The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced up to $8.1 million in new funding to support the National Police of Ukraine. This funding for police reform projects is in line with the Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s efforts to improve its security and strengthen reform.

Minister Dion made the announcement in Regina while at the Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the 125th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada and the 25th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.

The projects, supported by Canada’s new Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPs), will assist the Ukrainian police’s efforts to become more effective and accountable.

The new funding includes:

• up to $6.6 million over three years in support of a Police Training Assistance Project for Ukraine, including up to $100,000 for monitoring and evaluation activities, to support cadet and leadership training, outreach and public engagement activities, and the development of a police academy;
• up to $1.5 million toward the Ukraine Police Equipment Project to better equip the National Police of Ukraine, thereby transforming it into a more effective police service; and
• up to $40,000 through the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’s Ukraine Appeal, which collected funds for shipping and logistics to adapt vehicles, paramedic equipment and expertise to share with the conflict-affected people of Eastern Ukraine.

This funding, along with the ongoing deployment of up to 20 Canadian police officers to support and advise their Ukrainian counterparts, demonstrates Canada’s continued commitment to sustainable police reform efforts in Ukraine. Since the onset of the Ukraine crisis in November 2013, Canada has increased its assistance and broadened its support to include security programming and humanitarian assistance.

 http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1131719&tp=1