Ukraine requests Council of Europe advice on Decentralisation Reform

In response to the request from Ukrainian authorities, the Congress of the Council of Europe has prepared an analysis on the state of implementation of Ukraine's 2014 Decentralisation Reform Concept and recommendations for its revision in light of the current challenges and the EU integration process.

Through a series of events conducted in Kyiv on 18-19 November 2024, the Congress supported discussions on the state of the reform implementation and ideas for its updated strategy, as public support for this reform now reached 77%. The activities brought together diverse stakeholders representing the Parliament, the Government, the Presidential Office, local self-government, Ukrainian expert community and diplomatic corps. On this occasion, Congress Director Claudia Luciani also met leaders of the four national associations of local and regional authorities, including three of their presidents.

"Ukraine has been at war for ten years. At the same time, the decentralisation reform has also been ongoing for ten years. This is our unique experience, one that does not exist in any other country. Thanks to this reform, at the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian communities became the basis of resistance against the Russian aggressor. Today, communities spare no effort for recovery and development. Despite everything, we are advancing the reform. We begin work on updating the Concept of this reform and we plan to present its updated version already in spring 2025," emphasised Vice-Prime Minister on Ukraine's Recovery and Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba.

Congress Director Claudia Luciani stressed that "the updated Concept should articulate a long-term vision for Ukraine's system of multilevel governance, defining what it should look like in 10 years in a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous country. The achievements of the decentralisation reform are undeniable and serve as a robust foundation for further changes. The Council of Europe expresses its readiness to support an inclusive and transparent process for developing this Concept, utilising its own standards and the experience of other member states to help Ukraine in building an effective governance system that meets the needs of its citizens."

As a result of discussions, it was agreed to create a specialised expert group to support the development of an updated concept. According to the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, the revised document is expected to be completed in March 2025.

More pictures from the meetings in Kyiv could be found here.

Highlights of a recent 2024 opinion poll on multilevel governance reforms in Ukraine, annually commissioned by the Council of Europe can be found here.

The meetings were organised within the Programme "Strengthening Good Democratic Governance and Resilience in Ukraine", which is implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" 2023-2026

File: Russia's war against Ukraine

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