The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU) has developed a cross-dimensional Economic-Environmental/Politico-Military Programme at the request of and in close co-operation with its Ukrainian partners in support of the country's efforts to implement OSCE commitments.

The programme focuses on several areas:

• Promotion of energy efficiency and alternative energy use
• Environmental education at primary and secondary schools
• Sustainable socio-economic development and environmental security
• Clean-up of areas contaminated with explosive remnants of war
• Disposal of the rocket fuel component mélange
• Transboundary co-operation and sustainable management of the Dniester River basin
• Capacity building for combating illegal transboundary transportation of hazardous waste and other environment-sensitive commodities in Eastern Europe
• Social adaptation of discharged military personnel;
• Strengthening security of Ukrainian borders

Sustainable socio-economic development and environmental security are key elements of stability and progress. Following requests from the Government of Ukraine, the PCU has designed a series of development projects which will assist the country in reaching its overall development goals and raise citizens' environmental awareness, including the promotion of "green" behaviour and sustainable development through education.

One of the projects includes assistance to the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports with the introduction of environmental education into primary and secondary school curricula. More detailed information about this project can be found here.

The PCU has been assisting Ukraine with promotion of energy security, energy efficiency and the use of renewable and alternative energy sources.

The PCU has also assisted the state authorities and self-government bodies in achieving greater transparency and accountability towards citizens by using e-governance in their implementation of economic policies. Drawing on international experience and OSCE expertise, the PCU is facilitating pilot initiatives in several regions to introduce e-governance applications and implement one-stop shop principles. The aim is to increase the efficiency of government bodies dealing with regulatory matters and minimize bureaucratic red tape.

Clean-up of areas contaminated with explosives

The PCU assists Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry with cleaning up areas contaminated with explosive remnants of war (ERW) near the cities of Kerch and Sevastopol in Crimea, and Bila Tserkva near Kyiv. In co-operation with the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), assistance is provided to improve capacities to safely locate and retrieve ERW in contaminated areas by providing special equipment and training. This project follows a similar successful PCU project that assisted with the clean-up of the ammunition site near Novobohdanivka in Zaporizhya region.

Disposal of the rocket fuel component mélange

The OSCE is assisting the Ukrainian Government with the elimination of approximately 16,200 tonnes of the toxic rocket fuel component mélange by ensuring its disposal in an environmentally sound and cost-effective manner. Mélange poses a danger to Ukrainian citizens and the environment, and has to be eliminated within the next few years. A project to dispose of an initial 3,168 tonnes of mélange, launched jointly with the OSCE FSC and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), was successfuly completed in 2010. The OSCE currently looks for additional funds and co-operates with the country's Defence Ministry on the continuation of the mélange disposal project.

Transboundary co-operation and sustainable management of the Dniester River basin

The PCU supports the OCEEA in facilitating the Moldovan-Ukrainian dialogue on the Dniester River basin. The aim of the dialogue is to achieve sustainable joint management of the basin. The OSCE is helping to improve current legislation and develop the new Dniester River Basin Agreement, encouraging the co-operation of health authorities and promoting the integration of biodiversity concerns into water management. A pilot basin-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) is being developed as an aid to joint decision-making based on integrated water management. To inform the public about these issues, the OSCE is conducting public awareness activities targeting the population of both countries. Reducing vulnerability to floods and climate change is another dimension of the project activities.

The principal partners in the project are the environment ministries, water management authorities, health authorities and Foreign Ministries of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as the scientists and relevant non-governmental organizations in both countries. The project is implemented in close co-operation with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

More information on the project is available at www.dniester.org

Combating illegal transboundary transportation of hazardous waste

The PCU also helps the OCEEA to build Ukraine's capacity to combat trafficking of hazardous waste and other environmentally-sensitive commodities in Eastern Europe, by supporting an inter-sectoral dialogue, training for authorities in charge of controlling the movement of cargo across national borders and the publication of the Waste Watch cards - a handy quick reference guide for border management authorities. The principal targets of these activities are Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova's Environment Ministries, environmental inspectorates, state customs services and state border services.

Social adaptation of discharged military personnel

The PCU supports the country's military reform process by assisting the Ukrainian Government in the further elaboration of sustainable and efficient methods of military social adaptation. PCU activities focus on:

• Assisting with the retraining and employment of military personnel discharged from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF);
• Helping military personnel acquire up-to-date job-searching skills and providing them with career guidance;
• raising public awareness of the rights of discharged military personnel;
• Raising public awareness of the rights of discharged military service personnel.

The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking large-scale reforms of the UAF, including comprehensive reorganization and discharging of service personnel. The PCU has been assisting with the social adaptation of discharged military personnel for several years. Retraining has been conducted in the following locations, where the most significant releases of UAF service personnel have taken place: Mykolayiv, Kherson, Zhytomyr, Okhtyrka, Bila Tserkva, Sevastopol, Yevpatoria, Inkerman, Balaklava, Saky, Vinnytsia, Berdychiv, Nerubaiske, Kanatove, Kalynivka, Pryluky, Uman, Slaviansk, Rivne, Novofedorivka, Novoozerne, Myrnyi, Donetsk, Sumy, Odessa, Chortkiv, Simferopol, and other cities.

In 2011, the PCU will provide more than 1,000 discharged, and soon to be discharged, military personnel with retraining in a variety of fields. For the second time, the training groups will include family members of discharged military officers (mostly spouses) who will comprise 15-20 per cent of the group.

Retraining is provided in selected professional fields, based on the demands of local labour markets. Graduating officers receive state diplomas and international certificates. To date, over 70 per cent of the officers have found employment within three months of graduation.

Strengthening security of Ukrainian borders

The PCU assists the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (USBGS) in improving the security of the country's borders and is helping to strengthen the institutional capacity of the USBGS in one pilot area.

The USBGS is undergoing a large-scale reform process involving its transformation from a military to a law-enforcement agency. In response to a request from the USBGS administration, the PCU facilitated the purchase of computer and biometric control equipment. Also planned are risk and criminal analysis training seminars for senior border guards, as well as the procurement of further equipment. These activities are expected to improve the operational and professional capacities of the USBGS to collect and analyze data on illegal cross-border activities.