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Ukraine: Improving participation on the local level

The proposed draft amendments on the Law on Local Self-Government offers an opportunity to improve participation and bring legislation in line with European standards.
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The draft Law On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine and Certain Other Legislative Acts of Ukraine concerning Decentralization and Separation of Powers of Local Self-Government Bodies” is in the process to be registered in the parliament in Ukraine. The Parliamentary Committee on Local Self-Government, MPs, representatives of local self-government bodies and experts are actively engaged in improving the text of the draft law.

The adoption of the draft law should bring Ukrainian legislation in line with the European Charter of Local Self-Government and is considered to be a strong step in the decentralization reform. The draft law defines the same approaches to the scope of powers for local self-government authorities such as a village, settlement, city councils, and their executive bodies. Moreover, it differentiates  the powers of the district and regional councils, the state and local self-government.

In addition, the draft law has among others the following improvements:

  • establishes the conditions and guarantees for the transfer of state powers to local governments;

  • aims to increase youth and children participation in local self-government and decision-making;

  • introduces publishing of all collegial bodies in local self-government;

  • clarifies the reporting procedures of the chairman, headman, deputies, as well as bodies and officials of local self-government bodies.

Among other organizations, UCIPR is advocating for provisions in the draft law that will provided the youth and children the possibility for participation in the local self-government consultative processes. In particular, mechanisms of  youth engagement should be established through youth councils, pupils' and students' self-regulation bodies, school public budget, etc. Moreover, young people over 14 years of age shall be entitled to participate in local initiatives and public hearings, as well as be informed on the results of the consideration of the raised issues or proposals submitted.

The above-mentioned improvements, and the changes such as introducing publishing and clarifying reporting procedures, will allow CSOs to make local decision- and policy-making as inclusive and relevant as possible.

14-12-2020
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