Legal Reforms Roadmap for Civil Society: this year’s accomplishments

October 24, 2021

The material was published in the Detector Media

Artem Konovalov, Expert at Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law

Many of almost a hundred problems stated in the document have been solved or are to be solved soon. However, new challenges and dangers have emerged.

On September 30, 2020, the project “Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Activity”, which is implemented by the Initiative Center to Support Social Action “Ednannia” in consortium with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM), presented a Legal Reforms Roadmap for Civil Society – a document that combined analysis, vision of civil society development and formed the principles of policy on public support for civil society. To formalize the Map as a document representing the interests of the entire public sector, the Activity held 37 thematic discussions and 6 regional discussions, which were attended by 1,164 participants from more than 250 civil society organizations at the national and local levels. We have proposed solutions to almost a hundred problems faced by activists, initiative groups, NGOs and charitable organizations, self-organization bodies, etc. Were these issues resolved in a year? Have new ones emerged during this time, and how will we respond to them?

MAP IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS 

1

Facilitating the establishment and operation of CSOs

Improving access to administrative services for NGOs

Standardization of UBO submission for CSOs

SECTION

in progress

in progress

in progress

 

law has been drafted

enshrined in a government decision

postponed for 9 months

 

changes presented to the public

 

struggle for abolition

 

2

Introduction of the tax designation mechanism

Simplification of charity taxation

Simplification of HA regulation

SECTION

in progress

in progress

in progress

 

law has been drafted

law has been drafted

automated HA registration system introduced

 

3

Introduction of e-competitions on VzaemoDiia

Improving competition procedures

Promoting the lease of state-owned property by CSOs

SECTION

success

in progress

in progress

 

 

regulated by the government

consultations are underway

 

4

Improving legislation on social services from CSOs

 

 

SECTION

in progress

 

 

 

law has been drafted

 

 

 

by-laws have been drafted

 

 

LEGAL REFORMS ROADMAP FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN UKRAINE. 2020

 

MAP IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS

5

Improving legislation on volunteering

 

 

SECTION

in progress

 

 

 

counteraction to 4521 continues

 

 

 

amendments to the law have been prepared

 

 

 

6

Ensure youth participation in public affairs

Strengthening public consultations

Strengthening local democracy in the law on local self-government bodies

SECTION

success

in progress

in progress

 

 

the draft law was adopted in the first reading

the government introduces the draft law

 

 

 

a number of local statutes were adopted

 

7

Approval of the National Strategy for Promoting Civil Society Development

 

 

SECTION

success

 

 

 

8

Counteracting legislation unfavorable for the civil society

 

 

SECTION

in progress

 

 

 

a number of draft laws were rejected

 

 

 

opposition continues

 

 

LEGAL REFORMS ROADMAP FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN UKRAINE. 2020

 

Legal Reforms Roadmap for Civil Society is almost 160 pages long, and its abbreviated infographic version is 20 pages long. In order to allow the public to follow its implementation, we have created an interactive map tracking board. The tool not only allows you to see the status of the solution “in progress” or “implemented”, but also to track the events that led to the result (problem cards contain links to relevant news).

Advocacy campaigns

PROGRESS OF ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS IN 2020-2021

75 %

Problem 7.4

Maps and related

problems

20 %

Draft Law of Ukraine “On Public Consultations in Ukraine” No. 4254

amendments to the Tax and Budget Codes of Ukraine to introduce tax designation mechanism

Adopted in the first reading

Approval of the National Strategy for Promoting Civil Society Development in Ukraine for 2021-2025

The concept of the draft law has been prepared

15 %

SUCCESS

20 %

amendments to the Law “On Public Associations” to simplify the registration of public associations

The Decree of the President of Ukraine was signed on September 27, 2021

Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine” regarding decentralization and delimitation of powers of local self-government bodies

