On 28-29 November the Council of Europe supported IV Forum “Efficient local government as a background of democratic and rule-of-law state” in Kramatorsk (Donetsk oblast), Ukraine. This year the Forum brought together more than 240 persons, including members of the Parliament, representatives of central and local executive bodies, local self-government authorities and their associations, experts and academics, international partners and journalists.
Panel discussions were dedicated to the following topics:
1. Local self-government development: achievements and further tasks, legislative regulation.
2. Administrative and territorial structure: current agenda and further tasks.
3. Next local elections: risks or new opportunities?
4. Protection of rights of the internally displaced persons of Ukraine.
5. Creative economy in Ukraine: the myth or background for sustainable development.
6. Civil society, open government and information space.
7. Development of social rights as a basis for sustainable democracy.
8. Challenges faced by journalists covering elections and possible solutions for upcoming local elections.
The event was organised by Donetsk and Luhansk regional state administrations, the specialised Parliamentary Committee (on State Building, Local Governance, Regional and Urban Development), Ministry of community and territorial development with the support of the Council of Europe within Programme “Decentralisation and local government reform in Ukraine”, main organiser, and with the contribution of the Projects:
- “Internal Displacement in Ukraine: Building Solutions”;
- “European Union and Council of Europe working together to support freedom of media in Ukraine”;
- “Supporting the transparency, inclusiveness and integrity of electoral practice in Ukraine”;
- “Supporting constitutional and legal reforms, constitutional justice and assisting the Verkhovna Rada in conducting reforms aimed at enhancing its efficiency”;
- “Promoting civil participation in democratic decision-making in Ukraine”;
- “Protecting national minorities, including Roma, and minority languages in Ukraine”;
- “Promoting social human rights as a key factor of sustainable democracy in Ukraine”.
The Council of Europe’s Head of Democratic Governance Department Mr Daniel POPESCU in his interventions focused on the standards in the area of local self-government, good practice on elections and civil participation in decision making. He confirmed commitment to the decentralisation reform in Ukraine: in 2020 the Council of Europe will continue supporting the decentralisation priorities including towards the completion of the municipal amalgamation reform, the territorial reform of the sub-regions (rayons), metropolitan governance (with the focus on the capital – Kyiv – region), the necessary constitutional amendments, in compliance with the principles of the European Charter of Local Self Government and with the best of European practice.
Forum 2019 reinforced its status of a platform for effective multilateral dialogue between legislative, executive and local government authorities in Eastern Ukraine, specifically Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in addressing reforms in line with European standards.
