Building integrity at the local level, the role of local governments in the process of Ukraine's reconstruction and European integration, implementation of effective democratic practices and modern anti-corruption tools were the key topics discussed on August 16, 2024, at the Community Integrity Forum held by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Program and in partnership with RMTeam International. Watch the broadcast of the forum here.
The forum was held for the second time and has become a unique platform created by NACP and partners to coordinate actions to build integrity in communities. Representatives of the government, international organizations, and local governments - heads of regional, city, town, and village councils, as well as specialized associations - shared their experience and best practices.
Cooperation with local governments, communities and international partners aimed at the development and transparent reconstruction of the regions is a priority for NACP. The National Agency is actively working in this direction, providing practical assistance, in particular, in identifying corruption risks and conducting anti-corruption examinations.
The participants of the event learned about successful cases of good practices of different communities, modern tools for improving the efficiency of governance, as well as tools that will ensure sustainable development of regions and the country as a whole.
Representatives of the public sector also shared their experience in building good governance at the local level with the Forum participants. Thus, the assessment methodology “Local Government Publicity Index”, developed by the Civil Network OPORA in 2012 and finalized in 2024 to take into account current challenges, allows to develop the level of publicity in communities.
“When we talk about the publicity of local authorities, we are talking about a whole range of measures aimed at establishing interaction between local authorities and community residents. It consists of three components: transparency, openness and accountability. In terms of transparency, we are talking about the availability of information about the activities of local authorities and the information they create. Openness means public participation, the extent to which community residents can receive information, use it, and the mechanisms that allow them to participate in decision-making at the local level. It also means accountability at all levels: executive bodies and deputies, primarily for the use of local funds and the implementation of programs that work in the community. Publicity is not only about information, but also about the ability to influence certain processes,” emphasized Andriy Tokarskyi, Project Manager at the Civil Network OPORA.
During the Forum, a number of new communities and specialized associations joined the Building Integrity Declaration. The new signatories are: The All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, Lviv and Zakarpattia Regional Councils, Zhovkva, Chortkiv and Pustomyty City Councils, Rokytne Village Council, Vorokhta Village Council and Kamen-Kashyr community in Volyn Oblast.
It should be noted that during last year's Forum, the leaders of 20 local governments and specialized associations declared their commitment to implementing good practices. Taking into account the new signatories, their number has now increased to 40.
The document provides for the proclamation of common values in building good governance based on the Council of Europe's Recommendations on Public Integrity and the European model of “Good Governance”, as well as constructive cooperation of the signatories in implementing the tasks.
According to NACP Head Viktor Pavlushchyk, the Forum itself and the accession of new signatories to the Building Integrity Declaration are a good sign that demonstrates the maturity of society.
"The Declaration, which is being signed by more and more communities, is a guideline, a roadmap that leads to building a transparent society and helps to strengthen citizens' trust in the authorities at all levels. Without a culture of integrity, which can only be realized in cooperation with local communities, we will not be able to achieve high standards and results. It is gratifying to see that the awareness of this fact among local government representatives is constantly growing and more and more communities are joining the systematic work on preventing corruption offenses conducted by NACP. Our joint work should be aimed at creating the most unfavorable conditions for dishonest officials and representatives of local self-government. After all, if local self-government is affected by the virus of corruption, it cannot meet the needs of citizens and become the basis of a strong and effective state. During the war, our communities demonstrated remarkable resilience and ability to overcome the most serious security challenges. It's time to work together to ensure transparent recovery and sustainable development of the country for the future”, emphasized Victor Pavlushchyk.
“Let us remember that fighting corruption and promoting integrity is not the responsibility of just a few people. It requires collective efforts from all of us - the government, local leaders, civil society and international partners,” said Soren Herbst, Team Leader of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme's Support to Multi-Level Governance.
Representatives of all communities and regions of Ukraine can join the Declaration and thereby demonstrate their commitment to building a culture of integrity on the ground.
The U-LEAD with Europe: Ukraine - Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Program is a multi-donor program of the European Union and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia to support Ukraine on its path to strengthening local governance. U-LEAD promotes transparent, sustainable and accountable multi-level governance in Ukraine that meets the needs of citizens and offers communities practical tools for implementing good practices.
