Odesa, February 1, 2017 – Austrian Development Agency (ADA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Odesa oblast state administration and Odesa oblast council invite media representatives to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for implementation of a new project “Sustainable Local Development of Rural Territories in Chernivtsi and Odesa Oblasts”.

The project is aimed to improve the wellbeing and raise living standards of the most disadvantaged population groups in the Chernivtsi and Odesa oblasts. Funded by the Austrian Development Agency, it will benefit more than 150,000 people living in regional centres and at least 18 villages, small towns and rayons. The project will also boost citizen participation in local governance and encourage community-based initiatives, with a focus on inclusiveness and outreach to the most underserved.

The project will be implemented through the mechanisms established under the EU-funded Community-Based Approach to Local Development (CBA) Project and will be realized within a period of 18 months. The total budget of the project, provided by the Austrian Development Agency, amounts to 500,000 EUR.

Key speakers:  Maksym Stepanov, Head of Odessa Oblast State Administration (TBC);  Oleg Radkovskiy, Deputy Head of Odessa Oblast Council; Hermine Poppeller, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Austria in Ukraine;  Hendrik van Zyl, UNDP International Project Manager; Tetiana Zharska, Head of Association of communities in Odessa oblast.

Venue: Odesa city, 4 Shevchenko Av., Administrative premises of Odesa Oblast State Administration

Date and time:  1 February, 2017

RSVP and media accreditation by 31 January 2017: Yevgeniy Zelenko, UNDP Ukraine Media Officer +38-095-276-1406 yevgeniy.zelenko@undp.org. Further information about the project: www.ua.undp.org.