On April 18, the USAID "RADA: Next Generation" Program held a meeting with representatives of committees and the VRU Secretariat to discuss the results of joint projects, exchange experience, and plan further cooperation to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian parliament.
As Ann Hopper, Deputy Director of the Office of Democracy and Governance of the USAID Mission in Ukraine, noted in her welcoming speech: “We consider the Verkhovna Rada as one of the most important institutions of Ukraine's democratic path and its independent European future. Parliamentary committees play a key role in the implementation by the Verkhovna Rada of control, legislative functions and the involvement of citizens in lawmaking. Of course, a full-scale invasion complicated this work, but we are happy to cooperate with you and help in wartime and up to victory”.
In 2023-2024, the USAID “RADA: Next Generation” Program has been actively cooperating with 8 parliamentary committees, helping them to strengthen expertise and public communication, develop international partnerships, carry out a control function, attract the public and hold public events.
Deputy Chief of the Verkhovna Rada's Secretariat Artem Yanchuk said that cooperation had a positive impact on the capacity of the committees, and therefore this experience should be shared with all colleagues. He named the priorities of further cooperation as strengthening the control function of committees, improving the planning of draft law works and assistance with the European integration track.
At the same time, Halyna Tretiakova, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans' Rights, noted the value of the projects of post-legislative control that the Committee conducted in cooperation with the Program. Within its framework, more than 60 thousand Ukrainians were interviewed, which provided the Committee with valuable information. Tretyakova hopes to continue this practice: “Regardless of the government's reporting, the parliament should have a feedback tool from society on how a particular law works”.
Employees of the committees and the VRU Secretariat called cooperation with the Program valuable, especially in the face of the challenges of martial law and European integration. According to them, the provided expertise, communication and organizational support helps them to qualitatively carry out committee functions and improve parliamentary procedures based on the best international experience.