The draft was presented to the public

Problem 3.1

Maps and related problems

35 references to young people in different sections of the Map

A legislative package has been prepared

25 %

Introduction of an electronic call for projects for grants given by CEBs

Draft Law of Ukraine “On Basic Principles of Youth Policy” No. 3718

20 %

amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine to promote the development of CSOs and charitable activities

counteracting legislation unfavorable for the CSOs

Agreed upon with the sector and the VRU committee

SUCCESS

SUCCESS

Some projects were not supported

Procedure 1049 has been changed and VzaemoDiia platform has been launched

Law No. 1414-IX “On the Basic Principles of Youth Policy” was adopted on April 27, 2021

 

20 %

10 %

5 %

Amendments to certain laws of Ukraine to support volunteering

Promoting the development of social services

Providing CSOs with access to preferential leases of state-owned / municipal property

Submitted to the Committee for consideration

Ready draft acts

Discussions with stakeholders continue

LEGAL REFORMS ROADMAP FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN UKRAINE. 2021

 

Since the release of the Legal Reforms Roadmap, NGOs have embarked on a series of advocacy campaigns, three of which have had significant or decisive success:

1) National Strategy for Promoting Civil Society Development in Ukraine for 2021–2026 was approved, the its regional discussions lasted started from October last year;

2) The parliament approved and the president signed the law “On the Basic Principles of Youth Policy” — it provides for strengthening youth participation in decision-making processes and support for youth organizations, in particular through the Ukrainian Youth Fund, which is currently under discussion;

3) Changes were approved to the government’s procedure for holding competitions for funding NGOs, which made it possible to launch a single platform “VzaemoDiia” for conducting electronic competitions. It already has competitions available to identify projects developed by youth and children’s NGOs, and projects of national and patriotic upbringing, implemented by civil society institutions, financed in 2022.

Other successes include achievements that need further support:

  • Approval as a whole is pending for draft law No. 4254 on public consultations, which passed the first reading in March and should consolidate the guarantees of consultations between state, local self-government bodies and the public;
  • The Ministry of Justice is to submit amendments to the Law “On Public Associations” to the parliament, designed to simplify the registration procedures for NGOs and to eliminate some discrepancies in the legislation;
  • The conceptof introducing a tax designation mechanism for civil society organizations has been developed; it will allow citizens to transfer about 2% of their paid personal income tax to non-profit organizations;
  • The parliament postponed the submission of information on the ultimate beneficial owners for legal entities for nine months, but more than 300 NGOs appealedto the parliament to have non-profit organizations exempted from this obligation;
  • A law drafted by the Ministry of Social Policy was registered in the Verkhovna Rada and put on the agenda, it provides for the introduction of a permit to engage foreign volunteers and excessive screening of the latter for possible threats to national security, which almost a hundred non-governmental organizations have already spoken out against;

STATE OF THE LEGISLATION UNFAVORABLE FOR CSOs

THE LEGISLATION HAS BEEN ANALYZED

KEEPING UNDER CONTROL

OPPOSITION IS UNDERWAY

REMOVED

INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA

UNDER CONSIDERATION

3059-1

3326

3059

pose a significant threat to civil society and the advocacy activities of CSOs

extends lustration to persons who for the last ten years have held the position of head or were a member of an NGO that received funding from any source outside of Ukraine

pose a significant threat to civil society and the advocacy activities of CSOs

Oleksandr Dubinskyi,

Olha Vasylevskaya-Smahliuk

Yuliia Tymoshenko, Serhii Vlasenko

Returned for revision to the subject of the initiative

Fedir Khrystenko

Provided for replacement, not on the agenda

3059-2

3193-1

3564

pose a significant threat to civil society and the advocacy activities of CSOs

provides for the lustration of people from the public sector

disproportionately narrow rights and freedoms; proposes to introduce the concept of “organization with foreign support”, etc.

team of authors

Andrii Derkach, Oleksandr Dubinskyi

Oleksandr Dubinskyi

Returned for revision to the subject of the initiative

 

not on the agenda

3059-3

3572

3291

pose a significant threat to civil society and the advocacy activities of CSOs

prohibits funding by foreign bodies or EU assistance programs, foreign governments

provides for a ban on rallies near court buildings

Denys Monastyrskyi, Pavlo Frolov

Vadym Rabinovich

Serhii Demchenko

Returned for revision to the subject of the initiative

 

not on the agenda

LEGAL REFORMS ROADMAP FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN UKRAINE. 2021

 

  • Three draft laws (3059-1, 3059-2, 3059-3) were removedfrom the parliament, which threatened civil society and advocacy in particular, but at least three more initiatives dangerous for democracy remain on the agenda of the current session of the Verkhovna Rada: 3193-1 (provides for the lustration of people from the public sector), 3326 (extends lustration to people who for the past ten years have held the position of leader or were members of NGOs that received funding from any source outside of Ukraine), 3572 (prohibits funding of authorities from abroad, in particular through assistance programs of the European Union, foreign governments, international organizations and donors).

