A two-day event titled “Good Democratic Governance in Ukraine: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward in the Post-War Period” (1-2 April) took place at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg during the 50^th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

The fifth edition of the high-level dialogue featured discussions on future transition from military to civilian administrations and elections, and aimed to reaching broad agreement on improving the legal framework on multilevel governance, including responses to disinformation and foreign interference. The event emphasised best practices and Ukraine’s EU candidate status in light of European standards.

Oleksandr Korniyenko, First Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of Ukraine, underlined the importance of preserving and reinforcing democratic institutions. “Today, it is critically important for Ukraine not only to preserve democracy, but also to strengthen its architecture in wartime conditions. This is impossible without an open dialogue between the central authorities and local communities, without trust and shared responsibility. Together with our European partners, we must develop solutions that will ensure the resilience of communities and transparent democratic processes after victory,” he said.

Opening the Dialogue, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge noted that “the high-level Ukrainian presence in Strasbourg is a strong signal of the nation’s commitment to local and regional democracy and a decentralised democratic future. This week’s discussions are crucial in defining and adapting the Council of Europe’s support for Ukraine as we move ahead.”

The event brought together senior representatives of the Parliament and Government of Ukraine, Central Election Commission, national associations of local and regional authorities, the Centre for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting, the State Audit Service of Ukraine; and representatives of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and Venice Commission.

The Dialogue is held within the framework of the Council of Europe projects “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery” and “Supporting democratic post-war elections in Ukraine – Phase II”, implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023–2026.