Mariana Bezuhla and Yuliia Yatsyk Resign from Servant of the People Faction
On July 17, MP Mariana Bezuhla resigned from the Servant of the People faction at her own request; MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Voice faction) announced her resignation. Bezuhla had announced her intention to leave the party and the faction in January 2024, but has only now officially resigned. On July 19, MP Yuliia Yatsyk resigned from the Servant of the People faction. Currently, 233 members remain in the Servant of the People faction in Parliament.
Minister of Energy Reports to MPs
On July 19, during an hour of questions to the government in the Verkhovna Rada, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko addressed MPs. He confirmed plans to build several additional nuclear power units in Ukraine to ensure the country's energy independence. However, he did not provide specific timeframes or estimated costs for these projects.
Verkhovna Rada makes several decisions during July 16-18 plenary session
MPs adopted the following laws:
USAID RADA: Next Generation enhances use of Artificial Intelligence tools in Ukrainian Parliament
On July 16-19, Program experts conducted a series of online training sessions for VRU Secretariat employees on using Chat GPT and DeepL Translator. Nine employees from the Department of Inter-Parliamentary Relations of the VRU Apparatus, on the initiative of the VRU Secretariat, participated in the AI training sessionsto enhance their efficiency and capabilities in their day-to-day work. USAID RADA: Next Generation plans to extend these training sessions and AI tool access to other Parliamentary departments and Committees during the 2024-2025 program year, further promoting the integration of AI technologies in Ukrainian Parliament operations.
Program-supported grant program promotes cooperation between citizens and Parliament
On July 15-16, USAID RADA: Next Generation conducted the second session for participants of the grant program "Citizens and Parliament: democratic representation and effective interaction in martial law." In total, 25 representatives of selected NGOs participated in the event. The sessions focused on communications, reporting processes, and procedures. The subgrantees presented the first results of their projects and outlined their main challenges and plans for upcoming activities. The event also covered the topic of public consultations as a tool for efficient lawmaking. The grant program supports initiatives that involve citizens in the legislative process by enhancing interaction between MPs (parliamentary factions, committees) and citizens and foster citizen engagement in Parliamentary activities through better communications and public consultations.
USAID RADA: Next Generation equips RSVRU interns with skills for EU legislation and analysis
From July 15-19, USAID RADA: Next Generation organized a series of offline events for six interns at the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. These events aimed to deepen the interns' understanding of European integration and legislative processes while also equipping them with essential digital tools. The interns participated in a two-day training focusing on practical approaches to EU legislation in Ukraine, and Ihor Koliushko from the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform discussed the role civil society plays in social development and European integration. MP Vadym Halaychuk spoke about the work of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on European Integration, and experts from Truth Hounds delivered one session on Open Source Intelligence and another session on the use of neural networks in analytical research.
USAID RADA: Next Generation coordinates donor support for the Verkhovna Rada
On July 17, USAID RADA: Next Generation held a Parliamentary Donors Coordination Meeting to synchronize program activities and address requests from the Verkhovna Rada. Participants included representatives from USAID, NDI, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Inter Pares, International IDEA, EP, the Council of Europe, and IRI. The meeting began with welcoming remarks from USAID’s Oleksandr Piskun and Program’s Marten Ehnberg. Participants shared their organizations' key activities and initiatives involving the VRU. Marcin Walecki from NDI presented an insightful analysis of Ukraine's democratic transition, and Ehnberg concluded the meeting by summarizing the key takeaways, expressing gratitude for the participants' involvement, and emphasizing the importance of holding such coordination meetings regularly.
USAID RADA: Next Generation helps children displaced abroad by war to get an education
USAID RADA: Next Generation provided expert support to the Parliamentary Interim Special Commission on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by preparing an information brief on educational access for children displaced abroad due to the war. USAID RADA: Next Generation also made inquiries to the National Social Service to collect data on social services for IDPs, which was used in an analytical report on legislation concerning IDP rights and freedoms, with conclusions and recommendations.
USAID RADA: Next Generation helps Parliamentary Education Center celebrate five years
On July 19, USAID RADA: Next Generation supported the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Parliamentary Education Center (PEC). The event brought together more than 150 guests, including VRU Secretary General Viacheslav Shtuchnyi, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, First Deputy Oleksandr Korniienko, Deputy VRU Speaker Olena Kondratiuk, and MPs. International partners such as USAID Mission Director in Ukraine, Julie Koenen, and Program Chief of Party, Mårten Ehnberg, also attended. The ceremony highlighted PEC's key achievements over the past five years, featuring a video presentation on its initiatives. Guests also witnessed the unveiling of a special postage stamp, envelope, and postcard commemorating PEC's anniversary. Participants took part in a quiz on Parliamentary topics; five winners received special prizes.
Program’s campaign dedicated to Parliamentarism Day receives 300,000 views and 2,700 likes
USAID RADA: Next Generation conducted an information campaign on the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism, which is celebrated annually on June 30. Over three weeks, the Program team published diverse content, including Facebook posts, videos featuring Ukrainian youth, articles, and presentations at international conferences. The campaign featured online close to 20 posts, two videos, an article, a research presentation in the Austrian Parliament, and a major conference. The campaign's total engagement reached close to 300,000 views, with more than 2,700 likes and 200 shares.
USAID RADA: Next Generation enhances Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s communication capacity
On July 18, USAID RADA: Next Generation conducted an online training session on "Effective Press Office Operations: Handling Media Requests in Times of Crisis" with Oleh Nikolenko, Consul General of Ukraine in Toronto and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine from 2020 to 2024. Twenty-six employees responsible for SMM and communications activities in the Ukrainian Parliament attended the event, including those from the VRU Secretariat, VRU committees, Parliamentary TV-channel “RADA”, VRU Research Service, and VRU Educational Center. The Ukrainian diplomat shared his professional experiences addressing communication challenges during Russia’sn full-scale aggression against Ukraine. Participants enhanced their knowledge and skills in key areas, including the principles of coordinated press service operations, the communication style expected from a press service, and effective media interaction strategies. The training featured an engaging Q&A session, and participants completed short online surveys before and after the event showing a pre-training correct answer rate of 74%, as compared to an 83% correct answer rate after the session. This online training session was part of a summer communications training series, organized by USAID RADA: Next Generation, which aims to enhance the communication capacity of Ukraine’s Parliament and encourage engagement between VRU and the public.