The Richelieu Forum of Public Service “Human Rights in Ukraine: Optics of Change” launched in Kyiv

Today, the annual Richelieu Forum of Public Service “Human Rights in Ukraine: Optics of Change” launched in Kyiv. This year, the forum is dedicated to the topic of human rights. 

Expert dialogues are held within the framework of discussion panels on how the public service should guarantee human rights “here and now” – in the realities of war, transformations, reconstruction and digital changes. And at the same time – to become a reliable support for society, to ensure trust, protection and inclusion. 

“The discussions that will take place on our platform will help us form a holistic vision of what the public service should be, what it is, and how it implements and protects human rights,” emphasized the Head of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service Issues, Nataliia Aliushyna, opening the forum. 

According to the head of the Agency, the discussions over the three days will become a platform for making decisions that can help make the public service more open, professional, fair and focused on the interests and needs of citizens. Natalia Alyushyna emphasized that the public service is a space for decisions that affect the lives of all citizens. And the level of public trust in the state depends on the ability to take into account the expectations of the majority of people, in particular in the field of respecting their civil rights. The participants of the Richelieu Forum were welcomed by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko, the Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Nataliya Kozlovska, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning Olena Shulyak, the Head of Operational Department 1 “European Integration, Governance and the Rule of Law, Civil Society” of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine Asier Santillan, the Permanent Representative of the UNDP in Ukraine Auke Lotsma, and the Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Claudia Luciani. 

The special guest of the first day was the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets. His speech was dedicated to human rights as a key element of successful reforms, including in the field of public administration. In particular, the Ombudsman emphasized that the civil service is the basis of citizens' trust in the state. Therefore, it is important to work on improving the qualifications of civil servants, expanding access to the civil service for people with disabilities, veterans, IDPs, and promoting gender equality in state authorities. In addition, the Ombudsman spoke about how the work in the field of human rights protection is structured and about the changes that have been introduced in the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine in wartime.