The Kyiv URBACT Local Group (ULG) met on 22 September 2026 within the UNIDAS4EU project. The meeting was led by ULG Coordinator Vitalii Stashuk of Dragomanov Ukrainian State University and brought together members of the Kyiv City Center for Gender Equality, Prevention and Counteraction to Violence.
The meeting aimed to strengthen the common understanding of the project’s objectives, the UNIDAS Good Practice and the transfer process, and to discuss how relevant the practice is to Kyiv’s specific context.
The meeting began with a presentation of the UNIDAS4EU URBACT Transfer Network, its objectives, partnership and main activities. Participants discussed the role of transnational learning in transferring the UNIDAS Good Practice, and the importance of learning from partner cities while taking Kyiv’s institutional, social and security context into account.
The Good Practice was considered not as a model to be replicated unchanged, but as a set of approaches and principles that can be adapted to the local conditions and institutional environment of Kyiv.
Consolidating efforts in times of crisis
Participants noted that the local support system operates under the prolonged crisis caused by the war, which creates additional challenges for service provision, interinstitutional cooperation, continuity of support and access to assistance. They emphasised that complex challenges related to domestic and gender-based violence cannot be effectively addressed by individual institutions acting separately.
The discussion highlighted the importance of:
🔹 Strengthening coordination between institutions and services.
🔹 Maintaining continuity of support during crisis situations.
🔹 Ensuring clear referral and communication mechanisms.
🔹 Combining available institutional and professional resources.
🔹 Sharing information and practical experience.
🔹 Avoiding duplication of efforts.
🔹 Strengthening the resilience and flexibility of local support mechanisms.
Adapting to the local context
The ULG also discussed the characteristics that must be considered when exploring the transfer of the UNIDAS Good Practice. These include the scale and complexity of the city, the existing system of municipal services, the experience of local institutions and the impact of the war on service delivery.
Participants emphasized that the transfer process should build on existing local capacities and experience, while identifying elements of the Good Practice that could strengthen or complement current approaches. They also highlighted the importance of developing solutions that are realistic, practical and adaptable to changing circumstances.
Next steps
The ULG will continue working on the transferability and adaptation of the UNIDAS Good Practice to the Kyiv context. Further activities will focus on analysing relevant elements of the practice, exchanging experience with UNIDAS4EU partner cities, identifying opportunities for adaptation and considering practical approaches to strengthening coordinated local responses under crisis conditions.
The results of the ULG discussions will contribute to the further development of the local transfer process within the UNIDAS4EU network.