Community Charter as a Tool for Real Democracy

The main target groups of the project are local governments, their officials, deputies, and local activists. The project and its products indirectly influence broad stakeholder groups by updating the mechanisms of participatory democracy.

Faculty of Law of Uzhhorod National University, 

CSO «Grassroots Institute»

As a result of the project's implementation, the Kamyanska, Zarichanska, Irshavska, and Uzhhorod communities will have legally sound draft statutes, adapted to local conditions, which will establish clear rules for residents' participation in decision-making.

Representatives of local self-government bodies and deputies will better understand new legislative requirements and gain practical experience in applying local democracy tools. This will strengthen the communities' capacity to independently organize public consultations, public hearings, local initiatives, public assessment of government activities, and involve residents in the budget process.

Community residents, including youth, internally displaced persons, representatives of national minorities, and public organizations, will have more opportunities to influence the content of local rules and participate in shaping decisions concerning the development of their communities.

Thanks to public discussion of draft statutes and consideration of residents' proposals, interaction between the public and local self-government bodies will become more open, predictable, and inclusive.

It is expected that the prepared statutes will be officially submitted for consideration by all four local councils, and at least two statutes will be adopted during the project's implementation. For the other two communities, legal, organizational, and social prerequisites for their adoption will be created after the project's completion.

In the longer term, the procedures enshrined in the statutes will contribute to more regular use of local democracy tools, greater transparency and accountability of local authorities, and a gradual strengthening of residents' trust in local self-government bodies. The developed approach can also be used by other territorial communities of Zakarpattia Oblast.