OSCE supports discussions on Ukraine’s national strategy for developing civil society in 2016- 2020

KYIV, 6 November 2015 – An OSCE-organized conference in Kyiv brought together representatives of the government and civil society to discuss the national strategy for developing civil society over the next four years.

The conference, organized jointly by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the Ukraine President’s Administration in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine, focused on civil society’s role in the reform process and presented recommendations on updating the national strategy, as well as its priorities for 2016-2020.

“The civil society plays an active part in the country’s reform process,” said Rostislav Pavlenko, Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine. “As an outcome of this conference, we hope to find out how the state and civil society can attain together common goals, and understand what kind of environment the state should create for developing civil society.”

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine has been organizing regional discussions on revising the existing strategy in light of the new trends, opportunities and challenges for Ukrainian civil society, and the OSCE has helped develop recommendations for enhancing the national strategy.

“Civil society plays an indispensable role in promoting the inherent dignity of an individual, which is at the core of comprehensive security,” said Vaidotas Verba, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. “Ukraine is experiencing a renaissance in citizen activism, and we welcome this strategy, developed by government and civil society leaders, to support and further build on this grassroots movement.”

The recommendations took into account the results of consultations with the interested public in all phases of developing the strategy, including the feedback from participants of the regional roundtable discussions.