Parliament – Civil Society Platform
July 09, 2015
Kiev, July 9th, 2015. The European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) and OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine launched a joint initiative – the Parliament – Civil Society Platform in order to establish a sustainable framework of cooperation between the civil society and parliament on issues relating to reforms agenda.
The launch of the Platform was greeted by more than of 150 participants: parliamentarians, experts, scientists, government officials, NGOs, journalists and civil society representatives from different regions of Ukraine. They took part in four panel discussions on Constitutional process in Ukraine, Constitutional reform and decentralization, Judicial reform and constitutional rights, Constitutional reform and problems of Donbass reintegration.
Hugues Fantou, acting Head of the EUAM, Ambassador Vaidotas Verb a, OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman, the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament
Hugues Fantou, acting Head of the EUAM
Hugues Fantou, the acting Head of the EUAM gave an overview on the Mission’s mandate and stressed the need for a permanent dialogue between public and Ukrainian leaders. “EUAM would be happy to support the process where people and authorities can find a common solution. We will stand by the participants of the Platform to provide advise and expertise on best European practices”, said Fantou.
Volodymyr Groysman , the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament
Volodymyr Groysman, the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, who took part in one of the panel discussions, outlined the need to establish such forum. “If we not involve society to the decision making process, it would be difficult to provide successful reforms. It is very important that the expert community, together with civil society and the decision makers through the dialog would be able to come up with the best solutions for reforms”, said Groysman.
The opening of the Parliament – Civil Society Platform was moderated by the Ambassador Vaidotas Verba, OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine. Volodymyr Groysman, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Valeria Lutkovska, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Oleksiy Filatov, the Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine were among the key speakers of the Platform’s panel discussions.
Ms. Valeria Lutkovska, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights
The initiative Parliament – Civil Society Platform is a response of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the European Union Advisory Mission to the challenges posed by the reform process in Ukraine in general, and the civilian security sector reform in particular. The Platform will promote transparency, efficiency and accountability of the reform process, and cascade the reform debate, including the Civilian Security Sector Reform-based debate, to local counterparts, thus ensuring the local ownership. The format of the Platform consider the regular thematic discussions involving parliamentarians, experts, scientists, government officials, NGOs and public representatives on the topics high on the reform Agenda and having major public concern.
