Government finalizes work on the draft Ukraine-NATO ANP for 2019

The Governmental Committee for European, Euro-Atlantic Integration, International Cooperation and Regional Development under the Chairmanship of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, approved the draft Presidential Decree On Approval of the Annual National Program under the auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Commission for 2019.

After that, the draft Decree should be approved by the Government and submitted for consideration to the President of Ukraine.

The draft act was developed by an interagency working group under the general leadership of the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated October 2, 2018, No. 298 On Annual National Programs under the auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. Commenting on the document, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze called it revolutionary and such that "practically brings Ukraine closer to membership in the North Atlantic Alliance."

Background 

Pursuant to the Regulation on the development of annual national programs under the auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Commission and the evaluation of the results of their implementation, approved by the President of Ukraine in autumn of 2018, each section of the annual national program (ANP) contains a description of the reforms in the respective areas, defines the strategic goal of the reforms, objectives and priorities for the respective year. Reforms, strategic goals, relevant objectives and priorities of the ANP should be aimed at protecting and ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens, comprehensive and in-depth reforming of the state in order to prepare Ukraine for its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

An integral part of the ANP are annexes, which contain priority tasks, measures of the annual national program, those responsible for implementation of such measures and terms of implementation. Implementation indicators/performance indicators to ensure the realization of the ANP are being introduced for the first time.

The ANP is developed in accordance with the principles of strategic planning and taking into account the clarity, feasibility, having clear time frames and coherence. This means, in particular, that the objectives in the ANP should be concise, clear and not contain general wording. They must be formed and planned on the basis of available financial, material and human resources, realistic assessment of the time for their implementation, and accounting for the factors that may affect this process. Moreover, the said objectives must also have deadlines and be aimed at fulfilling the conditions necessary to prepare for Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.