On 8 September 2026, a series of training sessions on ethics, integrity and corruption prevention for representatives of local authorities got underway. More than 500 local government officials and local councillors from all regions of Ukraine are taking part. Throughout September, participants will strengthen the knowledge and practical skills needed to foster a culture of integrity at local level.
The training programme consists of six online sessions and carries 1 ECTS credit. It has been approved by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service (NAUCS) and is delivered by the Volyn Regional In-Service Training Centre in partnership with the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery”.
Opening the training, Svitlana Gryshchenko, Head of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery”, stressed that integrity and public ethics are essential components of good democratic governance. She underlined that supporting local authorities should help strengthen their capacity to act responsibly, transparently and in the interests of citizens.
Tetiana Lytvynenko, Director of the Volyn Regional In-Service Training Centre, emphasised that the professional development of local government representatives requires not only sound knowledge of the legal framework, but also a thorough understanding of ethical principles, conflicts of interest and accountability to the local community. The programme therefore combines knowledge with practical application.
The first session focused on public ethics and integrity in the system of multilevel governance. Participants explored the role of public ethics in good governance, the importance of trust in relations between public authorities and society, as well as the public service mission, values and principles underpinning work in local self-government. Particular attention was paid to standards of conduct for local authorities representatives.
The following sessions will address, among other topics, anti-corruption restrictions and obligations, management of conflicts of interest, whistleblowing and corruption reporting, ethics infrastructure, and corruption risk management.
The training is delivered by the Council of Europe Project’s national consultants Tetiana Vasylevska, Vira Kozina and Viacheslav Lombrozo.
The Council of Europe Project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery” is implemented as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023–2026 by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
