Backgrounder – Increased security and stabilization efforts in Ukraine

Since the beginning of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion, Canada has continued to stand with Ukraine and to support its people through many avenues. Since February 2022, Canada has contributed over $5 billion worth of multifaceted assistance to Ukraine, including for financial loans, military aid, humanitarian aid, development assistance, and security and stabilization efforts.

Canada’s contributions of over $21 million in project funding aims to strengthen Ukraine’s security, accountability, and stabilization efforts in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggressions.

Projects

Title: Police Service Trust, Accountability and Resilience (PSTAR)
Recipient and amount: Alinea International, up to $4.8M
Description: Through this two-year project, Alinea International will support the resilience and reforms of National Police of Ukraine (NPU) within the war context. Technical assistance, training and equipment will be provided to enable the police to respond effectively to cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), deal with trauma and better ensure public safety.

Title: Strengthening prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine
Recipient and amount: Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict; up to $5 million
Description: Canada is contributing to the Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Prevention Multi-Partner Trust Fund. Through this contribution, Canada is supporting comprehensive survivor-centered services and increased capacity for national authorities in responding to crimes of sexual violence in Ukraine.

Title: Rescue and Resilience for Ukrainian Civil Society
Recipient and amount: German Marshall Fund of the United States, up to $3M
Description: GAC is increasing the value and extending this ongoing project, providing up to an additional $3M to increase flexible support for local Ukrainian local organizations and media, with a particular focus on those in newly liberated areas and along the frontlines of the war. Through this project, Ukrainian civil society and media are being supported in a number of ways, including enhancing their physical safety and cyber-security, re-establishing their presence in newly liberated areas, and documenting the impact of the war on civilians and communities. 

Title: Integrating international standards to address CRSV in Ukraine
Recipient and amount: Women’s initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ), up to $136,000
Project Description: Through this approximately one-year initiative, Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ) is working to increase accountability for cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) by providing Ukrainian legal practitioners and civil society actors with training, mentoring and technical support for prosecutions and advocacy on CRSV.

Title: Promoting Access to Criminal Justice in Ukraine
Recipient and amount: OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine, up to $830,000
Description: Canada’s is contributing to a criminal justice project being implemented by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)’s new Support Program for Ukraine (SPU). The project is focused on enhancing the effectiveness of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in investigating serious crimes in line with human-rights based and gender-sensitive approaches.

Title: Building Capacity and Capability of the Ukrainian Humanitarian Demining Institutions
Recipient and amount: Tetra Tech, up to $7.5M
Description: In collaboration with the United States Department of State, through this initiative GAC will support the international firm Tetra Tech to improve Ukrainian capacity to safely clear territory of mines and other unexploded ordnance. Canadian funding will support the provision of equipment, training and mentoring for Ukrainian government deminers; survey and clearance operations; and raising awareness in communities about how to avoid mines and other unexploded ordnance.