On 18 July, 2024 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, President of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO Iryna Borovets met with UNESCO Liaison Officer for Ukraine Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi.

The President of the National Commission expressed her gratitude to UNESCO and personally to Ms Bardeschi for the unwavering support of Ukraine in the face of the ongoing Russian armed aggression. She underlined the significant contribution of the Organisation to cooperation with the National Commission, in particular in providing assistance to the cultural sector of Ukraine in the face of today's challenges.

During the meeting, the parties stressed the effective partnership between Ukraine and UNESCO. Iryna Borovets praised UNESCO's efforts to restore damaged cultural sites and create new platforms to promote cultural development in Ukraine.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the critical support provided to Ukrainian journalists, including the provision of protective equipment, the establishment of solidarity centres and grants for professional development. Such support is essential to ensure the safety and uninterrupted work of journalists in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Iryna Borovets noted the support in the field of education and the assistance provided by UNESCO to Ukrainian educational institutions, including the mobilisation of resources from Japanese partners to support mental health and resilience programmes for teachers and students. She also thanked UNESCO for providing technical assistance in the form of laptops, which made it possible to ensure an uninterrupted educational process and the implementation of digital transformation in Ukraine.

The President of the National Commission drew attention of Ms Bardeschi to the state of natural biosphere reserves and the destruction of sports infrastructure as a result of Russian armed aggression. She called on UNESCO to accelerate consultations on a possible joint mission to assess the damage and provide recommendations for the restoration of these important sites.

The parties agreed to maintain close partnership in the future and to make joint efforts to support Ukraine's recovery and development.