The report on the Citizens' Assembly in Zviahel community, prepared by the organisers, experts, facilitators, and coordinators, provides a detailed overview of the methodology, preparation stages, implementation process, and outcomes of the Assembly.
On 26 March 2025, a public presentation of the Citizens' Assembly Report was held, organised by the project «Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine» in cooperation with the Zviahel City Council.
In 2024, the Zviahel City Council, with the support of the Council of Europe's project on civic participation, held Ukraine's first-ever Citizens' Assembly. Over three sessions, held from October 5 to November 3, 2024, 45 Assembly members, representing a diverse socio-demographic cross-section of the community (including factors such as gender, age, education, and place of residence), developed recommendations for local authorities on creating urban spaces that foster social interaction and recovery.
At the end of the Citizens' Assembly implementation, organisers, experts, facilitators and coordinators developed a report detailing the entire process and results of the Assembly.
The report is available via link.
Mykola Borovets, Mayor of Zviahel, and Daryna Sokolova, Senior Project Officer of the Council of Europe project on civic participation welcomed the participants and partners. They discussed the six-month preparation process, highlighting key milestones such as capacity-building for local authorities, coordinators, and facilitators, the distribution of invitations, and the random selection of Assembly members using a specific methodology. The organisers emphasised the importance of civic participation in local policy-making and highlighted the unique format of the Citizens' Assembly. This format facilitated an open and constructive exchange of views, encouraged in-depth and respectful discussions in a safe environment, and ultimately led to the development of thoughtful, well-founded recommendations.
The project experts presented the methodology, detailed the process of providing participants with knowledge on the topic and conducting the Assembly days, and shared their recommendations for creating and improving public spaces in the Zviahel community.
Special attention was given to the implementation of the recommendations. Oksana Hvozdenko, Secretary of the Zviahel City Council, presented the Action plan for their implementation, approved by the City Council in December 2024. She emphasized that some measures had already been successfully implemented by early 2025, while work on others is still ongoing. Several recommendations require donor funding, and the community is actively working to secure the necessary resources.
The Citizens' Assembly in Zviahel marked a significant step in the development of deliberative democracy in Ukraine, showcasing effective collaboration between citizens and authorities. The community's experience, outlined in detail in the Report, will serve as a valuable tool for further developing deliberative mechanisms at local, regional, and national levels.
The Council of Europe project «Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine» is designed to support the implementation of the objectives set out in the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine «Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction» (2023-2026) to strengthen the democratic processes and address the challenges public authorities are facing in the time of war and in post-war context through active and effective civic participation at the local, regional and national level.
