On April 26, an international summit, the Ministerial Social Policy Summit, took place in Kyiv, organized by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine together with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of Sweden, and the Ministry of Social Security and Labor of the Republic of Lithuania.

The event brought together ministers of social policy from 14 European countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Sweden, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Estonia, Spain, Romania, Croatia, Germany, Norway, and France.

The summit was opened by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal. In his welcome speech, he emphasized that Ukraine's path to European Union membership is a strategic decision, and this path began with the formation of a fundamentally new social policy.

«The outdated Soviet model is incapable of adequately responding to challenges. That's why we're establishing a fundamentally new system. At its core lies the principle of fostering capability rather than dependency. We're incentivizing the return of individuals to economic activity and concentrating on supporting those who genuinely require assistance. Digitization, targeted interventions, universality, fairness, and accessibility stand as the primary tenets of our social policy. One of the pivotal aspects of targeted interventions and fairness within the social system is the 'money follows the person' principle. Funds should be allocated based on services rendered, not merely the existence of an organization or institution. Additionally, we're digitalizing the social sphere to ensure maximum transparency, efficiency, and equity», — shared Shmyhal.

Today, the issues of Ukraine's social policy extend beyond the country's domestic agenda and require international cooperation with partner countries, particularly the European Union, where approximately 4.5 million Ukrainian citizens currently reside.

«The social policy of Ukraine has now become fully European. Speaking about plans and future possibilities, I want to remind you of how the social policy changed after the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. This is primarily a policy of unity. On the morning of February 24, I heard from colleagues in Brussels that all EU borders were open. Ministers of Internal Affairs and Social Policy of Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Moldova, and all neighboring countries allowed our citizens to escape the war, provided them with shelter, and gave them the opportunity to study, work, and receive medical treatment. I thank my colleagues, UN organizations, but primarily the European countries that have been and remain shoulder to shoulder with us», —  said Olha Stefanyshyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.

Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, Oksana Zholnovych, co-chaired the Ministerial Social Policy Summit. She thanked the partners for their solidarity with Ukraine and readiness to assist in reforming social policy.

«We are very grateful that the ministers of social policy of European countries, despite the danger, came to Kyiv and once again showed their solidarity with Ukraine and readiness to assist in reforming our state’s social policy on the path to EU accession. It is important for us to adopt the experience of European countries, which indicates that social support should aim to make individuals as capable, economically independent, socially active, and included in all societal processes as possible. Our citizens should feel the best social support to quickly overcome difficult life circumstances, which, unfortunately, more and more Ukrainians are facing due to the war. This is a priority direction for social policy reforms in Ukraine», — said Oksana Zholnovych.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Moldova, Alexei Buzu, noted that Moldova seeks to unite efforts to ensure better social policies and well-being for citizens in a prosperous and peaceful Europe. At the end of his welcome speech, he added, «Today, we are here to promote equality, inclusion, unity, and peace in full solidarity with Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!»

The ministers of the European Union member states, as well as Norway, expressed unwavering support for Ukraine and Moldova in reforming the social policy sector and noted the progress achieved by the countries in aligning Ukrainian and Moldovan legislation and policies in the social sphere with European Union standards.

«I am convinced that the near future of the European Union lies with Ukraine and Moldova as member states. This summit underscores the international community's commitment to standing united with Ukraine on its challenging journey towards European integration. We demonstrate our dedication not only through words but also by acting united and coherently to strengthen key reforms in social policy.Today, we need not only to identify crucial themes but also to establish concrete, consistent action plans to facilitate Ukraine's and Moldova's accession to the European Union in the shortest possible time», — said Minister of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania, Monika Navickiene.

During the Summit, three panels were conducted, where participants discussed the most critical areas of support for Ukraine and Moldova that partner countries could engage in: social protection and pension provision, social integration of people with disabilities, and access to social services.

«The support of Ukraine is Sweden’s primary foreign policy task. In total, Sweden’s civilian support amounts to 1 billion USD. Our humanitarian support amounts to 230 million USD since 2022. A significant share has been focused on psychosocial support and rehabilitation.  During the Swedish EU Presidency, the Government put the situation of Ukrainian children, abducted by the Russian State or temporarily displaced in the Member States as well as those remaining in Ukraine, high on the agenda. With that in regard, I am glad that the EU member states has declared their support for an integrated child protection system in Ukraine. It is now essential that the ongoing impressive reforms in the area of social policy in Ukraine and Moldova continues. Sweden will be a long-term and predictable partners to Ukraine and Moldova. Especially on their EU accession path. Their future is in the European family», — said Minister for Social Services of Sweden, Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

The event was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, Marian Jurečka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment of Netherlands, Karien van Gennip and UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Regina de Dominicis.