The conference was organized by the Committee jointly with the Institute of Political Education and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Ukraine.
The participants of the conference discussed legislative possibilities and prospects of lobbying the public interests at the local level, the matters concerning use of tools and mechanisms of public participation in the decision-making process. The participants scrutinized the Bills on amendments to certain Laws of Ukraine concerning public participation in formation and realization of governmental policy, settlement of local issues, etc.
Andriy Strannikov, Director of the Institute of Political Education, opened the conference and stated that "the conference continues the project of cooperation with the international and national experts within the scope of a common project with the Embassy of Netherlands in Ukraine".
The participants of the conference stressed that majority of Ukrainian citizens had no possibility to influence the decision-making process of the local councils by legitimate methods. Moreover, the local councils are said to violate the legislation and fail to adopt the statutes of territorial communities or certain regulations concerning consultations with the public.
The experts deem necessary to set up public advisory councils under the local councils and define their organizational and legal status by relevant local normative acts.
The participants of the conference also called for establishment of an institute of information authorized person in charge of protection of the right for access to the information and protection of private information.