
Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Ukraine had made significant
progress in implementing ambitious regional development and decentralisation reforms.
These reforms resulted in the creation of 1 469 amalgamated municipalities, the establishment
of an elaborate multi-level regional development planning framework, as well as a
significant increase in local public service delivery, and public funding for regional
and local development. However, the reforms faced a number of challenges, many of
which have been significantly exacerbated by Russia’s war against Ukraine. These challenges
include increasing regional economic, demographic and well-being disparities, a fragmented
regional development funding framework, as well as marked discrepancies in municipal
administrative, human resource and fiscal capacity. This report presents an in-depth
analysis of Ukraine’s progress in implementing its multi-level governance reforms
and explores the role of subnational governments in disaster management. From there,
it recommends how Ukraine, together with international partners, can use multi-level
governance, regional development and decentralisation to support subnational reconstruction
and recovery to address urgent humanitarian needs, rebuild local economies and communities,
and strengthen their resilience.