Side Event to Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026
Relevance of the Council of Europe Standards Compliance for the Reconstruction of Ukraine
24 June 2026 
18:45 - 19:30
Gdansk, Radisson Blu Hotel, Gotycka Room
ul. Dlugi Targ 19/Powroznicza, 80-828 Gdańsk
Background & Context
The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026 in Gdansk will convene global stakeholders to chart a path forward for Ukraine’s reconstruction, in light of ongoing challenges and opportunities. Successful recovery efforts must be anchored in strong legal and governance frameworks to ensure sustainability, democratic resilience, and adherence to the rule of law. The Council of Europe has developed robust standards - encompassing human rights, social rights, governance and anti-corruption, cyber security, environmental protection, and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence - that directly impact reconstruction, investment and business climate, as well as social cohesion.
This side event will focus on the enabling environment for economic renewal, competition in the levelled playing field market, capacity building, and alignment with European and international norms. Being at the forefront of accountability for Ukraine, the Council of Europe will have an important role to play in its recovery and reconstruction.
As the meeting room is limited to 30 persons, please register your place only if you are certain to attend.
Objectives
Demonstrate how Council of Europe standards underpin successful reconstruction by safeguarding fundamental rights and enabling economic development.
Discuss the extent to which Council of Europe’s business and human rights initiatives (such as BRAVE) are instrumental to bringing businesses closer to Ukraine’s recovery pathways.
Highlight concrete examples of standards such as the right to property, anti-corruption (GRECO), AI standards, cybercrime prevention, environmental protection and their impact in creating a rights-based, investor-friendly business climate.
Foster dialogue between national authorities, international organizations, and the private sector to support and accelerate recovery and reconstruction.
Participants
Panel
Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (confirmed)
Oleksandr Karasevych, State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ukraine (confirmed)
Matthew Jordan-Tank, Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Policy & Project Preparation, EBRD (confirmed)
Moderator: Gianluca Esposito, Council of Europe Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, moderator (confirmed)
Programme
Panel discussion
18:45 - 19:30
- Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (confirmed)
- Oleksandr Karasevych, State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ukraine (confirmed)
- Matthew Jordan-Tank, Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Policy & Project Preparation, EBRD (confirmed)
Moderator: Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
19:30
Closing and networking cocktail
Format and Audience
• Panel discussion followed by Q&A with the audience with duration cca. 45 minutes.
• Audience: Government officials, policymakers, international organizations, private sector, civil society, media.
• Capacity: The room has capacity for 30 persons. The registration must be done at an early stage and will be confirmed on the first-come-first-served basis.
Illustrative Council of Europe Standards
• Right to Property & License to Operate: The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) guarantees the protection of property (Protocol No.1, Article 1), critical for investor confidence and rebuilding economic assets.
• Social rights: The European Social Rights Charter guarantees fundamental social and economic rights.
• Anti-corruption Measures: The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) supports Ukraine in strengthening integrity and fighting corruption, essential for transparent reconstruction and effective public procurement.
• Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence: The Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law shapes AI governance, crucial as Ukraine integrates advanced technologies in infrastructure and government services.
• Cybercrime Protection: The Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) and its protocols provide widely accepted international norms to secure digital systems, vital for safe and resilient public administration and e-commerce.
• Environmental Standards: Legal standards such as the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law ensure sustainable development and environmental protection in rebuilding efforts.
Expected Outcomes
• Identification of priority actions for Ukraine and international partners in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.
• Consider opportunities for closer connections between accountability (notably the claims commission) and reconstruction efforts.
• Bring private sector, international institutions, and Ukraine closer together to leverage each other’s assets and tools to speed up recovery and reconstruction efforts.
• Highlight the main conditions for a recovery and reconstruction that is human rights focused, socially viable, financially sound, environmentally compliant, corruption free, and digitally savvy.
Register
As the meeting room is limited to 30 persons, please register your place only if you are certain to attend.