“This document is the result of the dedicated work of more than one hundred participants who took part in the central annual gathering of our movement — the 18th National LGBTIQ+ Conference of Ukraine, held in Kyiv on 27–28 November 2025 under the motto ‘Hardened by Struggle. United by Freedom,'” says Oleh Alyokhin, Head of the Conference Technical Committee, Chair of the NGO LGBT Association “LIGA”, and Co-Chair of the National LGBTI Consortium #LGBTI_PRO.

“The 2026 Roadmap represents the culmination of our advocacy priorities on behalf of our communities. We systematically present these priorities, point by point, to government institutions,” explains Sviatoslav Sheremet, Acting President of the All-Ukrainian NGO Gay Forum of Ukraine and Policy and Legislation Coordinator of the #LGBTI_PRO Consortium. “It is no secret that, in the context of Ukraine’s EU accession process, public authorities increasingly approach our organizations to ask how the country’s European integration agenda on LGBTI issues can best be implemented. The Roadmap translates this agenda into concrete reforms that will improve the lives of LGBTIQ+ people in Ukraine while also demonstrating measurable progress to the European Commission on Ukraine’s path toward EU membership.”

“The Roadmap is, in many ways, an ideal framework and a long-term vision. In practice, it is almost never possible to complete every objective within a single year,” comments Vasyl Malikov, Chair of the NGO Spectrum Kharkiv. “Rather, it is a collection of the reforms that are most urgently needed, knowing that only some of them can realistically be achieved within the year. We recognize that we live in unpredictable times, where progress is rarely linear. Some reforms suddenly become possible and move forward quickly, while others require different circumstances and more time. The Roadmap reflects our clearest vision of the future we are working toward.”

“Turning almost every paragraph of the Roadmap into reality requires a dedicated advocacy, communications, or expert campaign. It also requires cross-sector cooperation, bringing together government institutions and civil society organizations,” says Andrii Chernyshev, Head of External Relations and Advocacy at the NGO Alliance.Global. “Every year, during the National Conference, we assess what has been achieved, what remains unfinished, and which priorities should be carried forward or revised for the following year. This is how Ukraine’s national advocacy system for the rights and freedoms of LGBTIQ+ people operates.”