14 September 2023, 14:45
The First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko delivered a welcoming speech at the “III Forum of Legal Reforms for Civil Society: Becoming Stronger in Time of War”.
“It is symbolic that the forum started just before the Democracy Day. The development and strengthening of the civil sector is now an opportunity that should not be lost,” stressed Oleksandr Korniienko.
At the same time, he noted that the involvement of people in the processes created by civil society organisations has increased significantly: “This is inclusion, and it is the inclusion that we have always wanted.”
The First Deputy Speaker said that on the initiative of Roman Hryshchuk, a volunteer and MP, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has an ongoing dialogue with the main volunteer foundations chaired by the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk. “Each meeting ends with real steps and interaction with the Ministry of Defence, the National Bank, and the tax authorities to convey all the pains and requests of volunteers,” said Oleksandr Korniienko, adding that this format of work will continue and will yield even greater results.
“In the context of the conversation about the triangle between the government, business and civil society, the position of business is very important – as the state would like to encourage them to be more actively involved in this interaction,” he stressed.
In addition, the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted that the main challenges for the whole country are capabilities and human resources: “We need people to come back to Ukraine. The issue of quality personnel will be very acute. This pushes us to create new creative approaches to human resources.”
“Our civil society is now not just present, but a very active and influential player. Since 2005, it has demonstrated its presence and influence on the course of history. Since then, I don’t remember it being different,” Oleksandr Korniienko concluded.
For reference. The event was organised with the participation of the project “Sectoral Support Initiative for Civil Society of Ukraine”, implemented by ISAR Ednannia in partnership with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM).
The forum is a platform for all-Ukrainian discussion on progress in improving the legal framework for civil society organisations in the context of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.