Olena Tregub, Executive Director of NAKO, joined the discussion “From Risk to Resilience: Linking Mine Action, Security Sector Governance and Food Security in Ukraine” online. The event took place in Vienna on 2 June as part of the Geneva Peace Forum meets Vienna.
During the discussion, Tregub stressed the importance of civil society for Ukraine, even amid Russia’s full-scale war. “Civil society remains critically important during wartime. It was civil society that helped launch the development of Ukraine’s drone industry when the state was not yet ready to respond quickly to new challenges,” said Tregub.
She also highlighted the role of public oversight in defence procurement. According to Tregub, the efforts of civil society activists helped prevent the procurement of substandard Israeli body armour for the Ukrainian military that did not meet the required standards.
Participants discussed the links between mine action, security sector reform, and food security in wartime, as well as ways to restore access to agricultural land, support local communities, and strengthen Ukraine’s resilience.
The discussion also brought together representatives of the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Photo by Geneva Peace Forum / Olivier Chamard