As part of the Fourth International Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025), held in Rome (Italy) on 10–11 July, a dedicated stand on Crimea was presented by the Mission and the ZMINA Human Rights Centre.

The stand aims to draw attention to the importance of including the issue of the occupied territories in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction strategy.

The stand highlights key aspects of the Mission’s reintegration policies and developments, as well as strategies for post-de-occupation recovery. It underscores the need for international support in the process of restoring and developing Crimea after its liberation. Particular attention is given to the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage as an integral part of the region’s sustainable recovery — heritage that is currently being systematically destroyed by Russian occupiers.

The Mission’s stand is presented alongside other exhibits dedicated to the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Within the stand, the Mission showcases its reintegration policies and post-de-occupation recovery strategies for Crimea, including the WE BUILD CRIMEA project.

The stand also draws attention to the issue of Crimea’s cultural heritage. A featured element is the artwork I Am a Tulip by Rustem Skybin, which participants of URC can help color — symbolically contributing to the restoration of Crimea’s cultural heritage.

The aim of the stand is to draw international attention to Russia’s systematic destruction and appropriation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage in occupied Crimea. It underscores the global threat such practices pose to the world’s cultural legacy, including UNESCO World Heritage sites, and emphasizes the importance of integrating cultural preservation and restoration into Ukraine’s post-war recovery strategy.

The post-war recovery, reconstruction, and modernization process must include the future de-occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula. Recovery efforts should focus not only on restoring economic activity and critical infrastructure but also on preserving biodiversity, safeguarding historical heritage, and revitalizing the cultural sector.

We invite you to visit our stand at URC 2025! Crimea is Ukraine!