Post, 20 March 2020. The designations employed and the presentation of material in the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Response and Recovery Plan 3 Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations 6 High likelihood of nosocomial infection 50 Ukraine Reference Map 7 Other public health risks 51 Executive summary 8 Challenges in conflict-affected areas 51 Different response capacities at the regional I. INTRODUCTION 13 level 52 Psycho-social wellbeing and violence 52 II. CONTEXT 14 B. Response 54 A. The Voluntary National Review 2020 15 The role of the United Nations Country Team 54 B. The Government of Ukraine – Additional funds 56 United Nations Partnership Framework 16 Public health and social measures 56 III. ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT 17 Essential health services 57 Access to COVID-19 information and health A. Participating agencies 17 by vulnerable groups 60 B. Scope and objectives 18 Domestic production of PPE and ventilators 60 Domestic production of the COVID-19 vaccine 60 C. Approach and methodology 19 The COVAX Facility 61 Assessment structure 19 Establishing testing capacity 61 IV. VULNERABILITY AND GENDER ANALYSIS 20 C. Suggested measures and policy options 61 Short-term measures for immediate A. Background 20 response 61 B. Analysis of findings 21 Long-term policy options to recover better 63 Who are the most vulnerable groups Recommendations for development in Ukraine at the time of COVID-19? 28 partners 64 What are the main barriers to the fulfilment of their basic human rights? 29 VI. PILLAR 2: PROTECTING PEOPLE – How can barriers to basic rights SOCIAL PROTECTION AND BASIC SERVICES 66 be removed? 40 A. Impact 68 Exposing structural vulnerabilities 68 V. PILLAR 1: PROTECTING HEALTH SERVICES AND SYSTEMS 42 Reversing development gains 68 Income contraction and poverty 68 A. Impact 45 Rise in unemployment 71 Increasing rates of infection 45 Women’s increased burden of unpaid Higher risk of infection and fatality and risky domestic and care work 71 behaviours 47 Diminished access to education 72 Decreased access to essential health services 48 4 Assessment of the Socio-Economic Impact of Covid-19 in Ukraine B. Response 73 C. Suggested measures and policy options 95 Role of the United Nations Country Team 73 Employment retention and generation 96 Social protection 73 Safe work environments 96 Women’s social support 75 Greening the small and medium-sized enterprises 96 Protection of IDPs and conflict-affected populations 75 Digitalizing small and medium-sized enterprises 97 Pension reform 75 Circular migration 97 Distance education 76 Digital infrastructure 97 C. Suggested measures and policy options 77 E-Government 98 Social protection 77 Food and agriculture 98 Education 79 VIII. PILLAR 4: FACILITATING VII. PILLAR 3: PROTECTING JOBS, MACROECONOMIC RESPONSE AND SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES, MULTILATERAL COLLABORATION 100 AND INFORMAL WORKERS 80 A. Impact 102 A. Impact 83 GDP contraction 102 The economic situation before the pandemic 83 Exchange rate and inflation 102 The current economic situation 84 Current accounts and foreign trade 102 Employment 84 Remittances and poverty 102 Small and medium-sized enterprises 86 Government consumption 102 Main concerns of small and medium-sized enterprises 86 B. Response 104 Agriculture 90 Role of UNCT 104 Impact on migration, remittances, seasonal Fiscal policies 104 work and other aspects of human mobility 91 Monetary and macro-financial policies 105 B. Response 92 Main government programmes 106 The role of the UNCT 92 Partners’ response 106 Changes to the Labour Code 93 C. Suggested policy options 107 Safe work environments 93 Leave no one behind 107 The State Employment Service 94 Target the most vulnerable and address Response of the social partners 94 inequalities 107 Support for small and medium-sized Conduct gender analyses before policy enterprises 94 formulation 108 Infrastructure works 95 Embed gender equality concerns in the fiscal stimulus package 108 Response in agriculture 95 Mainstream migrants’ concerns in recovery 108 Digitalization of government services 95 Response and Recovery Plan 5 Create fiscal space through reformed Support the rights of persons deprived tax policies 109 of their liberty 126 Promote a greener economy and Access to socio-economic rights decarbonization 109 in the conflict-affected areas 127 Review green regulation and incentives 110 Governance, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law 127 Address climate change 110 Right to information 127 IX. PILLAR 5: SUPPORTING SOCIAL COHESION Migrants 128 AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE 112 Local elections 2020 128 A. Impact 114 Community security 128 Population’s trust in institutions 114 X. RECOVER BETTER 129 Representation of women and vulnerable groups 115 A. Theory of change 130 Political engagement 116 B. Response interventions 130 The justice system 116 Ongoing response 130 Safety of public offices 117 Planned response 132 Freedom of assembly 117 Freedom of expression and speech 117 Appendix 1. Ongoing Response 134 Access to public information 119 Appendix 2. Planned Response 151 Access to community security 120 Ceasefire 120 B. Response 120 Supporting community-based initiatives 121 Supporting social dialogue 121 Supporting points of entry, vulnerable migrants and conflict-affected populations 121 Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on social cohesion and community resilience 122 Supporting refugees and asylum-seekers 123 Health standards, social cohesion and peace 124 C. Suggested measures and policy options 126 Avoid politicization of the disease 126 Adhere to ceasefire 126 Expand participation base in the COVID-19 response 126 Enable the exercise of political and civil rights 126 6 Assessment of the Socio-Economic Impact of Covid-19 in Ukraine Acronyms and Abbreviations AIDS Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome PHSM Public health and social measures CBO Community-based organization PPP Public private partnership Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of RGA Rapid Gender Assessment CEDAW Discrimination against Women SDG Sustainable Development Goal COVID-19 Coronavirus disease SGBV Sexual and gender-based violence CSO Civil society organization SME Small and medium-sized enterprise European Bank for Reconstruction and EBRD Development SMS State Migration Service ECA Eastern Conflict Area SRH Sexual and reproductive health EECP Entry/exit check point SSSU State Statistics Service of Ukraine EU European Union TB Tuberculosis Food and Agriculture Organization United Nations Entity for Gender Equality FAO UN Women of the United Nations and the Empowerment of Women Joint United Nations Programme GCA Government-controlled area UNAIDS on HIV/AIDS GDP Gross domestic product UNCT United Nations Country Team HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus UNDP United Nations Development Programme HRMMU United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission UNDRR United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction ICT Information and communications technology UNDS United Nations Development System ICU Intensive Care Unit United Nations Economic Commission UNECE IDP Internally displaced person for Europe ILO International Labour Organization UNFPA United Nations Population Fund IMF International Monetary Fund United Nations High Commissioner UNHCR for Refugees IOM International Organization for Migration UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund IPC Infection prevention and control UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services LEP Local Employment Partnership UNPF United Nations Partnership Framework MNH Maternal and neonatal health VNR Voluntary National Review MOH Ministry of Health WASH Water, sanitation and hygiene NBU National Bank of Ukraine WHO World Health Organization NCD Noncommunicable diseases NEET Not in employment, education or training NGCA Non-government-controlled area NGO Non-governmental organization Office of the United Nations High Commissioner OHCHR for Human Rights OHS Occupational health and safety Response and Recovery Plan 7 Ukraine Reference Map The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. 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