The Congress organised, jointly with the Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government of the Parliament of Ukraine, a roundtable on the “Legislative regulation of the legal status of local councillors in Ukraine: state of play and prospects for improvement”, on 18 December, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
This round-table brought together Ukrainian parliamentarians, members of the associations of local and regional authorities and local councillors, as well as members of the Congress, representatives of Ukrainian NGOs, and experts. They discussed the current legislative framework for local councillors and the challenges in its implementation and debate further steps which should be taken in order to enhance the accountability and responsiveness of local councillors to citizens’ needs.
The roundtable was opened by Serhiy VLASENKO, Head of the Committee of State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government of the Parliament of Ukraine.
This exchange was part of the dialogue that the Congress promotes between the different levels of governance and aims at strengthening the role of Ukrainian local authorities and their associations. It built on the activities conducted with local elected representatives to support them in the implementation of democratic principles at local level in Ukraine. The roundtable was organised within the project “Promoting local democracy in Ukraine” and the Council of Europe Action Plan 2015 - 2017 for Ukraine.
Ukraine joined the Council of Europe on 9 November 1995, ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government on 11 September 1997 and its Additional Protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority on 2 September 2014. Countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter imposes compliance with a minimum number of rights and principles, which are the European bedrock of local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe ensures respect for these principles.
Contact:
Marité MORAS, Head of Unit, Co-operation and External Relations Department,
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe,
E-mail: Marite.MORAS@coe.int