International technical partnership is a part of the international relations of the National Bank of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the National Bank). The National Bankdevelops international technical partnership with international development partners by attracting and sharing the best international experience and specialised expertise, obtaining intellectual property rights, providing consultations, and carrying out research, as well as sharing with the international financial community the National Bank’s experience and expertise in the most successful internal transformation projects and reforms of Ukraine’s financial system, including its unique experience and expertise in ensuring financial stability and business continuity in times of war.
The purpose of the international technical partnership is to facilitate the effective performance of functions and strengthen the institutional capacity of the regulator, introduce the latest technologies and best international standards, and improve the National Bank’s image in the international financial community.
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International technical cooperation is the experience and specialised expertise of international development partners to achieve the highest standards of institutional capacity of the National Bank of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the National Bank), as well as international technical assistance to the National Bank, namely resources and services provided to it on a free and irrevocable basis by international development partners in accordance with current international agreements ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and determined by the legislation of Ukraine. The National Bank receives international technical assistance in the form of consultations, experts’ work during meetings and missions, products and intellectual property rights, etc.
International technical cooperation measures are aimed at improving monetary policy, regulating and supervising the activities of banks and non-bank financial institutions, ensuring the stability of the financial system, and increasing the level of financial inclusion of citizens, protecting the rights of financial services consumers and investors, bringing financial sector participants’ reporting in line with international standards, developing the payment market infrastructure and settlement operations, developing digital technologies in finance, promoting sustainable finance and building a green economy, etc.
The National Bank directs international technical cooperation measures to address the most pressing issues, and maintains an ongoing dialogue with international development partners. Key partners that have been assisting Ukraine and the National Bank over the years include: The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as central banks and financial market regulators in other countries.
Due to the change in geopolitical priorities, Ukraine’s accession to the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the EU), the National Bank’s and Ukraine’s more proactive position in establishing international relations, and the desire of international partners to strengthen assistance to our country, the number of new technical assistance projects/programmes and the scope of assistance provided by central banks and financial regulators of the EU countries and other developed countries increased. This year, the National Bank’s international technical cooperation was carried out both to address critical needs to ensure financial stability and in line with the strategic priorities for the development of Ukraine’s financial system. The most relevant topics for the National Bank to learn about the best international practices and gain international experience were as follows: implementation of monetary policy, ensuring financial stability, banking supervision and regulation, payment systems and innovations in emergency situations, effective communications, regulation and supervision of non-bank financial institutions, etc.
The National Bank regularly holds joint meetings with international development partners to discuss current issues and the results of international technical cooperation.
At the national level, the National Bank actively participates in the three-tiered system for coordinating international technical assistance to Ukraine, which operates at the national level and is supported by the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
International Technical Assistance Projects:
- USAID’s Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project in Ukraine (CAP project)
- USAID Financial Sector Reform Project in Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the FSR Project)
- Strengthening the Regulation and Supervision of the Nonbank Financial Market (EU-FINREG)
- Implementation of EU Practices for Accounting, Financial Reporting and Audit in Ukraine (EU-FAAR Project)
- Program for the Implementation of the Administrative Base of the Law on Financial Restructuring
- National Bank Project Office to support the implementation of the Financial Sector Strategy in Ukraine
Projects/Programs Involving Experience and Expert Knowledge of International Development Partners:
- Green finance and ESG
- Building the Institutional Capacity of the National Bank of Ukraine
- Program of Bilateral Assistance and Capacity Development for Central Banks
- Alignment of Ukraine’s Regulatory Framework and Supervisory Practices with EU Prudential Standards in the Banking Sector
- Support for the Alignment of Ukraine’s Framework for Confidentiality and Professional Secrecy with EU Standards
- Financial Inclusion for Economic Growth in Ukraine
- Financial sector recovery and resilience in Ukraine
- Finance for Development
Since 2017, the National Bank has become an international platform for the exchange of experience and specialised knowledge between members of the global financial community. The National Bank holds international conferences, meetings, roundtables, bilateral expert events, and meetings, and shares its achievements and expertise in establishing and operating an independent regulator.
In 2022, the National Bank initiated two such international events:
- The Fourth Annual International Roundtable “Strategic Development of the Financial Sector for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery and Development”;
- Practical international seminar “Inflation Targeting in a World of Significant and Prolonged Shocks”.
These events drew even more attention to the National Bank from the international community. During the events, some participants suggested holding additional meetings to discuss the issues raised during the discussion panels in more detail. An increasing number of central banks and regulators of banking and financial markets in other countries are asking the National Bank to share its experience.
The National Bank was also actively invited to participate in international conferences, roundtables, forums, and working group meetings, during which the National Bank shared its experience in regulating non-bank financial institutions, monetary policy and research capabilities, sustainable development, crisis communications in times of war, cross-border information exchange, payments, remittances, and cloud technologies.
An important achievement in international technical partnerships in 2022 was the introduction of a new area of technical assistance provided by the National Bank, as well as the continued growth in demand for the National Bank’s experience in various banking sector issues. Technical assistance was provided at the request of the central banks and regulators of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Sweden. The number of such requests increased to 17 in 2022 (3 more requests than in 2021). The issues of interest to the National Bank’s international partners included the development of the financial sector in times of war, strategic planning and development, communications, monetary policy, open market transactions, payment systems (including in times of war), human resources management, the activities of the National Bank’s Money Museum, the development of the central bank’s digital currency (CBDC), cash circulation, and the prevention of corruption.
Given the general geopolitical tensions, partners are interested in Ukraine’s experience and the actual work of the National Bank in a turbulent environment, as the experience of a country at war and facing extraordinary challenges on a daily basis is unique in each case. That is why financial sector regulators in other countries are eager to take into account the lessons learned by the National Bank to ensure the resilience and adaptability of the financial system.