Parliamentary News:
Verkhovna Rada appoints nine ministers
On September 5, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appointed nine new ministers to the government.
- Olga Stefanishyna was reappointed as Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. In addition, she now also holds the position of Minister of Justice, following the dismissal of Denys Malyuska.
- Oleksiy Kuleba, the former head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration and a former deputy head of the Presidential Office, was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine and Minister of Community and Territorial Development.
- The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy was renamed the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, with Mykola Tochytskyi, a former deputy head of the Presidential Office and diplomat, appointed as its new head.
- Herman Smetanin, Director General of Ukroboronprom, was appointed Minister for Strategic Industries, replacing Oleksandr Kamyshyn.
- Vitaliy Koval, dismissed the day before as head of the State Property Fund, was appointed the new Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.
- Natalia Kalmykova, previously Deputy to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, was appointed Minister of Veterans Affairs.
- Svitlana Hrynchuk, who had served as Deputy Minister of Energy under Herman Halushchenko, is now Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
- Matviy Bidnyi, who had been acting Minister of Youth and Sports, was appointed to the role permanently.
- Andriy Sybiga, previously the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, was appointed as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Dmytro Kuleba.
In addition, during the plenary session on September 4, MPs adopted several key decisions:
- Simplification of the procedure for changing the designated purpose of especially valuable land and forest land for military use (#11335);
- Draft law on the use of palm oil in food products (#5148);
- A statement reaffirming Ukraine’s commitment to the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea and Sevastopol (#12002);
- Ukraine’s accession to the Agreement Establishing the International Fund for Agricultural Development (#0282).
Also, in the first reading, they passed the draft law on payments to military personnel and their families (#11407).
Program news:
USAID RADA: Next Generation enhances use of AI tools in RSVRU research methodologies
On September 5-6, the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, with USAID RADA: Next Generation support, conducted a strategic session aimed at strengthening the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into research methodologies. The session was attended by 40 participants and featured in-depth training on AI applications and data visualization tools designed to enhance the quality, efficiency, and impact of RSVRU’s research outputs. This capacity-building initiative is critical to improving the accuracy and timeliness of legislative analysis, thereby contributing to more informed decision-making processes within the Ukrainian Parliament.
USAID RADA: Next Generation strengthens Ukrainian legislation by sharing best PLS practices with VRU
With USAID RADA: Next Generation and Westminster Foundation for Democracy support, five VRU staffers have started the online "2024 Course on Post-Legislative Scrutiny in the Context of the Climate and Environmental Emergency," which runs from September 2 to 30. The course, organized by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London and the WFD, provides an in-depth examination of post-legislative scrutiny (PLS) as a tool for legislative oversight. It takes a comprehensive approach, situating PLS within the broader legislative cycle and exploring innovations and pilot projects related to PLS over recent years. For 2024, the course specifically focuses on the thematic areas of environment and climate change. USAID RADA: Next Generation continues to serve as a key partner in strengthening the legislative capacity of the Verkhovna Rada.
