On Monday, March 12^th, the American Chamber of Commerce hosted a Roundtable “Institualization of Lobbying in Ukraine: Prospects for Adoption of Legislation” that was held in conjunction with the USAID - Ohio State University Parliamentary Development Program (PDP II), the Professional Lobbying and Advocacy Institute and Arzinger Law Firm.

Opening the event, Chamber's President Jorge Zukoski welcomed the participants and stated that proper legislative framework of the lobbying activities in Ukraine is crucially important for establishing a productive dialog between the business community and the government.

Since efficient and transparent dialogue between business and government is one of the pillars for developing a favorable investment climate and improving Ukraine's image abroad, the Roundtable was focused on the Draft Law #7269 "On Regulation of Lobbying Activities in Ukraine” which is scheduled for consideration during the hearings of the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on State Development and Local Self-Governance in April 2012 (for more information on the aforesaid Draft Law please click here to see the Ukrainian and English versions).

From 9 to 11 November 2011 in Prague the First Annual World Forum on Governance took place with over 90 delegates attended. The event, initiated by the famous American think tank, Brookings, became a controversial platform for exchanging views and making recommendations on various aspects of both public and corporate governance, given the current global challenges.

Special attention in the Forum was paid to the interaction between public authorities, commercial companies and interest groups through lobbying and advocacy mechanisms, the study of positive and negative experiences of individual countries with the institutionalization of lobbying, the possibility of using such tools as part of anti-corruption policy.

At its meeting on December 22, 2010, VR Committee for State Development and Local Self-Governance decided to conduct Committee hearings next year to discuss draft law "On Regulation of Lobbying Activities in Ukraine" with representatives of executive authorities, Ukrainian and foreign experts, NGOs etc. Special working group will be formed to ensure an appropriate level of preparations. 

On October 20, Valeriy Konovaliuk, Party of Regions, registered in Ukraine’s Parliament a draft law “On regulation of lobbying activity in Ukraine.”

In the explanatory note it is stated that “the proposed law would regulate lobbying activity in Ukraine, which although it is not acknowledged by Ukrainian law, is operating in organs of government and local self-government authorities”

The Professional Lobbying and Advocacy Institute (PLAI), supported by the International Republican Institute of United States, held a training on 1-5 October 2010 at the Novomorskyi Sanatorium (Orlovshchyna village, Dnipropetrovsk region). It was held for leaders and activists of the All-Ukrainian Union of Civic Organizations of Invalids in Ukraine and was attended by some 70 people from all regions of Ukraine.

PLAI was represented by its Board Member, law candidate Volodymyr Nesterovych  who lectured on theoretical issues and moderated workshops.

Basic goals were to familiarize training participants with the practice of lobbying institution and the ability to separate it out from other forms of citizen influence of society and the ratification of normative – legal acts and to develop lobbying methods to develop algorithms of lobbying activity by working on specific practical assignments.