Legal reforms platform for civil society organizations

 

LEGAL REFORMS PLATFORM FOR CSOs

 

OBJECTIVES:

PARTICIPANT ORGANIZATIONS (99 CSOs)

LAUNCH – 2020

20 CSOs INITIATED

INCLUDES 99 CSOs

 

support advocacy campaigns and collect field practices Legal Reforms Platform for CSOs

human rights

analytical

EDUCATION

 

youth

“Decentralization and New Communities: What Has Changed in the Organization of Power?”

 

LAUNCHED

parental

grant competition “Promoting the Improvement of the Legal Environment for Civil Society in Ukraine”

anti-corruption

environmental

“How to Communicate About Reforms”

 

NUMBER OF CSOs

CREATED

common information field (100 notifications of legal environment updates or instructions on joining advocacy campaigns)

“How Do NGOs Interact With Businesses?”

 

STRATEGIC SESSION OF PLATFORM PARTICIPANTS

“Fundraising for NGOs”

 

PLAN FOR 2021-2022

LEGAL REFORMS ROADMAP FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN UKRAINE. 2021

 

 

To strengthen advocacy campaigns to implement the map, interested non-governmental organizations within the Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Activity have created a Legal Reforms Platform for NGOs. We believe that advocating for the adoption and implementation of positive legal changes for civil society, provided for by the Legal Reforms Roadmap for Civil Society, will be more effective and successful with the active participation of civil society organizations. Therefore, the Platform is always open to NGOs that want to help. At the same time, those wishing to join the Platform must choose one or more items of the advocacy “menu”:

  • Regulatory work (analysis of the impact of draft acts not prepared by the Platform, providing comments, proposals for such draft acts; development of drafts, including alternatives to the acts prepared by the entity other than the Platform);
  • General overview (providing cases, practices; compliance monitoring; sector analysis);
  • Correspondence (sending letters of support; sending requests for regulatory work);
  • “Physical” support of decisions (participation in meetings and meetings of the authorities, advisory structures; participation in direct action; participation in online meetings of stakeholders);
  • Public position (media statements; signing of public documents; dissemination on social media);
  • Implementation of decisions (working contacts with the parliamentary body and executive bodies of local self-government, local state administrations; participation in regional and local consulting, advisory bodies; assistance in the implementation of new acts; participation in preparation of methodological, advisory materials for NGOs and employees).

The Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Activity offers participants a platform for professional development, exchange of expertise and a special grant competition “Promoting the Improvement of the Legal Environment for Civil Society in Ukraine”, which will contribute to the implementation of the Map and thus improve the legal environment in which civil society organizations and charitable organizations operate.

What`s next

The results of the first year of implementation of the Legal Reforms Map for Civil Society were discussed at the Legal Reform Forum in September 2021. In particular, the need to supplement the Map with the challenges that have emerged over the past year was voiced. To do this, we are planning to hold an expert discussion. It is also necessary to transfer the Map to the recently adopted National Strategy for Promoting Civil Society Development in Ukraine, which should receive the first three-year implementation plan – its public discussion is to begin in the nearest future.

Implementing solutions proposed by the Legal Reforms Map for Civil Society requires constant attention on the part of the activists, constant interaction on the part of the government sector and constant readiness for the “long game”. It is also necessary to be aware of the dangers that can be demotivating.

Artem Konovalov, Expert at Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law

This material was prepared as part of the Project Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Activity implemented by the Initiative Center to Support Social Action “Ednannia” in partnership with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM) with the sincere support of the American people through United States Agency for International Development.