Training on parliamentary ethics for Verkhovna Rada's representatives

With the support of USAID RADA: Next Generation Program, the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada conducted the online training "Key Aspects of Parliamentary Ethics" for the first time on September 13-14. 34 people participated in it, including people's deputies of Ukraine, their assistants-consultants, and employees of the Secretariat of the VRU.

As Igor Kogut, director of the RADA: Next Generation Program, noted, "The topic of parliamentary ethics was, is, and will be extremely important because it is a question of trust in the parliament. And especially in wartime, when nerves are exposed, and society demands even more responsible behavior from people's deputies. The formation of professional ethics and standards of behavior of parliamentarians is also an important element of building modern democratic parliaments, which is especially relevant for us in the context of European integration."

During interactive tasks and group discussions, participants:

• clarified the principles and process of implementation of parliamentary ethics standards;
• identified the advantages of having codes of conduct;
• discussed conflicts of interest, gift restrictions and financial accountability in foreign parliaments;
• analyzed ethical standards in the context of Ukrainian parliamentarism and the existing draft law on changes to the rules of ethical behavior of people's deputies of Ukraine.

The USAID RADA: Next Generation Program consistently supports the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the development and implementation of ethical standards in order to increase the professionalism of the work and, as a result, strengthen voters' trust in the parliament.

In addition to training, the Program conducts case studies with experts from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. You can see one of them on our website.