The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy has signed the Law of Ukraine “On National Security”
While in the USA, the Chair notified he had inked the paper and sent it for presidential signature.
In his comments to the bill’s adoption, the politician said that “this law is so extremely significant that it cannot be called into question. The law is to reform the Ukrainian army and align it with NATO standards”.
It was also then said Ukraine had determined on its strategic priority – accession to NATO, that’s why the law is utterly important for conforming the whole sector of security to the North Alliance’s standards.
Worthy of note
The Law of Ukraine “On National Security”: Draft bill No.8068
The legislative enactment defines the grounds and principles of national security and defence, the goals and underlying principles of the state policy that shall guarantee protection for society and every citizen against any threats.
The law specifies and re-assigns the powers of state bodies in the area of national security and defence, lays the groundwork for integrating policies and procedures of state authorities, other state bodies whose functions relate to national security and defence, security forces and defence forces, frames the system of command, control and coordination between the security forces and the defence forces, introduces a comprehensive approach to national security and defence planning, thus ensuring a democratic civic control over bodies and units relating to the security and defense realm.
The law contains five sections.
The Section One constitutes the law’s glossary.
The Section Two gives legal grounds and principles of the state national security and defence policy, Ukraine’s fundamentals in the field of national interests, among which are ensuring the state sovereignty and territorial integrity, Ukraine’s integration in the EU political, economic, and legal spaces, attaining membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A range of the national strategies and supporting documents shall define the national security threats and the state policy priorities in the areas of national security and defense. The above instruments are to be first commended by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, and afterwards approved by presidential decrees.
The Section Three defines the principles and mechanisms of civic democratic control, and the powers to exercise such control by legislative, executive and judicial powers, by local self-government (home rule) bodies and civil society.
The Section Four frames the composition of the security and defence sector and also the legal status of the polar bodies that make it up, as well as the management and coordination tools to be applied in the sphere of national security.
The Section Five regulates the national security and defence planning, specifies key long-term planning documents (a range of different national planning strategies) as well as the procedures used to introduce and incarnate the above papers along the medium-term and short-term planning documentation.
The law was adopted taking into account proposals tabled by the Committee on National Security and Defence.