Paris, In a significant development for Ukraine’s recovery efforts, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and Ambassador Takehiro Kano, Permanent Delegate of Japan to UNESCO, have signed a financial agreement granting $14.6 million to support the revival of Ukraine’s culture, education, and media sectors. This contribution positions Japan as the leading donor in UNESCO’s initiatives aimed at Ukraine’s recovery, reinforcing its commitment to the country’s restoration.
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the newly acquired funds will be instrumental in expanding UNESCO’s on-ground actions within Ukraine, focusing on the restoration of cultural heritage, bolstering the education system, and enhancing media development. Director-General Azoulay expressed gratitude towards Japan for its steadfast support, emphasizing the impact of the new funds on UNESCO’s capacity to implement its projects more broadly and swiftly in Ukraine.
The projects set to be implemented in 2024 with this funding include emergency heritage preservation operations in cities like Lviv and Kharkiv, support for a Recovery Support Unit by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, and the development of an emergency preparedness and risk mitigation plan in Odesa. Additionally, UNESCO plans to improve the monitoring and assessment of cultural heritage damage and offer training for Ukrainian authorities and cultural professionals on data collection, vital for prioritizing reconstruction efforts.
In the education sector, UNESCO aims to train 20,000 additional actors, including psychologists and teachers, to provide mental health and psychosocial support services for Ukrainian learners, ensuring the recovery of future generations. Schools and Inclusive Resource Centers working with children with disabilities will receive support to create a safer and more inclusive learning environment.
For the safety of journalists and media development, UNESCO will focus on the protection, psychological support, and upskilling of journalists, alongside providing emergency financial and material aid to media workers for independent and conflict-sensitive coverage. A media and information literacy program will also be launched to combat disinformation and hate speech.
This contribution follows Japan’s $10 million support in 2023, which facilitated the training of over 200 cultural professionals, the distribution of “heritage first-aid kits” to site managers, and the training of 7,000 school psychologists in psychosocial support for Ukrainian schoolchildren. Furthermore, 230 journalists received training in safety measures, and 200 journalists were provided with financial grants.
To date, more than $66 million has been mobilized by UNESCO for its mandate in Ukraine, highlighting the ongoing international effort to support the country’s recovery and resilience building in the face of adversity.