On January 8, the Law of Ukraine, "On Democracy at the Local Level," came into force, opening up new opportunities for residents of territorial communities, C, SOs, and internally displaced persons. What does it change?
This question was answered by the experts of the Sectoral Support Initiative for Civil Society, Maksym Latsyba and Maksym Lukinyuk, during two webinars that gathered more than 390 participants.
What opportunities does the Law "On Democracy at the Local Level" entail? Results of the first event
Initiative experts explained the key innovations to more than 130 activists.
"From now on, more than 4.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have the same rights to participate in local governance as residents of the communities where they have moved," said Tetiana Durneva, Chairman of the Board of the Public Holding GROUP OF INFLUENCE'.
The Law's co-author, Maksym Latsyba, noted that the document will provide tools for public participation in every community, of which there are 1470 in Ukraine (including temporarily occupied communities and those with military administrations). These include local initiatives, general meetings, public hearings, participation in the planning and allocation of city budget funds, and other forms that local governments will decide to introduce.
"In general, the document is aimed at integrating IDPs into the life of the communities where they live, developing democratic procedures, promoting the participation of CSOs and activists in community decision-making processes, and improving reporting procedures," the expert added.
In turn, another co-author of the Law, Maksym Lukinyuk, emphasized that by January 1, 2027, local authorities must bring the territorial community's current statute in line with the Law or approve a new one. They already have to bring their acts regulating the mechanisms of public participation in line with the Law.
"Young people aged 14 have the right to participate in solving and discussing all issues of concern to the community. They can also submit draft decisions for consideration by the council as part of a local initiative, initiate public hearings, participate in public consultations, participate in advisory bodies, and more," Lukinyuk said.
For more information and a recording of the event, click here.
The webinar was organized by the Public Holding "GROUP OF INFLUENCE" with the support of UK Aid from the UK Government in partnership with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research within the framework of the Sectoral Support Initiative for Civil Society project implemented by ISAR Ednannia in consortium with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM).
Second webinar: Integrating and implementing democratic procedures for members of IDP councils
For 260 webinar participants, mostly members of IDP Councils, Maksym Lukinyuk, expert of the Sectoral Support Initiative for Civil Society project and co-author of the Law, Tetyana Durneva, Chairman of the Board of the Public Holding "GROUP OF INFLUENCE," and Oksana Savytska, Development Advisor for IDP Councils at Stabilization Support Services, spoke about the role of civil society in the implementation of the Law:
- The role of civil society. How CSOs can help communities implement democratic procedures.
- Impact on reconstruction. How does this Law contribute to the reconstruction and integration of international standards?
The webinar was organized by the Stability Solutions Support Services Charitable Foundation with the support of the United Nations Refugee Agency in Ukraine (UNHCR), the Public Holding "GROUP OF INFLUENCE" with the support of British aid from the UK Government, and in partnership with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research within the framework of the Sectoral Support Initiative for Civil Society project implemented by ISAR Ednannia in consortium with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM).
What's next?
The Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research continues a series of events for activists and CSO representatives.
A webinar will be held on January 28 at 11:00 a.m. for representatives of NGOs in the Zaporizhzhia region. For more information and registration, please follow the link.
This event is organized by the National Platform for Resilience and Cohesion and the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research within the framework of the project "Ensuring Ukraine's Resilience in the Context of Increasing Risks and Consequences of War," implemented with the financial support of the European Union.