The Law “On People's Power at the Local Self-Government Level” No. 3703-IX:
- strengthens inclusive citizen participation in decision-making at the community level,
- promotes good governance within the local self-government bodies of territorial communities,
- introduces anti-corruption practices,
- engages internally displaced persons (IDPs), youth, and civil society organisations (CSOs) in community life,
- fosters dialogue and a culture of partnership.
While the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law by a constitutional majority of 317 Members of Parliament back in May 2024, the President of Ukraine signed it only eight months later, violating the deadlines stipulated by Article 94 of the Constitution of Ukraine.
The fact that the law was signed was largely due to an active advocacy campaign led by civil society. This included a variety of impactful actions, notably collective appeals from 200 CSOs sent to the President, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the relevant Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, and other officials, urging them to support the law.
The law is one of the few in the past 27 years that is aimed at advancing civic participation at the local level. The last significant changes in this area date back to 1997 with the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine.”
Integrating European standards in local participatory processes
The provisions align Ukraine’s legislation with the Guidelines for Civil Participation in Political Decision Making (adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 27.09.2017) and the relevant Recommendations of the Council of Europe (CM/Rec(2018)4, CM/Rec(2018)11, CM/Rec(2004)13, CM/Rec(97)3) concerning public participation in decision-making processes.
The innovations introduced by this law also contribute to Ukraine's fulfilment of its obligations under the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority. Under this protocol, Ukraine committed to creating conditions for the expanded participation of citizens in local self-government decision-making and to fostering the development of local democracy.
Even prior to its adoption, the European Commission stressed the necessity of this law in its strategic documents related to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union — particularly in the Ukraine Facility Plan 2024–2027 and the European Commission’s 2024 Enlargement Package Report on Ukraine.
Innovations to increase citizen engagement in the work of local self-government bodies
The law introduces consultative mechanisms through the mandatory adoption of a territorial community charter. This means that from now on, all 1,470 territorial communities in Ukraine are required to adopt a community charter. These charters will serve as legal instruments granting citizens defined procedures for public hearings, consultations, participatory budgeting (including school budgets), local initiatives, public evaluation of authorities, creation of advisory bodies, general meetings, and other forms of participation.
Core innovations include:
- Mandatory adoption of a community charter by local councils, regulating public hearings, consultations, participatory budgeting, local initiatives, public evaluation, and advisory bodies.
- Inclusion of IDPs in community life, with equal participation rights as local residents.
- Mechanisms to engage youth in community development.
- Expanded tools for cCSOs to enhance communication and cooperation with local authorities.
- Broadened forms of civic participation, including public consultations, evaluations of local authorities, advisory bodies, and involvement in planning and allocating local budgets.
- Detailed procedures for reporting by community heads and local council deputies.
Next steps for implementation
Following the law’s entry into force, existing territorial community charters no longer comply with the updated legal standards and require substantial revision. To facilitate this, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine established a working group to develop methodological guidelines for local self-government bodies on how to apply the new provisions.
The materials under development will include: a model charter for village, settlement, and city communities, recommendations for the rules of procedure of local councils, guidance for regional military administrations on enforcing the provisions of the law.
To effectively implement the public participation mechanisms introduced by the law, it is essential to establish consistent and systemic cooperation with local self-government bodies to ensure new tools are used sustainably and impactfullyto effectively use.
At the same time, CSOs’ institutional capacity must be strengthened to support reforms aimed at building long-term and effective mechanisms of civic dialogue.
Particular attention should be given to raising awareness among citizens, CSO representatives, and local authorities about new opportunities to be involved in decision-making processes. In parallel, it is crucial to build CSOs' skills and resources so that they can effectively and use the legal tools provided by the law.
Genuine partnership between CSOs, active citizens, and local authorities is especially important in the context of rebuilding Ukrainian communities.
Due to the current state of martial law, local elections cannot be held, which challenges the democratic legitimacy of local authorities. Therefore, introducing participatory democracy tools and engaging residents in joint problem-solving is vital to reaffirm their legitimacy within their communities.