To support the institutional growth of CSOs and citizen participation in governance, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers approved the Action Plan for 2025–2026 on 21 March 2025. This Action Plan operationalises the National Strategy for the Promotion of Civil Society 2021–2026, introducing 34 key measures to improve the civic environment. These include support for online registration of CSOs, implementation of model statutes, public consultations, school participatory budgets, and volunteerism incentives.
With these developments, Ukraine moves closer to aligning its civil society policies with EU legislation and Council of Europe recommendations, particularly those related to inclusive participation and digital access to governance.
The Action Plan includes, in particular, the following objectives:
- improving the principles of public consultations;
- promoting the involvement of residents in solving local issues and developing forms of local democracy (implementation of Law 3703 ‘On People's Power’ - note);
- іmplementation of participatory budgeting mechanisms, in particular, promotion of school participatory budgets;
- taking measures to introduce an online platform for interaction between executive authorities, citizens, and civil society institutions;
- implementing a pilot project to enable CSOs to operate on the basis of a model charter and register public associations through the Diia portal;
- improving the conditions for the establishment, operation, and termination of self-organisation bodies;
- creating conditions for financial support for civil society institutions on a competitive basis;
- promoting the introduction of tax incentives to support civil society institutions and the development of volunteerism;
- improving legislation on humanitarian aid;
- creating conditions for the participation of civil society institutions in the provision of socially important services, including social services, and the development of social entrepreneurship.
In line with EU best practices, the plan sets a pathway for harmonising Ukrainian law on public participation, social services, and volunteerism with international democratic standards, making the environment more predictable and participatory.
These changes will create a more enabling environment for CSOs by:
- Reducing barriers for new organisations through simplified registration;
- Expanding digital access to services and participation tools;
- Clarifying legal status and the contractual capacity of CSOs in social service delivery;
- Supporting new financing mechanisms, including competitive grants and tax incentives;
- Improving public consultations by developing best practice guides and training public servants.
Taken together, these measures are expected to boost citizen trust in public institutions and enhance collaborative governance, particularly in communities hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and managing post-war recovery.
For example, under the new plan, secondary schools will begin experimenting with participatory budgeting, allowing students to propose and vote on projects—fostering a new generation of civic-minded citizens. Meanwhile, local governments will receive training to support public consultations and inclusive decision-making, particularly targeting IDPs and war-affected communities.
Additionally, civil society experts who long advocated for online CSO registration now see their efforts materialise. This is especially relevant for organisations operating in remote or unsafe areas, where accessing traditional registration services was previously near impossible.
The adoption of the 2025–2026 Action Plan marks a significant step forward in institutionalising civil society participation in Ukraine’s governance and recovery processes.
However, the success of these measures will depend heavily on their effective implementation, particularly the rollout of digital tools, regulatory updates, and local-level capacity-building.
It will be essential to closely monitor how ministries and local authorities apply these commitments in practice, especially in light of ongoing wartime constraints. For CSOs, this is an opportunity to actively engage in co-implementation, advocate for inclusive approaches, and ensure that progress remains aligned with EU integration goals and democratic standards. Continued coordination with international partners will be key to transforming this Action Plan from policy to tangible improvements in civic space.