Today, Ukraine is going through difficult times in its long history. On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation, in violation of international law, launched a full-scale military invasion of the territory of an independent European state - Ukraine. 

Currently, the temporarily occupied communities are ready for the process of restoration and return of the territories to the European vector of development after liberation from the Russian invaders. Reconstruction requires a comprehensive approach and mobilization of joint resources of Ukraine and international partners.

The forum has become a powerful dialogue platform for interaction between representatives of TOT, government authorities, business and international organizations to help TOT communities in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions now and to restore and develop the territories after de-occupation. 

The discussion of the challenges of the still occupied territories of Ukraine was joined by:

• Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba
• Vice Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk
• Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Oksana Zholnovych
• Deputy Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandra Azarkhina 
• Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine Jens de Mol
• Director of the USAID Mission to Ukraine James Hope
• other local, regional, national and international stakeholders - government, business, donors, experts.

Participants of the event:

1. Summarized the problems of the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions. 
2. Discussed further coordination of actions at all levels - from local to international - regarding assistance to TOT communities now.
3. Identified strategic steps for the fastest possible restoration of statehood, economy and return of people who have left the TOT after de-occupation.

A separate area of cooperation was the creation of the Association of Invincible Communities, a non-political and non-profit association of TOT communities, headed by Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov.

The main goal of the Association is to restore the TOT after de-occupation by working out a strategy for the development of the territories and attracting resources for the implementation of projects aimed at developing the economy, social sphere, infrastructure, and ecology.

The forum was implemented with the support of the USAID Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI), the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration.

250 participants at the local, regional, national and international levels.

20+ of the leading US and European international organizations that help residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

4 regions - Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, most of whose communities are under occupation.

The result is unification and coordination of actions at all levels for the development of the territories after de-occupation.