Effective governance: the only road to EU membership?

Leading experts from many countries will spend two days in Kyiv, November 22-23, to discuss ways of effective governance and security during the 2nd Youth Kyiv Security Forum organized by Arsenii Yatseniuk’s Open Ukraine Foundation.

Young experts from over 15 countries will attend the forum, along with veteran colleagues from Austria, the UK, Georgia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and Switzerland. Diplomats and representatives of international organizations in Ukraine – the EU, UN, NATO OSCE, World Bank, etc, – will also be there to share their experience. This year’s agenda includes presentations by international experts on why Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU is impossible without having the rule of law, lowering corruption level, and having a transparent government which is accountable to society.

Why should this be discussed in the context of international relations and security? Says Ihor TURIANSKY, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine: “On the eve of the Ukraine-EU summit in Vilnius, I think the acutest problem for Ukraine is the need to make clear its domestic and foreign political trends. It’s time we stopped looking around and trying to find lobbyists on the international arena in general, and within the European Union in particular. It’s time we learned to protect our interests on our own – and do so in deeds, not in words, using all means and methods available, upholding only mutually advantageous cooperation with foreign partners.”

During the 2nd Youth Kyiv Security Forum, experts will try to determine Ukraine’s priorities in introducing effective governance. Jon Bond (Switzerland) says effective governance is when there are effective leaders; that laws are important but that dishonest leaders find loopholes and corrupt the system. Ukraine, as any other country, needs honest people assigned to political posts. Each can help reach this target. Journalists should detect and expose acts of corruption, government officials should resist political manipulation, and the general public should combat election fraud.

Another topic on the forum’s agenda is effective governance in the Black Sea region and Eastern European countries, with special emphasis on Ukraine.

Dr. Melanie Sully (Austria) says effective parliamentary democracy, with consensus on the rules, such as procedural rules or constitutional norms, is vital for a good democracy and the rule of law; that without effective parliamentary democracy all agreements and reforms will have no firm basis and will be prone to collapse right after being made. Also, parliament is an example to be emulated by a given country and should be its calling card. It is in parliament that norms are established, including respect for others, tolerance, an ability to listen, speak, and act jointly with the minority or with those who have different views. The rest of society will be judged by these norms. True, this happens very seldom. The fundamental problem is how to improve parliamentary culture, and solving this problem will help Ukraine on its way to the EU, will teach wisdom and help stable progress and justice.

Combating corruption is another key issue to be resolved in establishing effective governance in Ukraine. Vitalii SHABUNIN, Anti-Corruption Center, says: “Without this none of the reform strategies will work, simply because the money allocated for its implementation will be stolen. Moreover, the pathological kleptocracy of the current political elite is rapidly pushing this country in the backyard of the civilized world.”