Strengthening Legislative Capacity of the VRU

On October 4, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy held a ceremony of awarding certificates for the educational programs organized by the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ukrainian Parliament.

155 staff members of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Research Service successfully completed the Legal English course, and 22 lawyers completed the Lawmaking School.

USAID Deputy Mission Director in Ukraine Milan Pavlovic noted: "The knowledge and skills you have gained are vital to Ukraine's successful future. It is essential to align Ukraine's legislative principles and drafting standards with those of the European Union. On this journey of integration, proficiency in English is not just an asset, it is a necessity. It will open doors to closer collaboration, deeper understanding and stronger ties with your European counterparts."

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk also emphasized that it is important for parliamentary staff to constantly grow professionally and improve their knowledge of foreign languages: "It is you who are responsible for aligning Ukrainian legislation with EU law. The issues of the language environment were partially addressed in the Law "On Lawmaking", but further development is possible only if you have a deep understanding of international standards."

Mårten Ehnberg, Director of the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program, added that the Program helps the Verkhovna Rada to cope with modern challenges, in particular, those related to European integration tasks and interparliamentary diplomacy. "We are convinced that the skills acquired by the participants will help the VRU to improve democratic procedures and ensure institutional development," Ehnberg said.

In addition to the English language courses, the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program launched the Lawmaking School to train a new generation of Ukrainian lawyers to draft high-quality legislation. Participants *learned from renowned legal practitioners, considered specific cases and studied international experience in order to further improve the legislative process in Ukraine.