Valentyn Zaichuk, Secretary General of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariate: The Parliament plays a Leading Role in the Formation of the Information Society
On Thursday, Valentyn Zaichuk, Secretary
General of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariate, met Mr Gherardo Casini, Executive
Coordinator a.i. of Global Centre for ICT in
Parliament under the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Head of the Office of the
Department of Economic and Social Affairs in Rome
(Italy).
The Global Centre intends to promote the concepts of e-government and e-democracy, presenting the best international practices. At the inter-parliamentary level, it coordinates establishment of e-parliaments, use of modern information and communication technologies to secure greater transparency, openness and accountability of the parliament to the voters.
The Secretary General of
the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariate stated that the development of the
information systems is a foundation of the global
world; therefore, the Ukrainian parliament actively contributes to the
international information system.
Thus, The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine developed the Legislative Process Informatization Program for 2010-2015, which "is of utmost importance for the development of the information society." This Program envisages an action plan for its implementation, esp. adoption of corresponding resolutions and legislative acts. Specific paragraphs of the Program intend for reorganization and upgrade of the normative base for the factions, committees, departments of the Secretariate, etc. Another important provision of the document is enhancement of communication between the Parliament and the Cabinet of Ministers, governmental agencies, executive bodies via Internet in on-line mode.
Mr Casini, Executive Coordinator a.i. of Global Centre for ICT in Parliament, stressed the role of Mr Zaichuk, ‘driving force of the Program´, in this process, "since he realizes that these pursuits are indispensable for the international image of The Verkhovna Rada."
Mr Casini
stated that activity of the Global Centre has two aspects, i.e. technical
(intended for the development of brand new technologies) and political that
influences the development of the information society. He informed that a Ukraine´s report dedicated
to the practice of ICT application in the Ukrainian Parliament would be
presented at the upcoming sitting of the European Summit on Information
Technologies. "The knowledge should be shared, your parliament offers
plenty of examples to follow", he stated.
Mr Zaichuk informed the attendants of the meeting that further promotion of information technologies, development of e-parliament and e-government would be adequately funded despite the economic crisis, so "the parliament will become even more open to the public." "Introduction of the information and communication technologies shall be facilitated, as the Parliament assumes a key role in the formation of the information society", he emphasized.