Since the spring of 2022, as a living memorial to the original Marshall Plan, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) has been framing the need and opportunity for a Marshall Plan for Ukraine. In addition to impactful research and many other activities, GMF’s work has included hosting side events the day before or after the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), often with a timely theme.

This year, GMF will join forces with the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) to host a side event dedicated to strengthening Ukraine’s institutional capacity to ensure transparent, efficient, and accountable governance of its recovery efforts. Over the years, IAI has established itself as one of Italy’s leading think tanks on EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy. In 2025, it is partnering with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the “EU Dimension – EU Accession and Related Reforms” track of the Ukraine Recovery Conference. This pillar emphasizes the importance of advancing European integration and aligning Ukraine’s policies and institutions with EU standards as a path toward accession and long-term economic and social progress.

At the GMF-IAI side event, leading Ukrainian reformers, international partners, and donors will address the urgent challenge of transforming Ukraine’s fragmented and reactive recovery system into a sustainable, institutionally grounded governance architecture capable of managing long-term reconstruction.