The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association initiated a discussion on public trust and post-war development of the state

The Kyiv Hotel hosted a public discussion “Ukraine – a new dimension, ways of development through the eyes of post-war society” organized by the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association (UNLA). The event brought together representatives of the academic community, state and local authorities, the bar, the public sector and the media to discuss the key challenges of the country’s post-war recovery.

The meeting was moderated by Golda Vinogradska, President of the National Industry Partnership in the Light Industry of Ukraine, Fashion Globus Ukraine.

Opening the discussion, Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, emphasized that the future regulatory framework of post-war Ukraine should contain not only declarative provisions but also clearly defined responsibility of state institutions for the consequences of decisions and processes in society.

In his speech, he emphasized that no social contract or regulatory act can be effective without restoring public trust in state and local governments. According to him, public trust is the foundation of a democratic society, the basis for social dialogue and political decision-making.

Among the key tasks, he named the development of regulations in the area of building public trust, support for state and local governments in establishing decision-making processes, and the involvement of all stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of post-war policy, including war-affected persons. Particular attention was paid to involving the military and veterans in the discussion of reforms, supporting volunteer initiatives, and enhancing the role of civil society organizations in rebuilding the country.

Kateryna Voronenko, Honored Journalist of Ukraine, emphasized that building trust is impossible without effective communication and systematic work with public perception. She emphasized the special role of the emergence in Ukraine of such an institution as the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, which aims to lobby the interests of Ukrainian society, not individual business structures.

A separate block of discussion was devoted to the reintegration of veterans and preparing communities for their return, creating jobs and shaping a culture of interaction with people who have been through the war.

The discussion also included positions on the role of communities in the future architecture of the state.

Serhiy Zhadan, a member of the Vyshhorod City Council, emphasized the importance of community unification and self-sufficiency as the basis for a strong state.

Oksana Skrypnyk, representative of the Kyiv Interregional Department of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, and Yaroslav Melnyk, Doctor of Law, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Research on Problems and Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to EU Law of the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, emphasized the need to streamline and comprehend the social contract in modern conditions.

Mykola Mykytyuk, Doctor of Law, Professor at the Institute of Parole of Ukraine at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Colonel, emphasized that self-government is the basis of statehood, and the lobbying community can become a professional platform for the formation and promotion of a new social contract.

Summing up the event, Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, noted that the Social Contract of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association should become an open platform for bringing together experts, representatives of communities, government and civil society, with the subsequent creation of working groups and development of agreed solutions. According to him, without restoring public trust, neither effective recovery of the country nor building a sustainable and democratic state is possible.