VRU Deputy Speaker Olena Kondratiuk: elections should follow victory in the war. Olena Kondratyuk, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, emphasized that discussions about holding elections should come after the war is won. A Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey reveals that 81% of Ukrainians are against holding elections during wartime, with only 16% of citizens in favor of such a move. Olena Kondratyuk outlined five crucial conditions for conducting elections during the war: providing the right to vote and be elected for the Ukrainian military personnel, organizing the voting for seven million Ukrainian refugees living abroad, the logistics of holding elections in temporarily occupied territories, election financing, and ensuring the media's open accessibility.
VRU Speaker Stefanchuk: Verkhovna Rada will increase inter-parliamentary cooperation with African countries in 2024. During the press conference in Kyiv, VRU Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said that Parliament is working on a cooperation program between Ukraine and African countries for the upcoming year. Stefanchuk highlighted his regular communication with fellow speakers from the African continent, emphasizing the potential for robust joint initiatives between the parliaments. "I am committed to strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation with African countries," Stefanchuk affirmed. Stefanchuk invited African parliamentarians to visit Ukraine and expressed his readiness to reciprocate with a working visit to Africa.
USAID RADA: Next Generation assisted in strengthening the legislative capacity of the VRU Committee on State Building, Local Governance, Regional and Urban Development. On November 3, USAID RADA: Next Generation, in cooperation with the VRU Committee on State Building, held online public consultations in preparation for the second reading of the draft law on the complex reconstruction of neighborhoods (micro-districts) of obsolete housing (#6458). During the meeting, MPs, Committee members, and representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure took part in the public discussion of problematic points of the draft law. As a result, the participants worked out the concept of the draft law and the state policy in this sphere, the mechanism of the protection of the rights and interests of owners of residential and non-residential areas, public access and public participation in neighborhood reconstruction, as well as public involvement in the local self-government bodies’ tender commissions. The stakeholders also analyzed amendments to the draft law and emphasized the importance of finalizing the legislative proposals to improve the legal regulation of the complex reconstruction of neighborhoods.
Program closely collaborates with the VRU Secretariat to formulate a five-year Parliament Communication Strategy. On October 31, Program experts engaged in productive meetings with the communication units of the VRU Secretariat to assess the latest draft of the Communication strategy, which has been developing since the beginning of 2023. Once the revisions are incorporated, the document will be approved as the final text by year-end. Adopting the document will enhance the Verkhovna Rada's communication with voters and has the potential to bolster collaboration between civil society and the parliament.
Program facilitated the meeting to discuss cooperation between the Open World Program and MPs and Parliamentary Education Center staff. Program facilitated the discussion with Lewis Madanick, the Program Manager of the Congressional Office For International Leadership, operating the Open World Program administered by the American Councils with Ukrainian MPs. Mr. Madanick met with MPs, Roman Lozinskiy and Pavlo Frolov, Parliamentary Education Center staffers, and alumni of the Open World Program. This Open World initiative aims to improve mutual understanding and partnership between Ukraine and the United States. It allows Ukrainian leaders to meet with their American counterparts and exchange ideas and experiences on the most important issues. During the meeting, participants agreed upon the importance of implementing experience exchange opportunities, especially during the martial law and post-war period. The Open World Program is considering deepening its cooperation with the VRU by involving the Secretariat staffers, as well as MPs, in future exchanges.
Program is enhancing the communication capacity of five VRU Committees by developing information strategies. In October-November 2023, Program initiated collaboration with the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management and the Committee on Youth and Sports. Consequently, Program is now offering communication support for five Program's model Committees. Program efforts aim to build a communication strategy to enhance citizens' awareness of the Committees' activities and encourage increased civil society participation in parliamentary affairs.
Program assisted the VRU Committee on social policy and protecting veterans' rights in improving public policies for Ukrainian demobilized servicemen. On November 13, Program supported the committee in bringing key stakeholders to online public consultations on the international experience of the functioning of the veteran patronage service. The event aimed to develop the public internal policies for supporting veterans, including the patronage support of demobilized servicemen in Ukraine. More than 120 participants, particularly MPs, representatives of foreign embassies and international organizations, state authorities, the Ukrainian Ombudsman Office, scholars, and NGOs, joined the event. During the consultations, MPs announced the registration of the draft law on veteran entrepreneurship (#10258), which is aimed at solving the problems of reintegration of war veterans into civilian life and promoting the sustainable development of Ukraine. Also, the MPs presented the new aspects of the draft law on the State Veteran Patronage Service (#9423), focusing on ensuring the effective adaptation of demobilized servicemen to civilian life. The video of the event can be viewed via the link. Before the event, Program prepared concise analytical material on the best international practices presented during the consultations. Program provided organizational support to VRU in the 62nd Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC). The 62nd PABSEC Assembly convened in Kyiv from November 14-17, bringing together representatives from the parliaments and secretariats of 12 countries and international organizations. One of the key focuses of the General Assembly was the discussion of parliamentary roles in enhancing security and cooperation in the Black Sea region, environmental protection, and various cultural, educational, and social initiatives. Program provided professional English-Ukrainian translation for 50 hours. Program assisted the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine organize the photo exhibition "Destroyed Black Sea Region" held at the VRU premises. This exhibition served as a powerful visual testimony, allowing the international community to witness firsthand the extensive destruction caused by Russian aggression in the Black Sea region.
Program assisted the Committee of Energy fulfill its oversight function by supplying analytical materials. On November 16-17, Program supported the field sitting of the Committee on Energy in the Volyn region. The Committee visited the objects of the critical infrastructure and met with the local authorities and key stakeholders to discuss the governmental policy in the coal mining field and the transformation of coal regions, the state of implementation of this policy, and the main challenges. Program prepared analytical material upon the Committee's request. The video of the field sitting can be viewed via the link.
Program supported improving the legislative process and interaction between the Parliament and the Government. On November 15, Program experts joined the inaugural meeting of the Interagency Working Group on Improving Legislative Drafting, Assessing Legislative Impact, and Improving the Results of Laws Implementation to enhance collaboration between the VRU and the Government. The meeting brought together the representatives of the VRU Secretariat, Government Secretariat, and NGOs. The participants outlined the main areas of possible support, including improving the legislative process and interaction between the Parliament and the Government.
In cooperation with VRU Research Service, Program conducted a training on the approximation of EU legislation in Ukraine. From November 14-16, 22 VRU Secretariat staff members participated in the workshop, which focused on the practical aspects of bringing legislation in line with EU standards. During the workshop, participants learned about EU law and legislative procedures, examined the experiences of Central and Eastern European nations in aligning legislation, analyzed methodologies for assessing integration draft laws, and discussed the compilation of compliance tables. The workshop also delved into comparing methods to evaluate the impact of legislation in both the EU and Ukraine. Participants prepared presentations, tested new methodologies, developed compliance tables, and assessed the impact of laws. The approximation process to the European legal framework is crucial for Ukraine's eventual accession to the EU. Program continues to support the Research Service in developing institutional capacity and training potential, ensuring the Parliament possesses the necessary expertise for successful European integration.