Local self-government is the level of public administration closest to the people, enabling the resolution — with the direct involvement of local self-government bodies — of the important problems facing the state in the context of today’s challenges. A capable local self-government, with sufficient material, financial, territorial, and organizational foundations, is the key to the country’s stable development.

At the same time, the organizational and functional components of local self-government in today’s environment must undergo a transformation, become more flexible, and gain the ability to adapt quickly to changes, while maintaining the key role of local self-government — acting in the interests of the local community. Therefore, the further development of local self-government in Ukraine underscores the relevance of this panel discussion.

As part of the discussion, the plan is to focus on the following topics:
– The Impact of Recent Changes in Municipal Law on the Development of Local Self-Government;
– Local Self-Government and Civil Society: Collaboration and Accountability;
– The Impact of Ukraine’s European Integration Processes on the Municipal Government System;
– Characteristics of the legal status of a territorial community within the system of local self-government at the present time;
– Problems and shortcomings in the legal regulation of the organization and activities of local self-government bodies in Ukraine;
– The systemic and structural organization of local self-government bodies during wartime;
– Employment relationships in the local self-government system at the current stage of the state’s development;
– Cooperation between local governments and state authorities under martial law;
– Issues related to the functioning of public authorities in occupied and de-occupied territories;
– The Role of Local Self-Government in Ukraine’s Postwar Reconstruction.

As a result of the discussion, the plan is to develop key directions for reforming both the organizational and functional foundations of local self-government with the aim of adapting it to the ongoing state of martial law and incorporating best practices from European countries.