Publication

IWP’s projects are aimed at advocating reforms related to the Europeanization of Ukraine, enhancing cooperation with Ukraine’s strategic partners and neighbors, developing a strategic dialogue on security issues, strengthening the cooperation with the NATO, training journalists and local opinion leaders on issues related to European integration and developing policy recommendations for Ukrainian authorities and Ukraine’s partners.

The full text of the report in PDF is available here.

In 2014, the IWP continued and developed its two last year’s projects: “There is a Better Side of Europe” and “Strategic Discussion Club.” Within the information and advocacy campaign “There is a Better Side of Europe,” the IWP’s team has organized the “Street Eurouniversities” in 20 Ukrainian cities, which turned out to be a great success. As evidence of support, the IWP has received many dozens of letters of gratitude from different institutions and officials. In addition, the PASOS has awarded the IWP within the PASOS Think Tank Award. Furthermore, due to the success of the project in Ukraine, the IWP was asked by the Government of Moldova to help Moldovan partners in development of a similar project. From May to October 2014 the Institute of Development and Social Initiatives «Viitorul» has organized a dozen of the “Street Eurouniversities” in Moldova in partnership with the IWP.

The interest shown by the citizens and regional media to European integration issues during the “Street Eurouniversities” project has proven the need for a more thorough discussion on the specific steps to be taken by Ukraine in order to become a successful European country. Therefore, at the beginning of 2014, the IWP has launched the “New European Policy” project with a series of public discussions in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Odesa engaging the leading experts and ambassadors of the EU member states. Each session had about 100 attendees including local experts, community leaders, and government representatives. The “European President” rating published by the IWP a week before the presidential elections has also created a significant public reaction among the media and expert communities. It was the first time when the candidates for presidency were tested for their commitment to the European values and ability to implement reforms

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has proven the need for further meaningful public debates on security and strengthening Ukraine as a state. Being aware of the challenges Ukraine is facing nowadays, the IWP has initiated the public debates on security issues in the form of Strategic Discussion Club, previously held 6 times during 2013 in Kyiv, in the Eastern and Southern regions. Our partners, the Norwegian Embassy and the NATO Liaison Office in Ukraine, have acknowledged the results of the SDC meetings in Kyiv and expressed their willingness to support the continuation of the project in the regions. The main goal of the “Regional Strategic Discussion Club” project was to involve regional elites remaining in intellectual isolation for too long into the debates on Ukraine’s strategic development. Since May 2014 the IWP team has organized the SDC sessions in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa.

Simultaneously, the IWP conducted several training seminars for journalists from all over Ukraine. The trainings in Kharkiv, Odesa and Kyiv had influential journalists from Central and Eastern Europe as speakers. The aim of the project reflected in its title, “Broader Integration: You Shape the Future,” was twofold: to increase knowledge on issues related to European integration among regional journalists and their role in that process, and to stimulate internal communication and integration between the residents of Western and Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Ukraine.

Aware of the need to contribute to resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the IWP started joint project “Ukraine – out of the Crisis through Dialogue” with the Centre for Cultural Relations “Caucasian House.” The project is focused on two objectives: first, to support political, social and economic reforms in Ukraine by studying the lessons of Georgian reforms; second, to establish dialogue between Ukrainian and Russian public leaders and experts. In late November 2014, the first working visit of Ukrainian experts and journalists to Georgia has been organized, which included meetings with Georgian officials and a roundtable with Russian experts. The first visit results allow us to expect successful continuation of the project.

During 2014, the IWP has published several policy briefs on security and European integration-related issues. The Institute’s research has been widely quoted in the media and by the experts and officials. The 6th edition of the annual IWP’s “Top-10 Promoters of Ukraine in the World” rating has also drawn a considerable public attention. The rating’s results were recognized even abroad, which could be illustrated by the letter of gratitude received by the IWP from the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule. Furthermore, we should note the IWP’s research on the necessity of reforming the peacekeeping mission in Transnistria published in 4 languages, Ukrainian, Romanian, English and Russian. The results of that research were presented in Kyiv, Chisinau and Brussels and were highly appreciated by the experts and officials directly involved in the resolution of the Transnistrian conflict. In particular, Ukrainian experts have noted that further work on resolution of Donbas conflict should take into account the Transnistrian experience. The public response gained by the research was emphasized by the Russian Foreign Ministry formal statement, which attempted to discredit the efforts of the expert communities of Ukraine, Moldova and the European Union on resolution of the Transnistrian conflict.

In order to achieve its goals, especially in terms of informing the Ukrainians on importance of implementation of European standards and values and enhancing the state and regional security, the IWP puts significant effort in visualization of its comments and research. Specifically, during the reported period the IWP has developed the infographics on such issues as fighting corruption, law enforcement authorities’ reform, judicial reform, Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO, international partners supporting Ukraine, and several videos promoting the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine.

Moreover, in 2014, the IWP organized several dozens of public events, including international forums and conferences, public discussions in Kyiv and regions, media clubs with decision-makers, and presentations of its research and surveys. Among those events, we should note the large-scale Ukraine–NATO Forum participated by Ukraine’s top officials, foreign and local experts, where the results of the NATO Summit in Wales (September, 2014) and their meaning for Ukraine were summarized. However, there was a particularly important event, which was the working visit organized by the IWP in cooperation with the CIDOB, which brought almost 30 experts from major European think-tanks to Ukraine. During several days, the invited foreign experts had a unique opportunity to communicate directly (in closed sessions) with the Ukrainian high officials and receive the first-hand information on the situation in Ukraine and the Russian aggression. The initiative has received a number of positive reviews within both Ukraine and the EU countries.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the IWP has organized a number of activities outside the projects, which includes the media clubs with outstanding speakers and press conferences on important foreign policy issues that required rapid expert review.

In the institutional development field, the IWP has systemized and enhanced its communication and financial management. At the same time, the IWP experts and employees have attended a number of trainings on fighting corruption, communication, financial management, strategic development, etc., which have also improved the IWP’s workflow, standards and procedures. At the end of 2014, the IWP has evaluated its performance against the Strategic Plan for 2013-2015. Following the document review, the IWP has developed the Strategic Plan for 2015-2017 delineating the ways to achieve the analytical center’s mission and vision.

Projects

In 2014, the IWP has received grants for implementation of the following projects:

2nd Romanian-Ukrainian Civil Society Forum

Establishing a New Peacekeeping Mission: a Premise for Settlement of the Transnistrian Conflict

The New European Policy

Strategic Discussion Club in the Regions

Broader Integration: You Form the Future

Ukraine – out of Crisis Through Dialogue

Partnership Matters

European Think-Tanks Experts Summit for a Sustainable Democratic Development of Ukraine

The Eastern Partnership: Important, Forgotten or Redundant?

Publications

“Top-10 Ukraine’s Promoters in the World” rating

“There is a Better Side of Europe”

“A Call for the EU — Time to Step in” policy brief

“Fighting Corruption: What Everyone Should Know” infographics (infographic)

“What kind of Court, Prosecutor’s Office and Police does Ukraine Need?” (infographic)

“The Reform of the Peacekeeping Mission in Transnistria: a Premise for Conflict Settlement”

“European President”

“Who is Our Friend in the EU?” expert survey

“Repercussions of the Ukraine Crisis for Moldova”; “Moldova: a Sinuous Road to Europe”

“Ukraine is not Alone. How the World Supports Ukrainians in Countering Russia’s Aggression”

“Ukraine’s Concerns about the West”