On June 11-12, Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman traveled to Berlin to participate in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), where she met with leaders from Ukraine and the region, including Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko, senior officials from multilateral development banks, civil society, and executives from American, multinational and Ukrainian companies. DA Coleman emphasized the need to mobilize continued international support for recovery, reform, and modernization of Ukraine. Of particular focus at this year's URC was the inclusion of vulnerable populations in Ukraine's recovery planning.
At the conference, Deputy Administrator Coleman participated in a panel discussion addressing Ukraine's labor market challenges and the need to be deliberate in addressing the needs of populations such as youth, women, veterans, internally displaced persons, and returnees, including through partnerships with small and medium enterprises, a focus on key fields such as the tech sector, and working closely with the private sector to understand employers' needs and ensure upskilling programs are both timely and fit for purpose.
Deputy Administrator Coleman also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that outlines the two institutions' intent to deepen their collaboration in support of Ukraine's progress in the fields of infrastructure, economic growth, and energy.
