The decentralisation reform in Ukraine is one of the most effective in the country. According to the Council of Europe’s research, 77% of Ukrainians believe that the reform of self-government and territorial organisation of power should be continued. The success of decentralisation is also highly appreciated by international experts and partners.

This was stated by Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities and Territories Development, during a briefing on the assessment of the current state and future steps in the decentralisation reform, which brought together representatives of foreign diplomatic missions, international organisations, the Office of the President, the Verkhovna Rada and all-Ukrainian associations of local self-government bodies.

The event was also attended by Claudia Luciani, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Daniel Popescu, Head of the Promoting Local Democracy Department at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and Oleksandr Korniyenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

“The war and the decentralisation reform have been going on for ten years, despite the daily challenges. This is our unique experience, which does not exist in any other country. Thanks to the reform, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian communities became the basis of resistance against the russian aggressor. Today, the communities continue to be resilient and strong for recovery and development,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

According to Oleksii Kuleba, a new version of the Concept of Reforming Local Self-Government and Territorial Organisation of Power in Ukraine will be published in spring 2025.

To implement the Concept, a number of plans and measures have been adopted and implemented, a new administrative-territorial structure of the basic and district levels has been formed, a significant part of powers and financial resources have been decentralised, which has strengthened territorial communities.

The Ministry is now ready to engage in an open dialogue with all stakeholders, primarily local governments, to further reform the territorial organisation of power in Ukraine. This will ensure fast and effective recovery and development of communities and regions with limited resources.

The Deputy Prime Minister thanked international partners for their support of the decentralisation reform and expressed hope that in the future, international organisations, including the Council of Europe, would continue to work with Ukraine to ensure the sustainability of democratic institutions in times of war.