President Zelenskyi urges Ukrainian Parliament to reform Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine as soon as possible
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, in a speech he made during the Ukrainian Economic Platform "Made in Ukraine" presentation on February 26, urged the Ukrainian Parliament to reform the Economic Security Bureau. In his speech, the President underlined the necessity of introducing changes in Ukrainian public institutions to instill more confidence within the business sector and eliminate state bodies putting pressure on business. He called on Parliament to vote on reforms to the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESB) in the near future. During its plenary meeting on February 22, 2024, Ukraine's Parliament failed to adopt the Government's draft law on the reform of the ESB (#10439). Experts and civil society groups criticized the draft law, citing flaws in forming a competitive commission for the election of the head of the ESB and for not requiring the immediate re-certification of ESB employees. Critics also found a lack of provisions on analytical direction in the work of the renewed EBS.
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" holds strategic session to strengthen VRU Secretariat's communication and oversight functions
On February 26, the Program hosted a strategic session with staffers of the VRU Secretariat, led by Secretary General Vyacheslav Shtuchnyi, and Members of Parliament. The 100 participants reviewed projects undertaken in the last two years of RANG and outlined future directions. RANG assists the VRU in implementing effective communication tools with stakeholders, executing legislative and oversight functions, conducting research, and enhancing the quality of the entire policymaking cycle. During the strategic session, participants discussed:
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" supports VRU Committee on Social Policy in building effective rehabilitation system for veterans
On February 29, with Program support, the VRU Committee on Social Policy and Veterans' Rights Protection held a roundtable titled "Rehabilitation of service members and veterans in Ukraine: current state, challenges, and prospects." In total, 155 participants, including MPs, representatives of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, scientific institutions, and the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, joined the discussion. During the event, participants discussed veterans' issues, present conditions, future directions for the rehabilitation of military personnel in Ukraine, and the adoption of innovative rehabilitation methods and technologies. The Program provided analytical support by compiling materials on EU member states' experiences regarding veterans' rehabilitation.
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" supports VRU Committee on State Building in enhancing local self-government capacities for EU accession
On February 28, the Program assisted the VRU Committee on State Building, Local Governance, and Regional and Urban Development in organizing a roundtable to help Ukrainian local self-government bodies forge international partnerships in the course of Ukraine's accession to the EU. During the event, MPs, Committee members, public authorities, local self-government bodies, experts, and NGOs addressed pressing issues requiring parliamentary attention in strengthening international territorial cooperation. Participants discussed the draft law on International Territorial Cooperation, and formulated proposals for amending current legislation to fit within the framework of cooperation with the EU. They discussed developing German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships and other initiatives to create long-term voluntary international partnerships with the territorial communities of Ukraine.
South Korean Parliament Featured in Parliamentary Education Center session
On March 1, the Parliamentary Education Center (PEC), in collaboration with American Councils for International Education consultant Natalia Nemylivska, held an online session titled "Korea in Support of Ukraine." The lesson formed part of the series "Parliaments of the World Stand with Ukraine." His Excellency Kim Hyung Tae, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine, recorded a special video message for Ukrainian youth, in which he shared details about the relationship between Ukraine and South Korea. During the lesson, participants delved into the work of South Korea's parliamentary and Government systems and learned interesting facts about the country, its people, and its traditions. The session attracted 250 engaged participants.
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" supports Ukraine's EU integration by enhancing parliamentary capacities and international collaboration
On February 28, the Program organized an International Parliamentary Technical Assistance Coordination meeting (IPTAC) titled "The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine's Role in Ukraine's EU Membership Journey." More than 100 participants attended, including Ukrainian Parliament leadership, Secretariat members, Committee representatives, MPs, international parliament members, and embassy and international development representatives. IPTAC aims to pinpoint the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine's needs and priorities in building its capacity to steer Ukraine towards EU membership. MPs Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Vadym Halaychuk stressed the following key points for effective European integration:
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" facilitates VRU’s capacities on gender-sensitive analysis of draft legislation
On February 27-29, the Program in cooperation with VRU Research Service conducted a training on gender-sensitive analysis of draft legislation. Training aimed to acquaint the participants with the features and tools for creating gender-sensitive legislation. Thirty-five VRU staffers completed the training. During the workshop, the participants explored the main stages of gender-sensitive analysis of draft legislation, the proper procedure for planning the gender-sensitive expertise, and learned how to issue a conclusion based on the conducted analysis.
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" helps VRU bring the best European parliamentary practices to Ukraine
On February 28, the Program held a follow-up meeting with VRU staff to discuss the results of their study visits to the Croatian Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). During the session, VRU representatives shared insights from their visits, affirming the effectiveness of such initiatives in enhancing parliamentary capabilities. They expressed willingness to continue participating in such programs and discussed how the visits could be enhanced to address the current needs of the Ukrainian Parliament. Program representatives stressed the importance of participants sharing their experiences within the Verkhovna Rada to further share the best European parliamentary practices with their colleagues.
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" assists VRU Committee on Freedom of Speech to maintain journalistic standards during wartime
On February 28, the VRU Committee on Freedom of Speech, with Program support, held a roundtable on journalistic standards and professional ethics in war conditions. Journalists, MPs, public officials, and civil society representatives participated in the fruitful discussion, focusing on evolving standards of journalism during wartime, the safety of journalists, and the challenges of accessing public information. Deliberations included charting a roadmap for future actions in these crucial areas. The participants explored the challenges for journalism standards posed by social media, particularly Telegram. Some media misinterpreted discussions, suggesting VRU's intentions to ban Telegram, which sparked a public outcry and led to a Telegram campaign to fight a ban and a campaign against Committee Chairman Yaroslav Yurchyshyn. In response, Mr. Yurchyshyn clarified that the VRU Committee on Freedom of Speech does not seek to ban Telegram but aims to combat the spread of misinformation by anonymous channels, and cited collaboration with Telegram management to block harmful channels as a key strategy. The roundtable garnered significant attention, emerging as one of Ukraine's most talked-about news events.
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" promotes Ukraine's unique experience as a democracy during wartime to an international audience
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" experts Anton Chirkin and Yulia Kirichenko published an article about the state of democracy in Ukraine during wartime in the German academic publication, Verfassungsblog. They emphasized the sustainability of democracy and the observance of the basic principles of constitutional order, and stressed that, during wartime, Ukrainians have shown resilience in fighting for freedom and independence while government authorities have demonstrated stability in upholding democracy and constitutional principles. Despite the challenges posed by the enemy, Ukrainian democracy remains committed to fulfilling constitutional provisions, even amidst military operations, they wrote.
USAID "RADA: Next Generation" expert calls for extension of public consultations to MPs' legislative initiatives
On February 28, USAID "RADA: Next Generation" expert Viktor Tymoshchuk joined an analytical discussion on the draft law "On public consultations," which has been under consideration in Parliament for a long time. Deputy VRU Speaker Oleksandr Kornienko, MPs, and experts participated in the event. During the discussion, Tymoshchuk emphasized the need to extend the draft law's provisions to all MPs' legislative initiatives. He presented a comparative table of changes to the draft law. The attendees decided to resume the working group's activities within the VRU Committee on Legal Policy and organize inter-factional dialogues to support the draft law during voting.