The Democratization Section of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU) offers assistance to Ukraine in consolidating democratic institutions and developing and promoting good governance.

To achieve these goals, the PCU focuses on the following main areas:

• Strengthening electoral processes
• Promoting gender equality
• Ensuring an independent media environment
• Assisting civil society development

To ensure that progress is sustainable, projects are co-ordinated with the Ukrainian Government's own initiatives. The PCU also provides training and expertise on institution-building to those agencies responsible for implementing and maintaining government programmes aimed at the fulfillment of OSCE obligations in democratization and good governance.

Strengthening electoral processes

The PCU assists Ukraine in completing the electoral reform process and fulfilling respective recommendations made by international election observers, including those made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). 

In previous years, the PCU provided assistance to Ukraine’s Central Election Commission as it created a State Voter Register and trained 2,600 district and 90,000 precinct election commission members. The Election Unit assisted in drafting a unified Election Code and in the unification of existing election legislation by facilitating working groups of experts and political parties' representatives and providing international expertise. In 2010, the draft Election Code developed with the support of the PCU has been registered at the Ukrainian Parliament.

Assistance in strengthening electoral processes is part of a project currently funded by the European Union. The Canadian International Development Agency, the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency, Irish Aid and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Strategic Programme Fund have contributed to the project in the past.

Promoting gender equality

In line with its obligations as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Ukraine adopted a constitution guaranteeing gender equality. In August 2005, the Government also adopted the Law on Equal Rights of Women and Men. This document, as well as the country's Constitution, form the legal basis for gender equality in all spheres of society.

The PCU helps promote gender equality through several activities, including the following:

• Working to increase women's representation in elective bodies and political parties
• Increasing general public awareness of gender issues

Assistance is mainly implemented through election projects aimed at increasing gender awareness and preventing gender-based discrimination within the framework of electoral reform, as well as support in efforts undertaken by the OSCE/ODIHR.
 

Ensuring an independent media environment

The PCU assists Ukraine in implementing its OSCE commitments to reform media legislation, promote freedom of speech and support an independent environment for the media. 

The Media Unit implements project aimed at raising professional journalism standards in ethics and self-regulation by improving relevant education practice and raising awareness in the media community.

The PCU supported an initiative by National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting to create a co-regulatory framework involving the Broadcasting Council and broadcast media, in the country’s preparations to switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Assisting civil society development

As an OSCE participating State, Ukraine is committed to supporting active civil society development and respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

In co-operation with the country’s Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers, the PCU aims to assist Ukraine in establishing a baseline for the existing legal, structural and institutional framework for the sustainability and funding of civil society, identifying workable models for civil society sector development and providing recommendations.

The PCU held a series of nationwide public discussions for national experts, governmental representatives and civil society organizations on enhancing the financial sustainability of Ukraine's civil society organizations, and on confidence-building measures with state authorities. The PCU supported two research projects on international best practices in these spheres and one consolidated study of the existing practices and legislation of Ukraine in the funding of civil society organizations by government bodies, local authorities and the private sector.